CALPEDA & EUROPUMP

With pumps responsible for some 5% of the world’s total electro-motive power consumption is it any wonder that the pump sector is a target in the drive for energy and carbon reduction.
In Europe – the European Commission have for many years been developing legislation aimed at the pump industry, largely through its energy using products (EUP) directive.
The European Association of Pump Manufacturers (Europump) sees both opportunities and problems resulting from the EUP directive, and as such it has been quick to respond.
Ken Hall, Managing Director of Calpeda’s UK division, was one of the founders of our industries response to the EUP directive forming, as part of an early Europump mandate group, the Ecopump initiative, and during Ken’s time as Europump President the initiative was launched.
In the early days Ecopump was concerned with two areas of energy reduction, ‘Product’ (in direct response to the EUP directive) and ‘Systems’, an area where Europump knew that maximum energy savings could be achieved.
Since then Ecopump has developed an ‘extended product approach’ (EPA), looking at the use of control and monitoring systems to improve pump operating efficiency.
To date legislation has been passed for motors from 0.75 to 375kW, and small circulators up to 2500W, plus legislation for water pumps is well advanced, which will eventually see the EPA introduced with subsequent energy efficiency indexing for water pump systems and associated drives and controls.
For the future new lots are being developed for swimming pool pump and related markets, waste water pumps, and industrial pumps. The EU are also now looking seriously at developing pump system initiatives.
Calpeda are not only at the forefront of Ecopump through Ken’s early work, but now through a team of Calpeda Engineers who serve on Europump energy working groups, forums, councils and commissions, keeping Calpeda products at the cutting edge of energy efficiency and legislation. Our work is clearly visible through the introduction of the Easymat, the NCE-EI, the extensive re-development of the NM pump ranges, and the introduction of the IE2 motor programme.
Of course Calpeda is not driven by legislation alone, having always been committed to efficient and environmentally friendly products and production techniques. Our R & D department are constantly working on new ideas, and experimenting with new materials and technologies.