feature energy efficiency

Germany makes strides into

energy efficiency
For around two years the campaign “Energy efficient systems in industry and trade” has supported willing
companies in Germany with concrete system analyses. More than 50 companies from the chemical,
pharmaceutical, paper, electric, plastics and metalworking industries have optimised their pump systems based on
intensive professional advice – often with astonishing results, as World Pumps correspondent Hans-Jürgen
Bittermann reports.
he German Pumps+Systems

T Association of the VDMA, in

association with
the Deutsche Energie-Agentur
(dena), presented preliminary findings
of their campaign for energy Return on investment
21.4 %
efficiency earlier this summer. ‘Their (dynamised)
controllers will get teary-eyed’, one 0262 1762/07 © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
auditor quipped when he saw the Cost reduction x 200 is associated with high energy
results. The report concluded that consumption. Furthermore, the pumps
energy efficient pump systems reach An example from the consulting were operated at or above their nominal
returns on investment up to 50%. projects that already has been realised power, resulting in a reduced lifetime.
These results that have been unearthed is at Unilever Deutschland
as part of a recent “energy efficiency” GmbH. The company produces soap The analysis showed a savings
initiative in Germany. products in Mannheim. Most of the 200 potential of 925,000 kWh. This means
pumps on site are used as process or an annual cost savings of 74,000.
Christoph Singrün, general manager of circulating pumps. At the centre of the Unilever has invested 295,000,
the VDMA says, ‘...We put the focus energy analysis stood the optimization which will amortize in four years.
on energy optimization of the complete of the process water and circulating
system. Only that way can such high pumps as well as the re-cooling system. The following activities were
cost savings be reached.’ The fact that recommended to optimize the system:
the campaign concentrated on the cross The following parameters were
section technology ‘pump systems’ examined: the power consumption of • No throttling of pumps by slide
ensures that the energy efficiency the pump, the flow rates and the head valves
activities can be transferred to as many as well as the main consumers. • Using motor-driven slide valves for
companies as possible. the individual systems and
The analysis shows that all pumps in integrate them into the controlling
Table 1. Summary of the savings achieved by Unilever in the re-cooling systems have been process
the first two years of the project. throttled in their flow rate by flaps on • Fitting drives with control devices
the discharge side. The result was that • Using drives with variable speed
Power consumption before
the pumps were operated according to
2 ,470,000 kWh/year their performance
the activities

Power consumption after the

1 ,545,000 kWh/year
activities

Saving of energy 925,000 kWh/year

Percental saving of energy 37 %

Cost savings 74 ,000/year

Investment in Euro 295,000

Payback period 4 years

range with a low efficiency, which ( frequency converter) to adjust

Figure 1. After the efficiency analysis the pumps at the Unilever plant in Mannheim use
37% less energy as before – so the company saves 74 ,000 every year.

WORLD PUMPS October 2007


Energy + Award 2008
To promote the development and use of
high-efficiency circulation pumps, the
EU-project “Energy + Pumps” has
launched a European competition,
focusing on high efficiency pumps.
Three different award categories are
open for applications: The best
energyefficient circulator, the best
electricity-saving condensing boiler and
the best campaign to promote these
products will receive the European
“Energy + Award”. Registration deadline
for all entries is 15th December 2007.
The laureates will receive their prizes
within an award ceremony in March
2008 at the international trade fair
“Mostra Convegno” in Milan. Contact:
www.energypluspumps.eu
EFF1 much better than EFF2
In the two presented projects it was
recommended to use high efficiency
motors. What is the advantage for the
owner, if he uses a high efficiency motor the duty points of the pump to the
of class EFF1 instead of an EFF2-motor? system requirements
The most important arguments for EFF1
• Use of high efficiency motors (
motors are:
EFF1-motors )
• a better efficiency (reduces • Refitting or removing the flow
energy consumption and thus meters not being used.
operating costs),
• a lower noise level (increases
comfort) Cost-efficient brewing
• a lower winding temperature
(prolongs lifetime and reduces In the centre of the energy analyis at
heat input into the the Binding Henninger Brauerei stands
environment/ the pumped an optimised hot water pump system.
liquid) These pumps provide hot water to 500
• in total it has a positive customers (process heat for the beer
impact on the environment.
production, heating of cleaning
But Hermann W. Brennecke, president of circuits, etc).
the management board of the Grundfos
GmbH in Germany, says, ‘We should not The analysis shows that the flow rates
fool ourselves: No responsible manager in at low heat consumption and during
the industry or of a local authority will
production stops, or for the tempering
make investments only for environmental
of the pipeline network, are basically
reasons. What he needs, is a real
economic advantage in competition with too high. Furthermore, an additional
clear payback periods.’ savings potential of approximately
15,000 could be achieved by
Why should the owner invest in an EFF1-
reducing the thermal energy, an annual
motor? Because after only 72 days of
continuous operation, the energy costs
savings potential of 26,500.
37
reach the purchase price of a 3 kW motor
(Comparison measurement on the basis
of a pump motor 3.0 kW / 3 x 400 V / 50
Hz of efficiency class 1 and 2). From day
73 on, he saves money.
Says Brennecke, ‘Even a donated EFF2-
motor is too expensive in the long run.’
feature energy efficiency
WORLD PUMPS October 2007 www.worldpumps.com

feature energy efficiency

The following activities were recommended to optimize the system:

• Replacement of the two existing 600 m³/h pumps

• Use of high efficiency motors ( EFF1-motors )
• Using frequency converters for the operation with variable speed
• Hydraulic adjustment of the hot water pipeline network
 • Temperature-dependent adjusting of
the overflow lines for tempering the
pipeline network to the required
minimum
• Adapting other large-scale
consumers to load-dependent flow
metering.

Control speed to save energy

The examples of Unilever and
Henninger Brauerei show
once again that in existing pump
systems an adjustment to the required
pump

Figure 2. Professor Dr. Dieter-Heinz
Hellmann, member of the managing
board at KSB, estimates that in the
companies of the chemical industry the
proportion of speed controlled pumps
has grown from small 2% to 20% in the
last five years.
Figure 3. “At the advices we put the focus
on the energetic optimization of the
complete systems. Only that way such high
cost savings can be reached.“ Christoph
Singrün, general manager of the VDMA
association pumps+systems.

performance is, in many cases, still 90% of the electrical nominal power at Hellmann referred to other advantages
made by means of conventional a flow rate of 60%. At the same flow that the energy efficient control of
methods such as using throttle valves or rate of 60% a speed controlled pump pump systems offers with regard to
by-pass lines. These techniques lead, in reduces its power consumption to less their lifespan:
part, to enormous energy losses. than 30%. His clear conclusion: ‘For
Professor Dr. Dieter- pump systems with • Due to the always low speed level at
recurrent
Heinz Hellmann, a member of the fluctuating operation or operation at part load operation the mechanical
managing board at KSB, gives a simple part load the use of a demand- components such as shaft, bearings
example. A pump system controlled by dependent speed control is and seals are stressed in a lesser
throttle still uses particularly energy efficient.’ extent.
• Frequency converters start and stop
smoothly. By this way the whole drive section is preserved and the pump system is mechanically stressed in a lesser extent. As in case of energy
optimized pump systems, fewer wear parts have to be replaced, and the periods between the maintenance works will be prolonged. Not only are the
energy costs falling, so are the costs of servicing the equipment.

But there is one question left. If the arguments for speed control and energy efficiency are so clear and coherent, why are so
many companies in Germany so resistant to changing their methods? Probably the dilemma is based among others on the
traditional division of work. Normally the planner is not responsible for the operating costs, and the purchasing derpartment
still looks only at ostensibly low prices.
 Table 2. Results of energy-saving efforts at Binding Henninger Brauerei.
38 www.worldpumps.com WORLD PUMPS
October 2007
Figure 4. According to Dr. Horst Power consumption before the
Dieter Elsner, CEO of the Wilo
activities 263,000 kWh/year
AG, the UScompanies look
keenly at the LCC (life-cycle- Power consumption after the
cost) of a pump. German
manufactures should activities 139,000 kWh/year
unconditionally
Saving of energy 124,000 kWh/year
feature
Percental saving of energy 47 %
energy
Savings of thermal energy 365,400 kWh/year
efficiency
Savings of energy costs 11,500/year

Cost savings by thermal energy 15,000/year

Total cost savings 26,500/year

Required investment in Euro 84,000

Payback period 3 years

Return on investment (dynamised) 31.1 %

take this chance.
Figure 5. ‘Even a donated EFF2-motor is
too expensive in the long run.’ Hermann
W. Brennecke, president of the
management board of the Grundfos GmbH
in Germany.

Dr. Horst Dieter Elsner, CEO of the
Wilo AG, sees this phenomenon
often with American companies,
who are often criticized because of
their excessive waste of energy.
However, there is a growing
awareness of the benefits of
analysing lifetime costs, at least in
case of industry managers.
According to Elsner’s observations,
the American companies look
keenly at the LCC (Life-cycle-cost)
of a pump. In his opinion the
products of American pump
manufacturers are not state of the art
when it comes to energy efficiency
and speed control. German pump
manufacturers should
unconditionally take this
opportunity to fill a market need.
A lot is happening in Germany, and
even the traditional chemical
industry is moving slowly towards
energy efficiency. Hellmann
estimates that in the chemical
industry the proportion of speed
controlled pumps has grown from
2% to 20% in the last five years,
with the present trend ‘increasing more and more’.
At first, high efficiency motors, complex control devices and speed controlled pump drives cost money –
and that deters companies from
WORLD PUMPS October 2007 employing them. Only if energy is correspondingly expensive will such
investments pay off in an adequately short time. Now this moment has come. The results of the consulting
projects in Germany show that an increase in energy efficiency pays for small and middle size companies
as well as for largescaled groups – and this applies to all sectors. ‘The companies being advised can not
only reduce their energy consumption and energy costs considerably, they can also gain high returns on
investment’, says Stephan Kohler, the general
manager of the dena. ■
CONTACT:
Hans-Jürgen Bittermann Pressebüro
bitpress
Goethestraße 10 A
67245 Lambsheim
Tel.: 06233-352030 Fax:
06233-352031
bitpress@t-online.de
www.bit-press.de
VDMA Fachverband Pumpen +
Systeme, Ulrike Mätje, Lyoner Straße
18, 60528 Frankfurt
Tel.:+49 69 6603-1296 Fax:
+49 69 6603-2296
ulrike.maetje@vdma.org
Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH
 (dena), Immo Zoch, Chausseestrasse
128a, 10115 Berlin
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