The Sustainable Potential in Energy Efficiency

The human race is facing one of its biggest challenges, and if ignored, it could potentially spiral out of control. Over the past century, the rising global population has triggered a massive growth in industry development, leading to a bottleneck effect where existing resources are disappearing and the challenge to discover new energy sources has become a top priority. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the world’s energy consumption has increased on average 1.4 percent every year since 1990. It is forecasted to continue, which will result in a 49 percent increase in energy consumption from now until 2035. 

In response to increased public awareness of energy consumption and carbon footprinting, the general population seems to have woken up and is taking a more responsible approach to sustainability. Initiatives such as the introduction of energy ratings for appliances have made us more aware of personal or household energy use.

The private or household sectors are not the main contributors to global energy use. The largest consumers of the world’s energy are businesses and industries. And although around the globe many of these businesses are drafting new contingencies for energy efficiency, they may be missing out on the full potential of sustainable industry. This is largely due to the lack of awareness regarding one of the main sources of energy waste – the pump. As a leading pump manufacturer, Grundfos believes it is our duty and responsibility to educate the world about the potential savings to be made through the use of energy-efficient pumps. Pumps account for 10 percent of the worlds electricity consumption and thereby one of the largest contributors to energy use, with a substantial impact on the environment. In businesses, buildings, households, and industries, pumps exist in some form or another in systems that contain liquid. They are the key components for maintaining comfort levels in buildings. They deliver and distribute clean drinking water from water treatment plants throughout cities, while at the same time removing wastewater. And, they are highly present within the worldwide food and beverage industry. Pumps are involved in nearly every aspect of modern living, yet public awareness of the presence and purpose of them is very low. Pumps offer a great opportunity for reducing the world’s energy consumption. An example is in the EU, where most pumps currently installed are larger than necessary for the job at hand and the majority of the motors chosen to drive the pumps are inefficient. In fact, two-thirds of all pumps in the EU use up to 60 percent more energy than necessary.

We at Grundfos believe the answer to reducing pump energy wastage is to raise awareness to their presence and purpose, and to the potential savings in both energy and cost by switching to more energy-efficient solutions. There is tremendous potential for environmental CO2 reduction, as well as economical savings for businesses and industries that take it upon themselves to rise up to the energy challenge and switch to more energy-efficient pumps. "It is estimated that if every business was to switch to a high-efficiency pump system, we could reduce global electricity consumption by 4 percent, which is comparable to the combined residential electricity consumption of one billion people", according to International Energy Agency (IEA). Grundfos is currently working with politicians to drive change on both a regional and international level. With political support and involvement, we can further strengthen our message and influence. We also work hand-in-hand with installers, consultants, and contractors, because it is crucial that they realize how pumps can bring potential savings to their customers. Grundfos aims to be a responsible player that appeals to businesses and stakeholders, and to focus on replacing every inefficient pump operating in their systems. In effect, the agenda is more of a call to action than simply a distribution of knowledge. There is a public debate for energy efficiency, and our goal is to persuade businesses to do their part in ensuring a brighter future for us all.

By taking advantage of the enormous energy-saving potential of pumps, and the hidden opportunity they present, we can create value for the environment, for society, and for businesses too. A typical lifecycle assessment of a pump shows that 95 - 97 percent of environmental impact is caused by energy consumption related to pump use. Therefore, using energy-efficient pumps will have a positive effect on the environment, as global CO2 emissions will be reduced. It will also generate financial savings for businesses that choose to use energy-efficient pumps. For Grundfos, it is not only our responsibility to provide information about the effect that inefficient pumps have on a business and the world, but also to provide the solutions. Our products are efficient and intelligent, and we currently hold the technology to offer businesses the most sustainable solutions immediately. And while retrofitting pump systems to operate more efficiently can appear a daunting endeavor, businesses will save immediately on their energy costs, with an average payback time of one to five years.

Putting sustainability first, Grundfos has initiated the movement, "Meet the energy challenge NOW". Its purpose is to inform about pump optimization and the potential savings of both energy and costs to a broad array of stakeholders. It is indispensable to the future of the environment that we raise awareness of this enormous opportunity to reduce energy consumption. Grundfos is a leading pump manufacturer, and via our products we have the ability to help businesses and industries greatly to reduce their CO2 emissions and save money. As one of the pioneers of this agenda, we have developed the Grundfos Blueflux® motor technology for pumps to minimize energy usage while still ensuring top-of-the-line performance and reliability. However, Grundfos alone cannot put pumps on the global energy agenda, or persuade legislators to follow suit. We need to work together with stakeholders such as politicians, NGOs, and opinion leaders and build relevant partnerships in order to raise awareness of the potential of highly efficient technology. Collectively, we need to emphasize that this is not just a national or companyspecific issue. It is a global call to action. A challenge to change the world.