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.

T
he German Pumps+Systems
Association of the VDMA,
in association with the
Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena),
presented preliminary findings of their
campaign for energy efficiency earlier
this summer. ‘Their controllers will
get teary-eyed’, one auditor quipped
when he saw the results. The report
concluded that energy efficient pump
systems reach returns on investment up
to 50%. These results that have been
unearthed as part of a recent “energy
efficiency” initiative in Germany.
Christoph Singrün, general manager
of the VDMA says, ‘...We put the
focus on energy optimization of the
complete system. Only that way can
such high cost savings be reached.’ The
fact that the campaign concentrated
on the cross section technology ‘pump
systems’ ensures that the energy
efficiency activities can be transferred
to as many companies as possible.
Table 1. Summary of the savings achieved by
Unilever in the first two years of the project.
Cost reduction x 200
An example from the consulting
projects that already has been
realised is at Unilever Deutschland
GmbH. The company produces
soap products in Mannheim. Most
of the 200 pumps on site are used as
process or circulating pumps. At the
centre of the energy analysis stood
the optimization of the process water
and circulating pumps as well as the
re-cooling system.
The following parameters were
examined: the power consumption of
the pump, the flow rates and the head
as well as the main consumers.
The analysis shows that all pumps
in the re-cooling systems have been
throttled in their flow rate by flaps
on the discharge side. The result
was that the pumps were operated
according to their performance
range with a low efficiency, which
is associated with high energy
consumption. Furthermore, the
pumps were operated at or above
their nominal power, resulting in a
reduced lifetime.
The analysis showed a savings
potential of 925,000 kWh. This
means an annual cost savings of
74,000. Unilever has invested
295,000, which will amortize in
four years.
The following activities were
recommended to optimize the
system:
• No throttling of pumps by slide
valves
• Using motor-driven slide valves
for the individual systems and
integrate them into the controlling
process
• Fitting drives with control devices
• Using drives with variable speed
(frequency converter) to adjust

Power consumption
2,470,000 kWh/year
before the activities

Power consumption after

1,545,000 kWh/year
the 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

Return on investment
21.4 % Figure 1. After the efficiency analysis the pumps at the Unilever plant in Mannheim use
(dynamised)
37% less energy as before – so the company saves 74,000 every year.

36 0262 1762/07 © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved WORLD PUMPS October 2007
 feature energy efficiency

the duty points of the pump to customers (process heat for the beer
EFF1 much better the system requirements production, heating of cleaning circuits,
than EFF2 • Use of high efficiency motors etc).
In the two presented projects it (EFF1-motors)
was recommended to use high • Refitting or removing the flow The analysis shows that the
efficiency motors. What is the
advantage for the owner, if he uses
meters not being used. flow rates at low heat consumption
a high efficiency motor of class and during production stops, or for the
EFF1 instead of an EFF2-motor? tempering of the pipeline network,
The most important arguments for Cost-efficient brewing
are basically too high. Furthermore,
EFF1 motors are:
In the centre of the energy analyis at an additional savings potential of
• a better efficiency (reduces energy the Binding Henninger Brauerei stands approximately 15,000 could be
consumption and thus operating an optimised hot water pump system. achieved by reducing the thermal energy,
costs), These pumps provide hot water to 500 an annual savings potential of 26,500.
• a lower noise level (increases
comfort)
• a lower winding temperature
(prolongs lifetime and reduces
heat input into the environment/
the pumped liquid)
• in total it has a positive impact on
the environment.

But Hermann W. Brennecke,

president of the management
board of the Grundfos GmbH in
Germany, says, ‘We should not fool
ourselves: No responsible manager
in the industry or of a local
authority will make investments
only for environmental reasons.
What he needs, is a real economic
advantage in competition with
clear payback periods.’

Why should the owner invest in an

EFF1-motor? Because after only 72
days of continuous operation, the
energy costs 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.’

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 energy-
efficient 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

WORLD PUMPS October 2007 www.worldpumps.com 37

 feature energy efficiency
The following activities were re-
commended 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
performance is, in many cases, still
made by means of conventional
methods such as using throttle
valves or by-pass lines. These
techniques lead, in part, to enormous
energy losses. Professor Dr. Dieter-
Heinz Hellmann, a member of the
managing board at KSB, gives a
simple example. A pump system
controlled by throttle still uses
Table 2. Results of energy-saving efforts at Binding
Henninger Brauerei.
Power consumption before the
activities
Power consumption after the
activities
Saving of energy
Percental saving of energy
Savings of thermal energy
Savings of energy costs
Cost savings by thermal energy
Total cost savings
Required investment in Euro
Payback period
Return on investment (dynamised)
38 www.worldpumps.com
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.
90% of the electrical nominal
power at a flow rate of 60%. At
the same flow rate of 60% a speed
controlled pump reduces its power
consumption to less than 30%. His
clear conclusion: ‘For pump systems
with recurrent fluctuating operation
or operation at part load the use of a
demand-dependent speed control is
particularly energy efficient.’
263,000 kWh/year
139,000 kWh/year
124,000 kWh/year
47 %
365,400 kWh/year
11,500/year
15,000/year
26,500/year
84,000
3 years
31.1 %
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.
Hellmann referred to other advantages
that the energy efficient control of
pump systems offers with regard to their
lifespan:
• Due to the always low speed
level at part load operation the
mechanical components such
as shaft, bearings and seals are
stressed in a lesser 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.
WORLD PUMPS October 2007

Figure 4. According to Dr. Horst Dieter
Elsner, CEO of the Wilo AG, the US-
companies look keenly at the LCC
(life-cycle-cost) of a pump. German
manufactures should unconditionally
take this chance.
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
feature energy efficiency
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.
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 large-
scaled 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
Tel.: +49-30-726165-771
Fax: +49-30-726165-699
zoch@dena.de
www.worldpumps.com 39