PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Hydraulic Institute has developed a new energy label in an effort to better identify energy-efficient pumps and save consumers time and money.

HI believes the Energy Rating (ER) Label program will lead to broad-based savings for end-users in addition to increasing the adoption of more efficient pumping systems in the marketplace. According to a release, HI partnered with its members, Northwest’s Regional Technical Forum (RTF), Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) to establish the ER rating.

"The Hydraulic Institute is paving the way for pump end-users to be better informed as they purchase pumps and pump systems,” NEEA Senior Product Manager Geoff Wickes said in an HI release. “The Hydraulic Institute’s collaborative work with the DOE, industry groups and energy efficiency organizations to develop a verifiable test procedure, lab accreditation and a market friendly label will help users gain a competitive edge in their equipment purchases.”

More from the release:

Through this effort, HI, along with DOE and the RTF, developed measures that provide the infrastructure to help interested utilities to create rebate programs for products with the HI ERLabel. The ERLabel verifies product efficiency performance through certifications, and labeled products are listed in a database to provide verifiable energy savings for upgraded equipment.

“NEEA commends the systems-thinking approach of the Hydraulic Institute and all the many entities in the Northwest, which resulted in efficiency levels for more than 3,400 clean water and 40 circulator pumps being verified and designated using HI’s labeling program,” Wickes said. “This presents an excellent opportunity to support efficiency efforts in the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors.”

This labeling program and platform will help many parties identify new opportunities for efficiencies. “ACEEE commends HI and the pump industry for its willingness to work with the energy efficiency community through the U.S. Department of Energy standards process, and take leadership in building this initiative on top of the consensus framework,” said Ethan Rogers, Program Director at ACEEE. “The HI Energy Rating (ER) Label will provide purchasers with new information that enables businesses to make more informed decisions on how to reduce operating costs and save energy.”