At the recent Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems (EEMODS) conference in Lucerne, Switzerland, Europump’s president Luboš Michlík delivered a presentation on the achievements of the European pump sector in driving energy savings through the adoption of the Extended Product Approach (EPA).
During his address, Luboš stated the importance of the pump sector in Europe’s overall energy-saving efforts and outlined how the Extended Product Approach has led to significant reductions in energy consumption across various industries. He noted that pumps, which account for a substantial portion of energy use in industrial applications, offer enormous potential for efficiency gains when viewed holistically as part of a broader system rather than in isolation.
Luboš said: “The Extended Product Approach has revolutionised how we view and optimise energy efficiency within the pump sector. Rather than focusing solely on individual pump performance, we now evaluate the entire system, including motors, drives, and control systems. This holistic view allows us to achieve far greater energy savings and system efficiency.”
A statement said that the EPA methodology, developed by Europump, shifts the focus from individual pump components to the performance of the entire pumping system. By assessing how all elements interact, the EPA enables more precise and impactful energy-saving opportunities, it noted.
Since 2016, these endeavours have resulted in the saving of 226m MWh of electricity and a reduction of 158m tons of CO2 emissions, the statement added. Additionally, the incorporation of the Extended Product Approach into the upcoming revision of EU Regulation 547/2012 for water pumps could unlock a further 35 TWh in energy savings.
Luboš added: “The success we’ve seen in the pump sector is only the beginning. Our work shows that by taking a systems-based approach, we can unlock much greater potential for energy efficiency in other sectors as well. This is not only good for businesses but for the environment and society as a whole. All we are waiting for now is official confirmation from the EU that the Extended Product Approach will be integrated into future ESPR / Ecodesign legislation, ensuring that even greater efficiency gains can be realised across Europe and beyond.”