- What effect has ErP had on the pump market place in the UK so far?
Small circulating pumps are a key component of all wet heating systems in the UK - whether traditional boiler driven systems or new renewable systems. They perform as standalone pumps or as integrated pumps in combi and system boilers and they keep the water circulating in underfloor heating systems too. They are responsible for a much higher percentage of overall household electricity usage than many still realise which is why old uncontrolled pumps were targeted by European legislation as a key way of reducing energy usage in the home, reducing energy bills and reducing emissions. They offered a real way of making strides towards meeting the ambitious environmental targets set by the UK Government and European legislators.
Before January 2013, small circulating pump selection
was often made on price. Although some installers had loyalty to a brand, in
many people’s eyes, a pump was a pump was a pump. If it did the job, it did the
job. There were a few high efficiency pumps on the shelves before the end of 2012,
but at a far higher price than the standard efficiency ones. Until legislation
said that you had to install them, despite some installers deciding that a high
efficiency pump was what the customer deserved as part of an energy efficient
heating system, from sales figures alone, it was clear that many were voting
with their wallets.
From January 2013 high efficiency pumps were demanded
by EU Legislation – the much vaunted ErP Legislation - and whilst there was
initially some resistance to comply, as 2013 unfolded and availability of
anything other than high efficiency options declined, installers began to buy
and install and specifiers began to specify the high efficiency options. Now,
just a few months down the line, high efficiency pumps have been accepted and
are being installed in their thousands across the UK, with for example, some
social housing landlords undertaking major pump replacement programmes, to help
reduce their tenants’ electricity bills.
Despite this embracing of the new legislation and
availability of the new ErP compliant circulating pumps, the fact remains that
there are still many millions of old, uncontrolled small circulators operating
in heating systems across the UK. So there is still huge potential to further reduce
energy use and energy bills in the months and years ahead.
Wilo and
other pump manufacturers have begun to see their high efficiency models begin
to sell well. Helped by the legislation, there was little choice but to utilise
the new high efficiency models.
Although the
concept of lifecycle costs was not new in January 2013 when ErP came into
force, it was a concept that had largely been associated with commercial
projects rather than domestic ones. But suddenly it became more important and
the additional costs that inevitably follow the development of exciting new
technology – in this case the vastly improved electronics and the arrival of
electronically commutated motors (ECMs) for small circulating pumps - were
justified by the lower life cycle costs of the new high efficiency, more
expensive pumps and the huge savings possible over a ten or fifteen year
operational life time. These could pay for the increased capital cost of the
pump at the outset, many times over.
Wilo has
just announced it is celebrating the sale of 28 million
small circulators in the past ten years. In addition the company is celebrating
the selection of its small circulators as the pumps in the new combi boilers
launched by two major boiler manufacturers here in the UK. Wilo’s high efficiency
small pumps – in particular the Wilo-Yonos PICO – have made a huge impact in
the UK heating and air conditioning sector over the past two years, since the
arrival of the ErP legislation in January of 2013.
Wilo’s
series of glandless pumps - Wilo-Yonos PICO, Wilo-Stratos PICO and Wilo-Stratos
– are seeing increasing popularity across the board. They are relevant for
nearly all applications for heating, air-conditioning and cooling in the
building services area – from the family home to a small commercial or
industrial building.
Sadly, as
always, some people will try to circumnavigate new legislation and ignore the
drivers for environmentally friendly products. There has been genuine concern in
the pump industry about the on-going availability of non-ErP compliant pumps, and
the mislabelling of some pumps being imported into the UK and European markets
since January 2013. European manufacturers are concerned that these pumps,
although cosmetically looking like the new high efficiency models, in some cases,
do not meet the requirements of the ErP regulations. Wilo, along with fellow
members of the British Pump Manufacturers Association, has been liaising
closely with the National Measurement Office (NMO) to monitor the situation and
between them they presented 20 circulators that they had concerns about which
the NMO is testing and will if necessary use its enforcement capabilities to
outlaw in the UK.
In general
terms, the arrival of the EU ErP Directive has clearly begun to make
significant inroads in the energy consumption figures, and as a result the
emissions figures. There’s a long way still to go to hit the targets being
demanded. But the age of the energy efficient pump is very much here.
To find out more about Wilo’s highly convenient,
reliable family of high efficiency, ErP compliant small circulating pumps, just
click on to www.wilo.co.uk.