Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee 

Commercial and Industrial Pumps Working Group 

Term Sheet 

June 18, 2014 

Background 

On July 23, 2013, DOE issued a Notice of Intent To Establish the Commercial/Industrial Pumps 

Working Group To Negotiate a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) for Energy 

Conservation Standards for Commercial/Industrial Pumps. 78 FR 44036. This working group is 

established under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee 

(ASRAC) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Negotiated 

Rulemaking Act (NRA). The purpose of the working group was to discuss and, if possible, reach 

consensus on a proposed rule for the energy efficiency of commercial/industrial pumps, as 

authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975, as amended. The 

working group was to consist of representatives of parties having a defined stake in the outcome 

of the proposed standards, and will consult as appropriate with a range of experts on technical 

issues. 

DOE received 19 nominations for membership. Ultimately, the working group consisted of 16 

members, including one member from ASRAC and one DOE representative (see Appendix A). 

The working group met in-person during 7 sets of meetings held December 18-19, 2013 and 

January 30 – 31, March 4 – 5, March 26 – 27, April 29 – 30, May 28 – 29, and June 17– 19, 

2014. The working group successfully reached consensus on proposed energy conservation 

standards for a specific set of pumps. This document includes the working group’s 

recommendations to ASRAC on determining scope of this rulemaking as well as energy 

conservation standards. The group also chose to provide test procedure and metric-related 

recommendations to the committee. 

Definition of Covered Product 

Recommendation #1. The covered product, a ‘pump,’ will be defined as below subject to 

potential edits necessary to accomplish the same intent: 

 ‘Pump’ is a device that moves liquids (which may include entrained gases, free solids, 

and totally dissolved solids) by physical or mechanical action and includes a bare pump 

and, if included by the manufacturer, the mechanical equipment, driver, and controls. 

Vote results: Consensus1

 (15 yes -1 no) on 3/4/2014 

Recommendation #2. The components of a ‘pump’ will be defined as below: 

 ‘Bare pump’ is a ‘pump’ excluding mechanical equipment, driver, and controls. 

 ‘Mechanical equipment’ is any component that transfers energy from the driver to the 

bare pump. 

                                                            

1 There are 16 members of the working group. Consensus has been defined as no more than 2 no votes.
 ‘Driver’ is the machine providing mechanical input to drive the bare pump directly or 

through the mechanical equipment, and may include an electric motor, internal 

combustion engine, or gas/steam turbine. 

 ‘Controls’ means any device that can be used to control the driver. 

Vote results: Consensus (15 yes - 1 absent) on 3/4/2014 

Recommendation #3. In this rulemaking, the metric will not cover non-electric drivers. The test 

procedure will specify that the bare pump rating calculations for the energy conservation 

standard also apply to pumps with non-electric drivers. 

Vote results: Unanimous on 3/26/14 

In-Scope and Out-of-Scope Pumps 

Recommendation #4. The scope of this rulemaking will include the following pump types: 

 End suction frame mounted/own bearings (ESFM/OH0, OH1) 

 End suction close coupled (ESCC/OH7) 

 Inline (IL/OH3, OH4, OH5) 

 Radial split (multistage) vertical (RS-V/VS8) 

 Vertical turbine submersible (VT-S/VS0) 

Vote results: Consensus (15 yes - 1 abstain) on 3/26/14 

Recommendation #5. Circulators and dedicated-purpose pool pumps will be held for additional 

ASRAC-approved negotiation. 

 Target date is term sheet for 2nd negotiation by end of this year (subject to DOE 

capacity) – begin immediately following this negotiation 

 [NOTE: TO BE REFINED WITH FUTURE DISCUSSION 6/19/14]

Vote results: Consensus (15 yes -1 abstain) on 3/26/14 

Recommendation #6. This rulemaking will explicitly exclude the following types of pumps: 

 Positive displacement pumps 

 Axial/mixed flow pumps 

Vote results: Unanimous on 1/31/14 

 Double suction (DS) 

 Multistage axially split (AS) 

 Multistage radial split-horizontal (RS-H) 

 Multistage radial split vertical immersible 

 Vertical turbine (non-submersible) (VT) 
Vote results: Consensus (15 yes - 1 abstain) on 3/26/14 

Scope Refinements

Recommendation #7. [For the in-scope pump types,] this rulemaking will be limited to pumps 

with the following characteristics: 

 Full impeller diameter 

 1-200 Horsepower (shaft power at BEP) 

o applies to number of stages required for testing the standard 

 25 gallons/minute and greater (at BEP) 

 459 feet of head maximum (at BEP) 

 Design temperature range from -10 to 120 degrees C 

 Pumps designed for nominal 3600 or 1800 rpm driver speeds 

 6 inch or smaller bowl diameter (VT-S/HI VSO) 

Vote results: Consensus (15 yes - 1 absent) on 3/4/14 

Recommendation #8. [It has been the intent of the working group to limit the scope of this 

rulemaking to pumps designed for use in pumping clean water.] The rulemaking will explicitly 

exclude the following types of pumps [that might otherwise meet the definition of an in-scope 

pump type]:2

 Wastewater, sump, slurry, solids handling 

o but not gray water 

 API 610 pumps 

 ASME/ISO chemical pumps 

 Fire pumps 

o if compliant with NFPA 20 and UL listed or FM approved 

 Self-priming pumps 

 Prime-assisted pumps 

Vote results: Unanimous on 1/31/14 

 Nuclear pumps 

o Complies with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III or 10 CFR 50; 

Non Code or Code/Safety Related. 

 Navy pumps 

o MIL Specification Compliant (MIL-P-17639, MIL-P-17881, MIL-P-17840, MILP-18682, MIL-P-18472) 

Vote results: Consensus (14 yes - 2 absent) on 3/4/14 

 Sanitary pumps 

                                                            

2 Definitions designed to maintain the intent of these exclusions will be proposed in the NOPR by DOE. Information

in sub‐bullets may be used to inform these definitions.
o “Hygienic” or “sanitary” pumps are typically used in food processing and 

pharmaceutical applications. They are designed with special parameters, specific 

materials and surface finish to a variety of national and international rules and 

regulations that will minimize the biological growth inside the pump to protect 

public health. These design parameters and materials may result in lower 

efficiencies than for standard water pumps. Certifications for hygienic or sanitary 

products include, but are not limited to: 

 3-A Sanitary Standards 

 EHEDG (European Hygienic Equipment Design Group) recommendations 

 QHD (Qualified Hygienic Design) 

Vote results: Unanimous on 3/26/14 

Energy Conservation Standards 

Recommendation #9. For ESCC, ESFM, IL, and VT-S pumps in both 1800 and 3600 rpm 

speeds, the energy conservation standards will be set at PER 25 (with C-values iterated to cut off 

exactly 25% of the pumps [in the DOE analytical team’s database]) with a compliance date 4 

years from the publication of the Final Rule. For RS-V pumps, energy conservation standards 

will be set to harmonize with the European Union Lot 11 MEI 40 level, [with the intent that no 

models known to pass the EU standard would fail the US standard.] 

Vote results: Consensus (14 yes – 1 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/17/14 

Test Procedure and Metric 

Recommendation #10. Pump test procedure should be in accordance with HI 40.6 for 

determining bare pump performance.

Vote results: Consensus (13 yes – 2 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/18/14 

Recommendation #11. [The metric for assessing compliance with the standard would be PEI, 

which is constructed based on values of PER.] 

Pump Energy Index (PEI) CL and VL: PERCL and VL, for a given pump model, over the 

PERCL for a minimally compliant pump (PERSTD) serving the same hydraulic load:

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Pump Energy Rating (PER) CL and VL: equally weighted average electric input power to the 

‘pump’ measured (or calculated) at the driver input or, when present, controls input, over a 

specified load profile:

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Where: 

 wi = weight at each load point i 

 Pin

i = power input to the “pump” at the driver, inclusive of the controls if present, (hp) 

 i = Percentage of flow at the best efficiency point (BEP) of the pump 

 i = 110%, 100%, 75% of Best Efficiency Point (BEP) flow at nominal speed for 

uncontrolled pumps 

 i = 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of BEP flow at nominal speed for pumps sold with motors 

and controls 

Vote results: Consensus (14 yes – 1 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/18/14 

Labeling Requirements 

Recommendation #12. Pumps are labeled based on the configuration in which they are sold. The 

following information would be required to be included on a pump nameplate: 

Bare Pump Bare Pump + Motor Bare Pump + Motor + Controls 

PEICL

Model number 

Impeller diameter for each unit 

PEICL

Model number 

Impeller diameter for each unit 

PEIVL

Model number 

Impeller diameter for each unit 

Vote results: Consensus (13 yes – 2 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/18/14 

Certification Reporting Requirements 

Recommendation #13. Recommended data to be included in certification reports/database: 

 Manufacturer name 

 Model number(s) 

 Equipment class 

 PEICL or PEIVL as applicable 

 BEP flow rate and head 

 Rated speed 
 Number of stages tested 

 Full impeller diameter 

 Whether the PEICL or PEIVL is calculated or tested 

 Input power to the pump at each load point i (Pin

i) 

Vote results: Consensus (13 yes – 2 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/18/14 

Recommendation #14. Certification for RS-V and VT-S pump shall be based on testing with the 

following number of stages: 

 RS-V: 3 

 VT-S: 9 

 Unless a model is not available with that specific number of stages in the given scope, in 

which case the model will be tested and certified with the next higher number of stages. 

Vote results: Consensus (14 yes – 1 abstain – 1 absent) on 6/18/14 

 
Appendix A—Members 

U.S. Department of Energy—ASRAC 

Commercial and Industrial Pumps Negotiated Rulemaking Working Group 

Lucas Adin U.S. Department of Energy 

Tom Eckman Northwest Power and Conservation Council (ASRAC Member) 

Robert Barbour TACO, Inc. 

Charles Cappelino ITT Industrial Process 

Greg Case Pump Design, Development and Diagnostics 

Gary Fernstrom California IOUs 

Mark Handzel Xylem Corporation 

Albert Huber Patterson Pump Company 

Joanna Mauer Appliance Standards Awareness Project 

Doug Potts American Water 

Charles Powers Flowserve Corporation, Industrial Pumps 

Steve Rosenstock Edison Electric Institute 

Louis Starr Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance 

Greg Towsley Grundfos USA 

Meg Waltner Natural Resources Defense Council