The United States Department of Energy has set forth a new standard for certain clean water commercial
and industrial pumps, requiring them to achieve a minimum energy rating. This new pump efficiency
standard will help to remove the bottom 25% worst performing pump models on the market. These
standards apply to equipment manufactured in, or imported into, the United States beginning on January
27, 2020. The standard applies to five pump equipment classes:
• ESCC end suction close-coupled pump
• ESFM end suction frame mounted pump
• IL in-line close coupled and split coupled pumps
• RSV radially split, multistage, vertical, in-line casing diffuser pump
• Submersible vertical turbine pump.
Additionally, for a pump to be covered by the regulation it must be designed for pumping clean water,
have a nominal speed of 1800 or 3600 RPM, be between 1 and up to 200 HP, have a flow rate of 25 GPM or
greater at BEP and full impeller diameter, have a maximum head of 459 feet at BEP and full impeller
diameter, and have a design temperature range from 14 to 248F.

With an estimated 20 percent or more of the electricity in the United States consumed by commercial
and industrial water pumps, more efficient pumps will reduce the overall demand for energy and thereby
improve the security and reliability of the nation’s energy system. The new standard was developed
under the auspices of the U.S. Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), which details a
variety of provisions designed to improve energy efficiency. Part C of Title III establishes the
“Energy Conservation Program for Certain Industrial Equipment.” The covered equipment includes
electric motors, fans, compressors and pumps. This provision was not acted upon for pumps until 2011
when the DOE announced its intent to develop Pump Energy Conservation Standards. The standards are
modeled after similar pump efficiency regulations in the European Union.

What are the expected environmental benefits of the pump efficiency standard? The DOE projects that
energy savings could also produce environmental benefits by reducing emissions of air pollutants and
greenhouse gases associated with electricity production. The DOE estimates the following cumulative
emissions reductions over a 30-year period:
• 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)
• 73 thousand tons of methane (CH4)
• 12 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2)
• 23 thousand tons of nitrogen oxide (NOX)
• 0.22 thousand tons of nitrous oxide (N2O)
• 0.04 tons of Mercury (Hg)

For more information, please visit:
http://www.pumps.org/DOE_Rulemaking.aspx