Energy Tip:
Did you know the Redwood Coast Energy Authority has a lending tool library where you can check out a Watts Up meter for free?
Pump Efficiency
Water pumping accounts for 19% of overall electrical use in California. Often times water pumping, whether for public or private use, takes place during times of peak electrical demand when electricity prices are high. This tends to make water pumping a costly use of electrical energy. In Humboldt County, most water pumping is done by water districts for public use or privately for agricultural irrigation.
There are several ways to increase the efficiency of water pumping. In general they include:
- Repairing leaks. This can be one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to increase the efficiency of a pumping system. Even if a pump itself is performing efficiently, if the water it is pumping is not reaching its intended destination because of leaks, then that is loss of efficiency.
- Increasing the efficiency of the pumping device. There are a number of ways to increase the efficiency of a pumping device. They can include refurbishing and/or resizing the pump bowl and impellers. Often times a pump is not sized correctly for its use. An improperly sized pump may not perform as well as a properly sized pump for the head and flow that it is being used for. Pumps always require a motor to be powered. The pump motor can be upgraded to a more efficient motor.
- Decreasing the amount of work the pump has to do by reducing the flow and/or pressure. Pumps need to overcome pressure on the upstream and downstream ends. Pump pressure (or suction) can be reduced on the upstream end by re-furbishing a well to allow more water to flow without drawing the well down too far. In certain situations, changing the pressure on the upstream end through different outlet devices (sprinklers, flood devices, drip lines) can reduce the amount of work a pump has to do. Pressure throughout the system can be reduced by reducing the number of bends and changing the fittings of the system.
The Redwood Coast Energy Watch can assist PG&E customers in obtaining available rebates for water pumping efficiency improvement projects.