Grundfos SQFlex Receives Danish Design Award

Being able to function by solar power as well as wind power and power from a generator, the Grundfos SQFlex is particularly suitable in areas without reliable power supply and this flexibility contributed to the selection of the pump for the award.

The award committee said that "by ensuring reliable water supply the pump can contribute to enhancing life quality and the health level in many places around the world."

The award committee goes on to say: "The pump has thoroughly treated and solved the problem of energy consumption and supply by making it possible to choose between different energy sources, depending on the circumstances" and "the pump is equipped with state-of-the-art electronics enabling the motor to constantly adapt to the current amount of energy and this ensures operational reliability and high efficiency."

The committee also stressed that the SQFlex system is technically advanced and simple in use and installation. "Above all it is a fine example of a comprehensive concept, which is the hallmark of good design."

"Since the very beginning of the company, Grundfos has carried on the tradition of reflecting the products' quality and function in the outer design, with the largest possible user-friendliness and high aesthetic values. Therefore fine industrial design is an integrated part of Grundfos' product development", says Grundfos Group Chairman, Niels Due Jensen.

The primary markets for Grundfos SQFlex are Australia, America and South Africa, where it enables people to cultivate the land, water the cattle and lay out gardens in areas that are so distant and difficult to reach that traditional power supply is both difficult and expensive to install.

In Australia, for instance, a reliable supply of water is essential as it can sometimes take days for someone to reach a well to make sure it is working. A solar system only needs its solar panels to be cleaned periodically.

In other parts of the world the wind is the most reliable energy source and in others it may be necessary to change between solar and wind power. The SQFlex is designed in a way that makes it flexible enough to not only change between different power sources but also to function under different conditions wherever it is installed. The sensitive electronics of the motor has been enclosed in a waterproof tube and so it is well protected against the varying external conditions.

The Grundfos SQFlex was designed on the basis of more than 20 years of experience with solar pumps as well as input from a wide range of customer wishes, consulted for the design of the inner parts of the pump. To offer customers the best basis for selecting the right dimension of the pump, Grundfos collected solar data from 2,000 different places in the world and wind data from 18,000 places.

So it is with good reason that the award committee of the Danish Design Award describes the Grundfos SQFlex as a "very carefully prepared and well executed product."