Hydraulic Institute Publishes First of its Kind Pump Application Guideline for Commercial Building Services

The industry is currently in a state of flux. In recent years, there has been a notable shift in priorities from a lowest capital cost paradigm to a focus on reducing energy consumption. As global energy costs continue to rise, new and repurposed technologies are introduced into the industry to help end users operate the equipment as efficiently as possible. To stimulate eco-friendly behavior, there are now multiple government programs and utility incentives which are driving a shift in purchasing philosophy, subsidizing the installation of Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), smart control systems, and energy management software in pump systems. Along with their energy consciousness, these systems offer system designers and users alike more control of the systems, reduction of power requirements, and most importantly, lower operating energy costs. Programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and other Green Building initiatives are driving designers and facility owners to rethink buildings from the basic building materials to system integration to minimize carbon footprints and the life cycle costs (LCC) of the facility.

This guideline has been created to provide engineers, trainers, maintenance staff, and plant operators with the knowledge necessary to effectively specify pumps in North America. The material in this publication has been compiled by the Hydraulic Institute (HI) Pump Application Guidelines Committee and is intended to capture the experience and collective knowledge of pump and pumping systems experts for reference by system designers, constructors, and end users.