Grundfos achieves European Environmental award for green products

The series of UPE2000 self-regulating circulator pumps were awarded because:

"With a self-regulating pump the energy consumption of circulating water in heating installations will be at a minimum, corresponding to a reduction of the energy consumption of up to 50%, without reducing the comfort of the heating installation. The reduction of the energy consumption of heating installations is a potential advantage for the CO2 balance. A life-cycle analysis of the UPE pumps. effected by Grundfos, shows improvements in all important environmental parameters.

In Denmark alone, there are some 65,000 large circulator pumps and probably close to 400,000 small circulators installed in domestic heating installations. If they were all replaced by self-regulating pumps the result would be a 40% reduction of the energy consumption, corresponding to 198,000 Mwh. Provided the energy would be produced at coal-burning power plants, the reduction of environmental pollution would be:

* 236,412 tonnes of CO2
* 1,188 tonnes of sulphur in the form of SO2
* 990 tonnes of nitrogen compounds
* 11,484 tonnes of cinder
* In addition the Danish import of coal would be reduced by 80,586 tonnes.

For the consumer a typical domestic pump would be a UP25-40. If, when this pump is due to be replaced, it is replaced by a self-regulating pump, the additional price would be some 555,00 kroner (£55). The consumer would save between 140 and 175 kWh a year, corresponding to 250 kroner (£25), depending on the price per kWh. The pay-back time for a self-regulating pump for each consumer would be only 2 years.

The jury of the award includes representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Danish Industry, the Economic Council of the Labour Movement, the Danish Society for the Conservation of Nature, and the Association of Engineers in Denmark.