Global giant Grundfos picks Asia to launch pioneering Distributed Pumping System

Grundfos Asia Pacific Regional Business Building Services Director Anders Christiansen with Distributed Pumping System

• Innovative solution for air-conditioning systems consumes up to 50% less energy than current conventional methods 

Grundfos, the global leader in pump and water technologies based in Denmark, recently picked Asia to launch the industry’s first Distributed Pumping System (DPS), an innovation in considerably reducing energy consumption for building cooling systems. 

“The DPS aims to help air-conditioning systems consume up to 50% less energy than current conventional methods,” Grundfos Asia Pacific Regional Business Building Services Director Anders Christiansen said. 

Grundfos said pumping internationally consumes 10% or 2.5 trillion kWh of the world’s electricity. In its quest to reduce energy use, Grundfos invented the auto-adaptable pumps and motors which can potentially save 5% of global electricity. The latest contribution by Grundfos - the DPS was made possible by using the latest pump technology. Cooling is one of its main solutions in the Asia Pacific. Conventional systems often use up a high level of energy due to issues such as over-pumping to compensate for discrepancies between the chilled water supply and return temperatures. In addition, they have the tendency to run at constant speed and pressure throughout its operations, regardless of fluctuating cooling demands. The systems’ high energy consumption ultimately contributes to greater carbon emissions, driving climate change. 

A first in Asia, Grundfos’ Distributed Pumping System is a novel system capable of operating in optimised conditions at any time. It achieves this by intuitively regulating the water flow based on feedback from temperature sensors, meeting the exact requirements of different building zones, and intelligently controlling energy consumption by delivering the right flow at all times. On top of reducing energy consumption and operational costs, this new system achieves comfort for users of the building by ensuring a consistent building temperature at all times.

This revolutionary approach to optimum water distribution is made possible by Grundfos’ MAGNA3 and TPE3 pumps – both ranges feature compact, intelligent circulator pumps fitted with built-in sensors, variable speed drive, controller and communication module, and state-of-the-art IE5 motors ensuring the highest efficiency. TPE3 is a dry-runner, vertical, in-line pump used as the primary pumps, while MAGNA3 is a wet-runner circulator used as the secondary pumps. The self-balancing nature of Grundfos’ DPS also means that control valves are not required, removing the need for tedious and time-consuming balancing which also reduces the costs of the initial installation.

According to Grundfos which has provided world class solutions to Sri Lankan customers in the public and private sector, rising temperatures across the world has cast a spotlight on the need to provide cooling in cities without overburdening urban power grids and in turn further contributing to climate change. The launch of DPS was in response to this issue.

With the Paris Agreement goals to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Grundfos Asia Pacific forecasts that the demand for distributed pumping systems will increase in the coming years as a result of greater demand for energy efficient solutions.

Christiansen said “Cooling and ventilation has become a part of everyday life and for the warm, tropical regions of Asia, it is especially pertinent in making cities habitable. However, conventional cooling is not sustainable in today’s climate crisis.” Grundfos said growing demand for air conditioning alone in the world’s emerging economies will drive a 64% increase in household energy use and produce 23.1 million tons of carbon emissions by 2040.  “With sustainability being a very key part of Grundfos’ DNA, our DPS demonstrates our commitment to create cleaner and more energy efficient technologies to enable our customers to reduce their energy consumption and limit their impact on the environment,” Christiansen told a group of Asia Pacific media including the Daily FT.  The high-performing energy efficiency demonstrated by Grundfos’ DPS has been recognised in two sustainable cooling projects, which reported that the novel system is able to achieve significant pump energy savings, a significant reduction in energy consumption and operational costs for businesses.

The first project is at Grundfos’ Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, which consists of an office and factory block. Over a period of 7.5 months from November 2016 to May 2017, the building achieved 55% pump system kWh energy savings.

The second project is with Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Environmental and Water Technology Centre of Innovation (EWTCOI). A pioneer in environmental advocacy, the EWTCOI worked with Grundfos to push an existing Green Mark Platinum building to achieve greater energy efficiencies. The project also saw a 55% pump system kWh energy savings.

Grundfos is a global leader in advanced pump solutions and trendsetter in water technologies. The company contributes to global sustainability by pioneering technologies that improve quality of life for people and care for the planet. Grundfos is also one of the world’s leading pump manufacturers with an annual production of more than 17 million pump units. The company provides energy efficient pumps and smart pumping solutions for various applications across diverse segments including domestic and commercial buildings, industries, water utilities (water and wastewater management) and pumps running on renewable energy.