More than a year ago, a U.S. Department of Energy-sanctioned working group comprised of industry manufacturers, stakeholders and energy-efficiency advocates negotiated new energy efficiency standards for residential and light commercial circulator pumps. The aggressive standard effectively eliminates traditional single-speed motors from this class of smaller pumps, essentially requiring manufacturers to utilize efficient electronically commutated motor (ECM) technology to meet the new efficiency requirements.
Operating under the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC), the working group submitted its term sheet to the DOE in December 2016. However, due to regulatory gridlock in Washington, the rulemaking process has been delayed indefinitely, leaving the industry to press ahead on its own during a time of extreme regulatory uncertainty.