Biral pumps for a better future (August 2011)

Heat circulation pumps with energy label A
Large plant nursery in Switzerland

Biral pumps for a better future
The Münsingen-based company, Biral,
has developed a highly efficient heat
circulation pump. It saves money and protects
the environment – as demonstrated
by the example of a plant nursery.
The initial situation
A large nursery in Switzerland with decorative
plants and pots as far as the eye can see.
Countless metres of irrigation pipes bedeck
the 100,000m2 of greenhouse space. Right
in the middle of this
is the heating system,
which operates uninterrupted for more
than 6 months of the year. The twenty
pumps are 30 years old and gobble
up energy. It is not rare for the
field
service staff of Biral AG
to come across circumstances
such as these – in
which case they are able to
recommend an economic-
ally and ecologically appealing renovation
solution for ageing heating equipment. The
company, with its head office in Münsingen,
has brought highly efficient heat circulation
pumps on to the market, which use 70
percent less power in comparison with older
D-class standard pumps. The high-tech
energy pumps specially developed by Biral
engineers conform to EU energy label A,
and they ensure excellent value for money
and environmental sustainability, thanks to
high-quality, ingenious permanent magnet
technology.

Renovation by Biral
The advantages of Biral energy pumps are
clear – such as shown in the example of the
large nursery. Firstly, replacing old heat circulation
pumps does not disrupt operations,
as the one-week renovation is carried out
after the heating period. Secondly, A-label
energy pumps demonstrate electricity savings
of 70 per cent compared to old pumps,
representing a reduction of CHF 0.18 per
kilowatt hour (kWh). Although it costs around
CHF 10,000 more to invest in highly efficient
Biral pumps, compared to the usual installations
on the market, the Biral pumps pay
for themselves in 2 years
thanks to their energy efficiency.
Thirdly, changing to
circulation pumps with EU
energy label A is a step towards
a sustainable future.
The EU guidelines stipulate
that only energy-efficient
pumps with the A-label
are to be used throughout
Europe by 2013. This will therefore contribute
to the reduction of CO2 emissions – a
factor in global warming. The heating up of
the Earth’s climate by 2 degrees Celsius in
the period between 1990 and 2020, can only
be prevented if CO2 emissions are reduced
by 30 per cent worldwide.

A look at the figures
Total costs over 15 years
160000
140000
120000
100000
111'329
compared to similar pumps on the market.
Admittedly, investment in energy label A
pumps is higher than for D-class pumps.
However, as A-pumps use around 70 per
cent less electricity, this saves around CHF
60,000 in electricity costs over 15 years (or
CHF 0.18 per kilowatt hour).
80000
48'248
60000
40000
20000
49'290
40'307
0
A-pumps
Pump
comparative pumps
electricity costs
Graph 1: Total costs over 15 years
Over an operating period of 15 years, around
CHF 55,000 can be saved using highly
efficient heat circulation pumps from Biral,

Annual energy consumption
50000 kWh
40000 kWh
30000 kWh
20000 kWh
10000 kWh
0 kWh
17‘870
A-pumps
Graph 2: Annual energy consumption
41‘233
comparative pumps
Energy consumption per year [kWh/a]
Biral energy label A pumps support environmentally
friendly heating. While comparative
class-D pumps consume more than 40,000
kilowatt hours of electricity per year, Biral
pumps from the highly efficient A-class only
consume around 18,000 kilowatt hours.
CO2 emissions are therefore drastically
reduced – by around 3,400kg per year, when
making a direct comparison.
Annual CO2 load
7000 kg
6000 kg
5000 kg
4000 kg
3000 kg
2000 kg
1000 kg
0 kg
2‘555
A-pumps
CO2 [kg]
5‘896
comparative pumps
Graph 3: Annual CO2 load
(Swiss electricity mix, 143g CO2/kWh)

160'000
140'000
120'000
100'000
Lifecycle costs
Highly efficient circulation pumps from Biral
pay for themselves within two years. Admittedly,
the investment is around CHF 9,000
higher compared with class-D pumps. However,
with a 70 per cent reduction in electricity
consumption, the financial benefits soon
become apparent – offering the advantage of
consistent savings over time.
Costs
80'000
60'000
40'000
20'000
0
0 5 10 15
Duration [years]
A-pumps
comparative pumps
Graph 4: Costs lifecycle

Biral AG
Südstrasse 10
CH-3110 Münsingen
T 031 720 90 00
F 031 720 94 40
info@biral.ch
www.biral.ch