Savings Calculator for ENERGY STAR Certified Inground Pool Pumps

This calculator was developed by U.S. EPA and DOE to estimate the energy consumption and operating costs of inground pool pumps and the savings with ENERGY STAR.
New ENERGY STAR certified inground pool pumps are compared to the average available non-certified pump. Actual savings may vary based on use and and pool system specifications.
Consult a pool professional to correctly size, install and set up the appropriate pump for your specific pool and use.
See www.energystar.gov for information on other ENERGY STAR products.

Where is your inground pool located?

Location

The U.S. average residential electric rate is $0.121/kWh. If you know your own rate, enter it below.

Electric rate ($/kWh)

$0.1210

About your inground pool:

Pool operation (months per year)
Pool size (gallons)

8.0
22,000

If you need help estimating your pool volume, click here to go to the pool size tab.

What pumps are you considering? Enter inputs to compare the conventional and ENERGY STAR options.
Conventional (single speed) option
Run time (hours per day)

ENERGY STAR option

8.5

Size (nameplate horsepower)

The default multi-speed pump is 1 hp, estimated based on your inputs

and industry best practice. Consult a pool professional to correctly size
and install your pump.

Type
Rated multi-speed pump size (at high speed)
Total additional cost, including installation
Optional: utility incentive amount

$549
$0

Click here to go to the RESULTS tab and see your savings.

To see detail on the formulas and values used in this calculator or to modify assumptions, click on the grey tabs at bottom of the page.

Pool Size Estimator for the ENERGY STAR Pool Pump Calculator
If you do not know your pool volume in gallons, select the shape most like your pool and fill in the highlighted cells below to estimate the volume:

Length (feet), L
Width (feet), W
Surface Area (square feet)
Average depth (feet)
Pool Volume (gallons)

32.0
16.0
512
5.5
21,065

Now enter your estimated volume on the INPUTS tab

Radius (feet), R
Surface Area (square feet)
Average depth (feet)
Pool Volume (gallons)

12.0
452
5.5
18,603

Width (feet), A
Width (feet), B
Length (feet), L
Surface Area (square feet)
Average depth (feet)
Pool Volume (gallons)

15.0
20.0
30.0
473
5.5
19,440

Savings Estimate for ENERGY STAR Certified Inground Pool Pumps

Results Overview
Each year the ENERGY STAR model of your selected pool pump will save approximately 2,841 kWh of electricity, for cost savings of $344. By choosing ENERGY STAR you will reduce emissions by approximately 4,375 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, which is
equivalent to the emissions reduction of not driving your car for 153 days.

Results Detail
Annual

Variable speed pump (operating 8 months per year)

Life Cycle

Electricity
savings (kWh)

Electricity cost
savings

2,841

$344

Electricity
Emissions
consumption by
reduction
ENERGY STAR unit
(pounds of CO2)
(kWh)
4,375

1,002

Electricity
savings (kWh)

Electricity cost
savings

28,411

$2,788

Net cost savings

% electricity
savings with
ENERGY STAR

Total additional
purchase price

Simple payback
period for
additional initial
cost (years)

Assumed
equipment
lifetime (years)

$2,239

74%

$549

1.6

10

If all pool pumps sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified, the energy cost savings would grow to about $110 million each year and 1.5 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented, equivalent to the
emission from nearly 140,000 vehicles.

This calculator was developed by U.S. EPA and DOE to estimate the energy consumption and operating costs of inground pool pumps and the savings with ENERGY STAR.
New ENERGY STAR certified inground pool pumps are compared to the average available non-certified pump. Actual savings may vary based on use and and pool system specifications.
Consult a pool professional to correctly size, install and set up the appropriate pump for your specific pool and use.
See www.energystar.gov for information on other ENERGY STAR products.

Pool Pump Calculations for the ENERGY STAR Pool Pump Calculator
Inputs - to edit these values go to the INPUTS tab
Pool operation (months/year)
Pool volume (gallons)

DEFAULT

USER INPUT

8
22,000

8
22,000

Conventional pump run time (hours /day)

8.5

8.5

Multi-speed pump high speed nameplate horsepower

1.0

1.0

Incremental installed cost - includes controller for multi-speed pump

$549

$549

Assumptions & Calculations - users can edit the highlighted values to modify the assumptions
Pipe diameter (in)

Pool curve

Desired turnovers per day in multi-speed and variable speed pumps

1.0

Desired time (hours) to complete 1 turnover

12.0

Operating days per year

243

Pump lifetime

10

For maximum energy efficiency, pool filtration should be operated at the lowest possible flow rate for a time period that provides sufficient water turnover for clarity and
sanitation (APSP 15). For public pools, 6 hour turnover time is recommended (NSF 50). ANSI/NSPI-5 2003 design pool system for minimim of 1 turnover in 12 hours.

Conventional (single speed) pump

Pump flow rate (gallon/minute)

64

Pool turnovers per day

1.5

Energy Factor (gallon/Wh)

2.1

Daily electricity consumption (kWh/day)

15.8

Multi-speed
30.6
31
56
5.4
2.4
11.8
9.8
2.0
3.4
2.8

Variable speed

Conventional

ENERGY STAR

Savings

3,843

1,002

2,841

ENERGY STAR pump

Desired low-speed flow (gallons/minute)
Desired high-speed flow for cleaning (gallons/minute)

Low-speed flow (GPM)

High-speed flow
Low-speed Energy Factor (gallons/Wh)
High-speed Energy Factor (gallons/Wh)
Time to complete 1 turnover (hours)
Daily operation (hours/day)
Daily electricity consumption (kWh/day)

Some state laws restrict the installation and use of certain conventional pumps for residential swimming pool filtration. Consult a pool professional to correctly size,
install and set up the appropriate pump for your specific pool and use.

low speed
high speed - for cleaning
low speed
high speed

30.6
50

7.3
4
12.0
10.0
2.0
2.5
1.6

Annual energy consumption per pump

Electricity consumption (kWh)

Lookup Tables
Conventional (single speed) pump
Nameplate Horsepower
3

2.5

1.5

0.75

0.5

Curve A - Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

1.6

1.9

1.9

2.1

2.4

2.6

2.7

Curve A - Flow (GPM)

73

68

65

64

60

53

50

Curve C - Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

2.0

2.2

2.3

2.3

2.5

3.3

3.4

Curve C - Flow (GPM)

102

93

89

78

76

65

62

Multi-speed pump
Nameplate Horsepower at High Speed
3

2.5

Curve A - High Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

1.6

2.0

2.0

2.3

2.4

Curve A - High Flow (GPM)

74.0

66.0

66.4

61.0

1.5

56.0

Curve A - Low Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

4.8

4.8

5.2

5.4

5.4

Curve A - Low Flow (GPM)

37.0

34.0

33.3

31.9

31.0

Curve C - High Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

2.0

2.4

2.4

2.7

3.0
70.0

Curve C - High Flow (GPM)

102.0

90.0

89.7

78.0

Curve C - Low Energy Factor (Gal/Wh)

6.1

6.0

6.5

6.7

6.8

Curve C - Low Flow (GPM)

51.0

45.7

44.8

41.8

40.3

Lists for pull-down menus

Conventional pump

1.5

ENERGY STAR pump type

Multi-speed pump

Pool shape

Single speed 0.5 hp

0.5

Multi-speed

Default

N/A

Rectangle

Single speed 0.75 hp

0.75

Variable speed

N/A

Circle

Single speed 1 hp

1.5

N/A

Kidney

Single speed 1.5 hp

1.5

N/A

Single speed 2 hp

2.5

N/A

Single speed 2.5 hp

2.5

N/A

Single speed 3 hp

References
Months of operation, pool volume, turnovers per day, pump lifetime:

- Consortium for Energy Efficiency, CEE(SM) High Efficiency Residential Swimming Pool Initiative, 2012

Daily runtime & high-speed flow rate:

- EPA research on pool use, 2013

Desired high-speed flow rate and minimum run time:

- Work Paper PGECOPUM102 Variable Speed Pool Pump-Residential, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, 2013

Desired turnover time:

- ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools, Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, 2011
- ANSI/APSP/ICC-15 Standard for Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Energy Efficiency, Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, 2011
- NSF/ANSI 50 Equipment for Swimming Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs and Other Recreational Water Facilities, NSF International, 2010

Pump wattage, flow rates, incremental cost:

- EPA research on available models, 2013

Minimum flow rate for variable speed pumps:

- Certified Aquatic Energy Auditor (page 11), National Swimming Pool Foundation, 2011

General Assumptions for the ENERGY STAR Pool Pump Calculator

Utility Rates - to edit these values go to the INPUTS tab

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52

Selected
Electric rate ($/kWh)
U.S. average
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

1
Commercial
$0.1039
$0.1085
$0.1720
$0.1014
$0.0804
$0.1572
$0.1035
$0.1539
$0.1066
$0.1229
$0.0993
$0.1038
$0.3481
$0.0780
$0.0874
$0.0978
$0.0897
$0.1008
$0.0935
$0.0918
$0.1268
$0.1131
$0.1451
$0.1097
$0.0975
$0.1089
$0.0903
$0.0956
$0.0883
$0.0953
$0.1439
$0.1349
$0.1044
$0.1636
$0.0884
$0.0973
$0.0973
$0.0815
$0.0879
$0.0974
$0.1472
$0.1020
$0.0875
$0.1047
$0.0811
$0.0876
$0.1463
$0.0815
$0.0792
$0.0797
$0.1096
$0.0888

U.S. average
Residential
$0.1210
$0.1159
$0.1935
$0.1213
$0.0949
$0.1649
$0.1236
$0.1951
$0.1324
$0.1282
$0.1196
$0.1180
$0.3801
$0.0971
$0.1122
$0.1119
$0.1158
$0.1216
$0.1005
$0.0956
$0.1517
$0.1365
$0.1712
$0.1456
$0.1222
$0.1133
$0.1078
$0.1028
$0.1058
$0.1280
$0.1732
$0.1586
$0.1244
$0.2025
$0.1118
$0.1230
$0.1230
$0.1004
$0.1045
$0.1339
$0.1774
$0.1230
$0.1052
$0.1037
$0.1175
$0.1085
$0.1765
$0.1114
$0.0878
$0.0934
$0.1393
$0.1046

$0.1210
Climate
Average
Warm
Cool
Warm
Warm
Warm
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Warm
Warm
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Warm
Cool
Warm
Warm
Warm
Cool
Warm
Cool
Cool
Cool
Cool

Average

Discount Rate - users can edit this value to modify the assumption
4.0%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions - users can edit the highlighted values to modify the assumptions
Electricity CO2 emissions factor
CO2 emissions for average passenger car

1.54
10,471

lbs CO2/kWh
lbs CO2/year

0.418

years

Annual emissions totals for selected equipment

cars:

Display values: reduction of not driving your car for 153 days

References
Electric rates:

- National average: US Department of Energy, Annual Energy Outlook 2014 (converted from 2012 to 2013 dollars)
- State rates: US Department of Energy, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6B, December 2014 edition (with data through October 2014)

Discount rate:
Car emission factor:

- Assumed real discount rate of 4%, which is roughly equivalent to the nominal discount rate of 7% (4% real discount rate + 3% inflation rate)
- EPA (2013a). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2011. Chapter 3 (Energy), Tables 3-12, 3-13, and 3-14. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. U.S. EPA #430-R-13-001

About the Savings Calculator for ENERGY STAR Certified Inground Pool Pumps
Calculator last updated December 2013, utility rates and emissions rates updated January 2016
If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please write to calculators@energystar.gov
Product Type
Pool Pump

Version of ENERGY STAR

Specification
1.0

Specification Effective Date

ENERGY STAR product page

February 15, 2013

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=PP