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The pump is really the heart of
your irrigation system in the vineyards. It's really where
there are some of the biggest energy savings that you're going to find.
I mean if we are talking a 25% efficiency improvement, that's a 33%
energy savings. That's huge.
It costs a lot of money to move water.
So if you are not getting the right flow and pressure out of the pump, if the heart of the system
isn't operating properly, then there is going to be periphery problems with irrigation
system and the delivery of water to your plants. The first thing to do
to make sure your pump is working properly is to get a pump efficiency test performed.
The things they are going to measure are three things: the flow rate, the lift of the pump, which
includes the feet of lift from the water source and the pressure to run it,
and then the third thing is the energy into the pumping plant off the meter. That's what a pump test
gives you, those three things is what they measure. Those three things can give you a number we call
Operational Pump Efficiency. O.P.E.
We do pump testing for PG&E's Advanced Pump Efficency Program.
We give you also an Energy Cost Savings Analysis
and that will say, let's say for example your pump is running at 40% efficiency,
and it should be running at 65% efficiency,
here's what it's currently costing you and here's what it would save you if you bring that pump up to
optimal efficiency. If you don't
take care of it and maintain it and pay attention to it
it's going to fall apart on you and at the most inconvenient time.
The early warning signs should be attached at the pump system itself. The first thing
I always tell everybody is have a flow meter and pressure gauges at your pump system because when
you turn your pump on you are standing right there. That gives you the first look of what's going on that day.
Once its running if the flow and the pressure seem proper, then you
you can go inspect the field for regular maintenance duties. Some of the major
problems that occur when the pump isn't supplying the proper flows and pressures is
the main thing is it starts to have a problem with the distribution uniformity of the irrigation.
That's how evenly you are delivering the water to the target crop.
If you are not having an even applicaiton of water, you have dry spots
and wet spots in the field, then usually you have to keep irrigating longer than necessary
to get the dry spots wet, now the wet spots are too wet. You have poor uniformity.
Based on that then you have bad irrigation efficiency. That wastes
both energy and water.
PG&E's Advanced Pumping Efficiency Program is designed to help growers
get pump efficiency tests. We subsidize those, help pay for them.
Once they get the pumps tested, then there is money to help repair the pump.
So PG&E's Advanced Pumping Efficiency Program both helps them test
and repair those inefficient pumps.