Business Trends: Optimize pump systems to save electrical energy

Steve Schofield is Director and Chief Executive Officer of the British Pump Manufacturer’s Association Ltd. (BPMA), the UK trade association representing the interests of UK manufacturers of liquid pumps. Schofield is responsible for all BPMA activities and manages a small team that offers information to members on technical, training, standards, legislative, marketing and energy-related activities. Since joining the BPMA, he has also been actively involved in many European Commission energy programs, such as Pump SAVE, Motor Challenge, ProMot and DEXA. From 2000–2002, he was involved in the working group that produced the “International guide on pump lifecycle costing.” In 2003, he worked with Future Energy Solutions to produce the “Best practice guide on variable speed pumps” and subsequently assumed the role of Secretary to produce the “International guide for variable speed pumping.” In 2005, he again assumed the role of Secretary to produce the “International guide for system efficiency in rotodynamic pumping systems.” In the UK, he has worked closely for many years with government departments, such as the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). In Europe, he serves as Secretary for Europump on Lot 29, a study on various types of pumps, as well as Secretary to its Marketing Commission. His main responsibility at Europump over the past few years has been working with the European Commission to ensure a systems approach on pumping systems becomes a reality across Europe. Schofield is now also a member of Europump’s Executive Council. He is the Convenor for ISO TC 115 WG 7 working on the ISO 14414 pump system assessment standard, as well as a member of the working groups writing the ISO 50001 and EN 16247 series of energy management and audit standards. Schofield has close links with the U.S. Department of Energy on pumps systems training and recently carried out a review of pump system training for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). He has presented papers on energy-related issues in the UK, Europe, U.S., South Africa and Singapore. Prior to joining the BPMA in 1998, he worked in the pump industry for 25 yr in positions with Mather & Platt, Weir Pumps, Durco, Flowserve and Hayward Tyler.