Industry Leader Interview: Danfoss’ John Masters Highlights Energy Savings in Water/Wastewater Treatment
John Masters is no stranger to water and wastewater treatment; he’s been involved in the industry for over 35 years. Maters is currently the vice president of sales for the water/wastewater division for Danfoss, where he is responsible for North American sales and support of variable frequency drives, soft starters and other ancillary motor control products into the water and wastewater markets.
When asked about energy savings in the industry, Masters touts some previous accomplishments and explains opportunities for energy efficiency in the future.
Alliance: How does Danfoss work to improve energy efficiency in industrial and industrial-scale facilities, e.g. water and wastewater treatment plants?
Masters: Danfoss provides a complete line of variable speed drives in order to meet a broad range of application needs. We work directly with the end user or their consultant to analyze their pumping and/or aeration applications and provide the optimal solution. Depending on duty cycles and process requirement we can offer an energy efficient solution with typical paybacks of 1 ½ to 2 years or less.
Alliance: What technologies and/or practices offer strong energy efficiency potential with respect to industrial and industrial-scale facilities?
Masters: Implementation of variable speed drives in the Water/Wastewater segment has proven to provide a 30-60% reduction in energy usage for most pumping applications. The inherent diurnal fluctuations in flow or demand in the Water/Wastewater industry present a perfect opportunity for the application of variable speed technology to reduce energy consumption. In water systems, the ability to maintain a constant pressure not only helps to reduce energy consumption, but can also reduce the amount of Water losses associated with wide pressure swings in an aging infrastructure. Aging infrastructure and spikes of water pressure are among the leading causes of water main breaks in cities, which are costly and disruptive.
Alliance: How do U.S. water and wastewater rate in terms of energy performance in comparison to their international counterparts?
Masters: Implementation of energy saving strategies has become an important consideration in the design of today’s water and wastewater plants in the U.S. On an international level I think you will find that some countries are ahead of the U.S. and have been heavily involved in energy-efficient design for many years, whereas others are lagging behind and are only now beginning to look at energy efficiency as a design consideration.
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