Even at the time of its presentation in 2009, the Wilo-Stratos PICO attracted customers with its unbeatably low electricity consumption, and entered a “new dimension in high efficiency”. Thanks to the continuous ongoing development of the pump technology used, the Dortmund pump expert WILO SE has succeeded in continuing to offer one of the most efficient pumps on the market, namely the Wilo-Stratos PICO. "Thanks to its minimum power consumption of only three watts, the Wilo-Stratos PICO enables electricity savings of up to 90% to be achieved compared to heating pumps without speed control,” commented Wilo product manager Christian Huth.
Wilo-Stratos PICO exceeds the EU energy efficiency requirement
With the aim of considerably reducing the total power consumption of glandless circulation pumps within the EU, a new EU regulation from the European Ecodesign Directive came into force in 2013. In several stages, the regulation imposed increasingly strict requirements for the energy efficiency of newly-sold glandless circulation pumps, such as the Wilo-Stratos PICO. The limit values for stand-alone pumps and pumps in heat generators and solar stations was considerably tightened again in the second stage on 1 August 2015.
In the current Wilo-Stratos PICO high-efficiency single pump series, Wilo is offering a complete range of products for the various building services requirements. This range of products exceeds all the stricter requirements applicable as of 2015. “It is therefore ‘ErP-ready’, meaning that it is completely future-proof for Europe,” declared Christian Huth. "Wilo high-efficiency pumps show extremely low electricity consumption values due to an advanced electronic regulation system and innovative EC motor technology." The electronically regulated glandless circulation pumps with maintenance-free frequency converters automatically adjust their output to the changing operating status of the heating unit. “Particularly in the partial load range, which accounts for up to 94% of the operating time of a heating pump, it is possible to achieve a considerable reduction in electricity consumption compared to a pump without speed control," explained Christian Huth. Due to further optimisation of the motor, the electricity consumption could be reduced by another 13% compared to the previous model; this puts the EEI of the Wilo-Stratos PICO at = 0.16 depending on the version.
Convenient in operation and installation
The Wilo-Stratos PICO offers more than energy efficiency: thanks to innovative features, it permits particularly convenient operation: "The large LC display can be used to check the current electricity consumption or the current flow rate and the cumulative kWh at any time," stated Christian Huth. "Our innovative 'Dynamic Adapt' function ensures the pump continuously adapts its power consumption to the operating status of the heating system autonomously. Furthermore, the integrated venting routine carries the air out of the motor compartment," explained Christian Huth. The Wilo-Stratos PICO is thus not only attractive for new installations: "Thanks to the large energy savings and the resulting reduction in payback time, the Wilo-Stratos PICO is also suitable for pump replacement as part of energy-efficient reconstruction and renovation, not least due to its low starting current of less than 5A. In order to make pump replacement simple and convenient, it is fitted with a 'Wilo-Connector', which ensures fast power connection without any tools." This significantly reduces the work load since it can be connected to the new pump quickly. What's more, the improved Wilo-Stratos PICO has compact dimensions for flexible installation so that it can be installed without problems even in awkward installation situations.