Rebates for industrial motors are a popular program design for CEE members to target efficiency gains in the industrial sector. However, several factors point toward the importance of moving beyond prescriptive programs for NEMA Premium^® motors, including the 2010 enactment of new federal minimum efficiency standards, the growing acceptance and increasing market share of NEMA Premium motors, and a general raising of the bar for more aggressive energy savings in many efficiency programs. Building on this premise, CEE members and our industry partners explored several potential areas for new efficiency programs at the recent CEE Industry Partners meeting.

CEE members MidAmerican, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and BC Hydro highlighted some of the new industrial motors focus areas for their programs. MidAmerican is targeting the opportunity to incorporate energy efficient motors and motor systems in the new construction of ethanol and biodiesel plants in Iowa. BPA has adopted a new Green Motors program, which certifies motor repair facilities that follow best practices for motor rewinds. BC Hydro has designed their industrial motors program, Motor Management Planning (MMP) to assist customers with saving energy through motor management, based on the Motor Planning Kit materials developed by the Motor Decisions Matter campaign.

Industry partners Emerson Motor Technologies and Baldor Electric Company offered opportunities related to improved motor and motor system efficiency for CEE members to consider. Rob Boteler (Emerson) proposed a national effort focused on energy savings available through the early retirement of older, less efficient motors by replacing them with NEMA Premium motors. Discussion on this opportunity focused on the data needed to justify early retirement programs, the need to identify key target markets, and the experiences of members who have piloted early retirement programs for refrigerators, HVAC equipment, and motors. John Malinowski (Baldor) outlined several approaches related to motor system optimization, including a series of standardized motor surveys, targeting key applications for variable speed drive applications, and achieving energy savings through more efficient gearing.

While there is broad agreement that motor systems optimization presents a large opportunity for energy savings, a uniform program approach to motor optimization has yet to be developed. Most CEE members address motor-related projects, but the challenge is developing a nationally consistent approach that can point members to credible solutions quickly and reliably. For example, the CEE Motors and Motor Systems Committee is considering the development of a checklist for both end users and efficiency programs that can help assess the potential for using drives.

Several new directions were identified for further action:

• Developing plant surveys as a program tool to offer to end users
• Developing resources that target specific conditions and applications (e.g. pumps, fans, and compressors) in which motor system efficiency can be optimized through the use of variable speed drives
• Using the existing Motor Decision Matter Campaign platform, which focuses on the "business case" for motor management, to make the business case for basic motor system optimization by expanding the focus to include both the motor and the motor system.

For more information, contact Kellum Emanuele.

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