Electric motors are found everywhere in commercial facilities and industrial plants, where they power fans, pumps, compressors and exhausts as well as manufacturing and assembly equipment. Electrical energy consumption can be greatly reduced by replacing older, worn out motors with energy-efficient equivalents and specifying energy efficient motors in new equipment. Such practices not only lower energy costs but also improve equipment reliability.
Videos
- Motor Management Best Practices
Part I: Creating a Motor Inventory, Repair/Replace Guidelines
Creating a Motor Management Plan
This segment discusses the steps necessary to establishing a program to manage your facilities motors. Industry experts discuss aspects key to getting started.- Importance of a Motor Assessment Plan
Why do you need a motor management plan? This discussion with leaders in the field lay out the reasons you need to better manage your facility's motors and energy program. - Motor Survey Criteria
What goes in to developing a survey? What information needs to be gathered to develop an effective program for motor management? Motor Energy experts provide the answers to help you. - Motor Management Software Tools
There are a number of effective tools for you to manage your motor inventory. Most are free and extremely effective. This video describes tools to use to help with your program. - Repair/Replace: Making the Right Decision
When to replace versus repair can be a costly mistake if the wrong choice is made. This segment highlights the need and importance for choosing wisely and discusses the means to make the correct decision.
- Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA)
Industry experts discuss the 2007 legislation (Effective 12/2010) and lay the groundwork for establishing an effective motor management plan. - Discounts and Incentives
A discussion of the means to realizing the largest discount possible when purchasing motors. - Corporate Support
Motor experts provide assistance in securing upper management support and suggestions for developing a well-thought motor purchasing policy. - System Efficiency
How motors fit into total system efficiency is discussed by leaders in the motor field. - Repair versus Replace
The developers of the Horsepower Breakpoint tool at Advanced Energy and the developer of the MotorMaster+ software at Washington State University’s Extension Energy Office discuss these valuable tools and their relevance to making smart motor repair/replace decisions. - Downtime and Critical Motors
This segment demonstrates the importance of making the right decisions to eliminate downtime and addressing the preparation for dealing with critical motor failure. - Spares Inventory
Why having a spares inventory of the right motors should be a part of your motor management best practices. Here experts offer solutions.
- Motor Repair Specifications: Choosing a motor repair facility
Discussions with one of the country’s leading motor repair facilities on what to look for in making a decision on who to repair your motors. - Preventive Maintenance
Discussions with leaders in the motor industry explain the need for preventive maintenance of the right kind. - Predictive Maintenance
How predictive maintenance can make a huge difference in maintaining a smooth running facility. Experts provide insight into selecting the tools to accomplish this important aspect of a motor management plan. - Additional Considerations
A further discussion by one of the experts at Washington State University’s Extension Energy office regarding tools available to assist your facility’s motor operations. - Motor Repair Facility: Quality Matters
An industry leader and repair facility personnel discuss the need for quality work in returning your damaged motor to top-notch working condition.
- Energy Independence and Security Act
Dr. Edwin Brush explains the Energy Independence and Security Act as it pertains to electric motors. NEMA Premium is the minimum efficiency standard in most cases. - Motor Loss Categories
Dr. Edwin Brush of BBF and Associates explains the loss categories in an electric motor using a motor cutaway. - Above-NEMA Premium Motors
Explanation of motors that exceed NEMA Premium efficiency, particularly cast copper rotor motors. Each of the losses categories is explained, and how each is reduced. - Benefits of NEMA Premium
Randy Breaux explains that these motors run cooler than standard motors, can improve up-time. - NEMA Premium vs. Above-NEMA Premium Motors
Super premium motors, some featuring a cast copper rotor, are available that offer even lower losses than NEMA Premium, exceed the minimum efficiency required and save even more. - Replace Rather Than Rewind
When a motor fails, that's the ideal time to consider a more efficient replacement. Rewinding an older, inefficient motor only produces a rewound inefficient motor. - IEEE 841 Electric Motors
An explanation of IEEE 841 industrial duty motors relative to standard NEMA Premium motors.
Education
- INFOGRAPHIC: Copper's Key Role in Keeping America's Motors Running [PDF - 57Kb]
This infographic illustrates the benefits of copper in electric motors for commercial facilities and industrial plants. Motors rely on the strength and superior electrical and thermal conductivities of copper to increase productivity, be more energy efficient and reliable. - Copper Motor Rotors
Super premium motors are now available. - Introduction to Premium Efficiency Motors
This article describes the several loss categories in motors, how premium efficiency motors reduce these losses, and shows several tables with purchase and operating cost comparisons, as well as paybacks available when selecting premium efficiency motors as replacements for, or in place of standard models. - Go Beyond Minimum Requirements: NEMA Premium ® Motors Mean Big Savings, Fast Payback and Higher Reliability
This article explains reasons why you want to consider Premium Efficiency Motor and contains several examples of energy and dollar savings available with NEMA Premium ® Motors. - A Systems Approach to Calculating Energy Savings
This section will help you calculate the best, most efficient designations for wiring, motors and transformers. - MotorSlide Calculator™
A sliderule tool for quickly approximating the annual operating cost of a specific electric motor, or for calculating the approximate annual savings possible when comparing a more efficient motor versus another, less efficient model of comparable size. The calculator also has a built-in table of NEMA Premium ® nominal efficiencies versus EPAct minimums (up to 200 hp), for quick reference.
Visit our Publications List for a free copy (U.S. addresses only.) - High Efficiency Motors & Transformers CD-ROM
Explains how premium motors and transformers are made, how they differ from standard-efficiency products, and details their advantages, particularly in heavy-duty-cycle use. Includes information on the latest DOE rules and Energy legislation. Also contains numerous video clips and text material on both technical and life-cycle-cost issues.
Visit our Publications List for a free copy (U.S. addresses only.) - Motor Systems Training
The Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program offers motor systems management workshops that can help plant engineers, electricians, and maintenance staff as well as facility operators to optimize their motor system effectiveness and efficiency. This includes presentations and a demonstration of power quality monitoring, data logging, motor control, and power factor correction as well as hands-on training of motor selection and systems analysis software tool.
Case Studies
- Do You Have a Story to Tell about Premium Efficient Motors?CDA is looking for motor efficiency case studies.
- Copper in Motor Repair Facilities
Three motor repair facilities provide their best practices on how they utilize copper in motor repair and in selling new motors to replace older, less-efficient models. - Emerging Motor Technologies
An overview of copper's role in helping three emerging motor technologies become more efficient. Industry experts, motor manufacturers and end users all contribute to provide the reader with factual information that should be of interest to those working with and purchasing motors. - Motor Management Best Practices
This three-part series focuses on reducing energy cost and downtime by instituting a motor management plan.- Part I: Creating a Motor Inventory, Repair/Replace Guidelines
Part I addresses the motor management plan, and the beginning steps: creating a motor inventory, and motor repair/replace guidelines. [See related videos in the Videos section above] - Part II: Motor Failure Policies and Purchasing Specifications
Part II addresses the general aspects of motor management plan, including the first steps of creating a motor inventory and guidelines for motor repair and replacement. - Part III: Repair Specifications, and Preventive and Predictive Maintenance
Part III, the last in the three part series, addresses repair specifications and preventive and predictive maintenance.
- Part I: Creating a Motor Inventory, Repair/Replace Guidelines
- Mineral Producer Installing 150 Copper-Rotor Motors Rising Energy Costs Drive Upgrades, Rapid Payback Expected
This New York State mining concern decided to fight increasing utility charges by going beyond premium motor efficiency, long before the law required the change. 150 new cast copper rotor motors are being installed in place of both NEMA Premium and EPAct-efficiency motors. - Copper-Rotor Motors + Variable Frequency Drives Maximize Savings at a Brass Mill
This summary describes the results of a copper-rotor motor evaluation program undertaken by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) at the Rome, New York, brass mill of Revere Copper Products, Inc. - Copper-Rotor Motors + Variable Frequency Drives Maximize Savings at Water Treatment Plant
This summary describes the results of a copper-rotor motor evaluation program undertaken by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) at the Albany County Sewage District's (ASCD) North Plant in Menands, New York. - Motor Upgrades Help Cut HVAC Energy Costs at Emory University
A combination of a sound motor replace/repair policy along with a sophisticated monitoring system have contributed to large operating savings at this prestigious university. - Kodak Focuses on NEMA Premium ®
Photo giant's Total Motor Program saves at least $250,000 per year by installing high efficiency motors whenever possible, irrespective of size. - Skating Arena Cuts Energy Costs with Premium-Efficiency Motors
Despite only a 28% duty cycle, new NEMA Premium ® motors paid back their purchase price in only 4 months. - Brass Mill Cuts Costs with NEMA Premium ® Motors
At one of the nation's largest brass mill, if a 50-hp (or smaller) motor fails, it's replaced with NEMA Premium. If it's larger and the cost of a repair or rewind is 50% or more of a replacement, a new motor is purchased. That policy is ensuring 18-month, or less, payback for Outokumpu Copper Products. See how this motor plan, along with copper-wound transformers, can help your company. - Cummins Engine Company Saves $200,000 per Year With 800 Energy-Efficient Motors
Experience shows improved motors produce huge savings and fast paybacks.
Archive
- Bowling Pin Manufacturer Fights Rising Energy Costs With Premium-Efficiency Motors
QubicaAMF strikes just the right score with NEMA Premium© motors. Located in a high energy cost region, this famous bowling pin manufacturer found high efficiency motors were part of their energy solution. - Shaw Industries Demands NEMA Premium ® Efficiency Motors for Savings, Reliability
The largest tufted broadloom carpet manufacturer knows the value of premium efficiency motors in both economics and reliability, and specifies NEMA Premium ® motors where applicable.