Motor To Bottom Line Benefit With A Broader Energy Efficiency View

Phil Black - PII Editor 12/04/2018

184 3 minutes read

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A year on from the updates to the ErP directive, Mark McCall, Category Manager at Rexel, outlines why taking a proactive and holistic approach to managing energy consumption, and specifying efficient solutions in hidden operational areas such electric motors, makes good business sense when it comes to tackling rising energy costs.

The UK’s industrial base is highly energy intensive, consuming vast amounts of energy as companies undertake daily operations. The chemical sector alone accounts for 22% of the UK’s total industrial energy usage, while in the glass manufacturing industry, energy consumption is responsible for 35% of a company’s variable costs.

At a time when rising energy costs show no sign of slowing, there is inevitably a growing focus on how industrial companies, as significant energy users, can improve their energy efficiency performance, and with it reduce related energy costs to support a healthier financial outlook.

Electric motor choice and cost savings

It is now one year on from the publication of the latest stage of the advisory-based Energy-Related Products (ErP) Directive, which applies to all energy-related products sold into commercial and industrial sectors within the EU.

Concentrating on electric motor efficiencies, the directive has seen many companies begin to recognise the energy saving potential in relation to the role and impact of electrical motors. Indeed, electric motor use is huge, with the EU estimating that motors now account for 50% of all the electricity consumed in Europe.

And with this increased use, comes increased costs. With over 66% of an industrial company’s electrical costs related to electric motor use, while 21% of UK electrical consumption is derived from electrical motor driven applications.

Motor specification is an ideal area to examine when it comes to where and how industrial energy consumption levels can be positively affected.

While the natural tendency is to investigate straightforward operational areas such a lighting and heating-related energy costs within an industrial setting, doing so in isolation will not, ultimately, deliver the big energy savings industrial companies are seeking.

An operation-wide strategy should adopt a holistic approach to energy efficiency; one that not only looks for answers in lighting, air conditioning and heating areas, but also includes significant heavy energy consuming areas such as electrical motors.

Only through a process of evaluation, measurement and control can real change be driven, and thanks to the many solutions on the market electrical motors should be considered as an easy win within any planned energy saving scheme.

Of course for many businesses taking such a holistic stance can be challenging, which is why at Rexel, we are able to work alongside businesses to provide energy surveys, aligning your exact energy requirements with the most energy-efficient products for distribution and motor control.

The very fact that if the speed of an electric motor is reduced by 80% it will deliver a 50% energy saving is compelling evidence of where real savings on energy bills can be achieved.

While the ErP Directive is advisory only, its principles make good business sense if industrial businesses are to make energy efficiency progress across all its operations, and not just in the obvious areas. Many businesses are still to recognise the benefits that an investment now can offer in the long term.

The minimal level of energy efficiency for electric motors as prescribed in the January 2017 ErP is a good start. Compliance with its advice to ensure that all squirrel cage motors with a rated output of 0.75 to 375 kW must be supplied as an IE3 efficiency motor, or as an IE2 efficiency motor with a variable speed drive (VSD), can make a real contribution to energy efficiency goals.

At Rexel we work alongside our network of approved suppliers to deliver market-leading solutions with off the shelf availability. Our direct links with manufacturers means we’re able to offer technical information and product know-how.

Of course, the best motor solution choice depends on the application. Where fixed speeds or lower switching frequencies are involved, standard motor starters offer a lower installation cost. VSDs are more appropriate for applications that have variable speeds or frequently alternating loads.

Our range of lE3 fixed speed motors will also deliver the energy savings to comply with ErP directive. When adopting IE3 products, it’s also important to consider the use of high-quality switchgear with protective devices that have the correct trip pattern and a switching duty designed for an IE3 motor.

It is worth noting that the long-term returns can be much higher with an IE3 compliant solution. In many fan and pump applications efficiency gains of up to 70 percent can be achieved, while other benefits include increased motor life, less maintenance and a reduced risk of motor and machinery damage during startup, running and shut down.

So, while the challenges for industrial businesses in terms of managing energy consumption and costs will only intensify in the years to come as rising costs begin to bite.

Adopting a proactive, planned and holistic approach to the examination of energy usage, and taking some easy steps to improve energy efficiency performance across all areas of operation such as electric motors will go a long way to driving tangible bottom-line benefits.