Best Practice Guide

Food and Beverage Growers and Processors

Introduction

Planning an Energy Program

Funding and Approval

Commissioning

On-the-Farm Energy Use

Lighting

Building Envelope

Central HVAC System

Boilers

Steam

Combined Heat and Power

Compressed Air

Refrigeration

Motors

Energy Use Basics

Proper Maintenance

Energy-Smart Investment

Demand Response

Distributed Generation

Water Use


Fetzer Vineyard

J Vineyards and Winery

Mission Foods

S. Martinelli and Company

Sara Lee

Vineyard 29


View the Glossary

Motors

Energy Use Basics

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Motor systems consume as much as 60 percent of all electricity in the United States; half of this electricity is used by the industrial sector alone. Motor applications vary as widely as the businesses they serve, but common ones include fans, pumps, compressors, and conveyance. Around 70 percent of the total electricity used by all U.S. manufacturers powers motors systems.

A well-designed and well-maintained motor system can reach 90 percent efficiency - meaning that 90 percent of the input energy gets converted to useful work. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the U.S. motor inventory falls into this category - the majority of motors in use are highly inefficient. The good news, though, is that as older motors are retired, opportunities arise to improve these statistics with newer, more efficient technology.

Opportunity for Savings
Plant managers often do not capitalize on the enormous potential for energy and cost savings - surprising, considering the importance of motors to manufacturers. A survey conducted by the campaign Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) found that only 12 percent of industrial managers knew that the lifetime operating cost for a motor is generally five times greater than the initial purchase price.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that U.S. manufacturers could cost-effectively reduce motor-related energy use by 11 to 18 percent, yielding cumulative annual cost savings of up to $5.8 billion. Similarly, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) estimates that optimization of electric motor performance can save as much as 25 percent of total U.S. electricity use. For individual manufacturers, motor drive optimization potentially saves as much as 50 percent of motor energy use - significant when you consider that motor energy costs can exceed $1 million per year in large industrial plants.

Likewise, ACEEE estimates that fan and pump optimization could achieve electricity savings ranging from 20 percent to well over 50 percent. Fan and pump optimization relies more on aligning proper usage with process needs than on equipment upgrades - and thus involves higher engineering costs than equipment costs. Such projects have an average payback rate of 1.2 years, saving about $0.012 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (not including consequent gains in productivity, which are common).


Resources

See Flex Your Power product guide on motors.

The National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) website contains information on the NEMA PremiumĀ® energy efficiency motors program, including product specifications and a list of participating partners.

The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) website on Motors and Motor Systems includes a Motor System Tool Kit, efficiency specifications, resource links and information on the Motor Decisions Matter campaign.

Efficient Motors: Selection and Application Considerations. A brochure developed by CEE and the U.S. Department of Energy's Motor Challenge Program. Boston, MA: 1999.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) free software MotorMaster+ is an energy-efficient motor selection and management tool, including a catalog of over 20,000 AC motors. This tool features motor inventory management tools, maintenance log tracking, efficiency analysis, savings evaluation, energy accounting, and environmental reporting capabilities.

U.S. DOE free softwarePumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) helps industrial users assess the efficiency of pumping system operations. PSAT uses achievable pump performance data from Hydraulic Institute standards and motor performance data from the MotorMaster+ database to calculate potential energy and associated cost savings.

Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA), Inc. is an international trade organization of over 2,150 electromechanical sales and service firms in 50 countries. The EASA website contains downloadable, in-depth guidelines to improve motor efficiency, repair worn or malfunctioning motors, and to help owners decide whether to replace or repair motor systems.

Northwest Food Processors Association Efficiency Practices and Emerging Technologies websites offer useful information and tips for the food processing industry.

California Energy Commission websites on Food and Fiber Processing Technologies and Energy in Agriculture.