Improving the efficiency of electric motor systems: Moving beyond efficient motors

Conference · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:20001936

Elliott, R N; Pye, M; Nadel, S

Electric motors operating in the US consume more than half of the nation's electricity. Electric utilities were among the first groups to begin offering programs to promote efficiency in electric motors. A 1994 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) survey of utility demand-side management (DSM) programs found 151 efficient-motors and drives programs being offered by 95 utilities in the US. The most common programs have been prescriptive rebates for the purchase of high-efficiency motors. While many of these programs have been popular and successful, their cost is an issue of contention with some industrial consumer groups and within utilities attempting to reduce program costs. With the minimum motor efficiency regulations in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) set to go into effect for most products in October 1997, utilities will need to move beyond these simple high-efficiency motor rebate programs if they are to continue to offer motor programs to their customers. The focus will also have to shift from simply motors to motor-system issues. As a 1993 US Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored motor-system roundtable identified, motor-system expertise is not widely available, and many electric utilities will need assistance to develop and implement new programs. It is thus important that information be made available to these utilities on how to analyze customers' motor-systems needs, what program designs will most likely meet these needs, what resources they will need to implement their programs, and where to find those resources. DOE's Motor Challenge has already been identifying or developing many of these resources, and these are already being used by some utilities. If utilities are provided a program context, more of them can make better use of these resources and achieve success from their own standpoint (e.g., increased customer satisfaction and improved customer retention), from the customers' standpoint (e.g., lower motor-system costs and improved performance), and from the national standpoint (e.g., reduced motorsystem energy consumption and lower carbon emissions). The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has begun to establish this context by analyzing utility motor-systems programs. This work builds upon past ACEEE analyses of other utility DSM programs and ACEEE's extensive involvement in the technical aspects and design of programs involving electric motor systems.

• Research Organization: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Washington, DC (US)
• OSTI ID: 20001936
• Report Number(s): CONF-970750--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ELECTRIC MOTORS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
INDUSTRY
MARKET
USA