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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Energy efficiency and electric motors

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6946600· OSTI ID:6946600

The Edison Electric Institute and the Department of Commerce reported that, in 1972, the commercial and industrial sectors of the U.S. economy consumed about 920 billion kWh of electrical energy. Of this, about 60 percent was used to power electric motors in industrial and commercial process equipment. The underlying hypothesis of this investigation is that efficiency ratings are not being given proper consideration in the selection and purchase of electric motors. Specifically, it is proposed that a life-cycle cost analysis from the user's point of view may often dictate the selection of more-efficient, albeit more-expensive, models. It is further proposed that, for particular pieces of equipment, efficiency standards may be established in the name of energy conservation without unreasonably affecting equipment performance or cost. This study concerned 5 tasks. Task I, equipment characterization, was concerned with standard and built-in electric motors applied to commercial and industrial process equipment and included AC single-phase and AC polyphase (squirrel-cage, wound-rotor, synchronous); and DC (shunt-wound, series-wound, compound-wound). Task II, Market characterization, identified the basis of motor choice by users. Task III traced the historical progression of motor efficiencies and projected future trends. Task IV assessed technological and economical constraints, while Task V developed policy option scenarios.

Research Organization:
Little (Arthur D.), Inc., Cambridge, Mass. (USA)
OSTI ID:
6946600
Report Number(s):
HCP/M50217-01
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English