A major step towards higher energy efficiency

With growing concerns surrounding the growth of CO₂ and CO₂-equivalent emissions, Governments are now, more than ever, being prompted to focus their efforts on reducing these emissions by making their electric motors more energy-efficient.

So, are you aware that legislation surrounding electric motor efficiency is scheduled for change?

Why is it time for change?

In 1999, the EU agreed a Directive defining a timeline for the introduction of Minimum Energy Performance standards for induction motors. But a decision has now been made to repeal this regulation from July 2021 and replace over the two-year period to July 2023 with new energy-efficiency requirements covering a wider range of motors.

Under the current regulations, more efficient motors are expected to achieve annual energy savings across the EU of 57 TWh by 2020. However, the efficiency levels of the current measures are low by current norms. There is also no correlation between the different standards and regulations established by the various governments or industry bodies.

Over the past two years, energy consumption has increased by 50%, and if the increase rate continues, we will far surpass the anticipated figure of 1,470 TWh for 2020, significantly rising to 1,500 TWh by 2035. This is causing concern, and it’s believed that a revised legislation is a major step in ensuring that our applications are more energy efficient.

Making your mind up

These regulations will inevitably affect the range of motors available to industry, as manufacturers will no longer be able to build those which fail to comply with the new regulations. This will without doubt have a bearing on your motor purchasing decisions.

The fact is, higher-efficiency motors will generally have a higher purchase price, which may normally influence your decision. But although price shouldn’t be ignored, don’t let it completely cloud your judgement. Higher-efficiency motors will almost certainly provide the lowest Total Cost of Ownership in the long-term.