Reducing the energy use of industrial motors
March 23, 2009
The equivalent of Sweden's electricity consumption will be saved each year after the EU Member States backed new rules to reduce the electricity consumption of industrial motors.
The regulation which they approved is expected to create 40,000 new jobs and make electricity savings of €9 billion by 2020.
"The measure is a concrete contribution to reach the EU's energy efficiency and climate protection targets and will result very quickly in significant energy savings and benefits for the society and industry, as foreseen in the European Economic Recovery Plan," Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said.
The new legislation will forbid the placing on the market of motors below standard IE2 efficiency by 2011 and will allow only highly-efficient IE3 motors for big motors from 2015 and for all other motors from 2017.
The three-staged approach is intended to allow all manufacturers, in particular small and medium-sized businesses, to adapt to the new requirements.
As an alternative, standard efficiency IE2 motors can continue to be sold after 2015 if they are put into service with variable speed drives.
A drive allows the speed of a motor to be adapted according to need in order to ensure optimal efficiency. The use of drives leads to drastic savings in energy consumption when motors run in variable speed and load applications.
The draft regulation, part of a series planned by the Commission under the remit of the Ecodesign Directive, will now be scrutinised by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers and is scheduled for formal adoption in June.
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