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-> Software for Energy Efficient Motors
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| Software for Energy Efficient Motors |
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 As
worldwide concern over energy price hikes and global climate change
grows, the importance of efficient energy use assumes renewed urgency.
To help meet these challenges, the international copper industry has
joined forces with governments and industry to promote energy efficiency
for one of the world's largest categories of energy use - the electric
motor.
The International Copper Association (ICA) is working with the US
Energy Department, the Chilean Ministry of Economics and the UK-based
energy consultant ETSU to develop internationally applicable software
aimed at promoting the use of high-efficiency motor systems around
the globe.
The latest generation of copper-wound electric motors significantly
improves the energy efficiency and performance over that of conventional
motors. These high-efficiency motors, which use more copper in the
windings, promise to vastly reduce energy consumption, save money,
and lower greenhouse-gas emissions. Electric-motor systems represent
one of the largest single categories of energy consumption in most
industrialized countries - typically up to 70 percent of a country's
electricity use for industrial purposes.
"Copper is a critical factor in the energy-efficiency equation, and
efficient energy use will be a critical factor for both economic growth
and a sound global environment in the 21st Century," said the ICA's
John Mollet. "Our vision is that every region on earth will have the
information tools to better manage their energy use to save precious
resources and improve the global environment."
The collaborative software development effort, known as the International
Motor Software project, will enable the managers of motor systems
in any country or region of the globe to do comprehensive life-cycle
analyses of their systems' electricity use, efficiency and costs.
Also, it will permit a comparison of system performance against alternatives
in order to determine the most energy-efficient and cost-effective
system to deploy.
The international software project is modeled on the USDOE's highly
successful "MotorMaster+" software, which has been used by American
manufacturers to identify the life-cycle cost and energy savings derived
from conversion to high-efficiency motor systems. The European Union
has also developed a similar software tool called "Eurodeem."
"There are dramatic energy and cost savings and emissions reductions
to be captured around the world by employing better motor-system management
practices and by upgrading to high-efficiency motor systems," explained
Aimee McKane of the USDOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Labs in Washington.
However, she added, a major obstacle globally is the various standards
used around the world, making transnational comparisons of system
performance data all but impossible. The new software tool will be
applicable to all standards, allowing for a harmonized, universal
database that enables motor-system managers to make true cost and
efficiency comparisons.
One of the key features of the software will be the analysis of first-cost
versus life-cycle cost comparisons between high-efficiency and conventional
motor systems. These analyses often demonstrate that the large ongoing
operational savings of high-efficiency systems quickly and massively
outstrip the temporary first-cost savings of the cheaper, conventional
motors.
The extent of savings is dependent on the particular qualities of
the system and its use. However in the US alone, according to Energy
Department projections, by 2010 the annual energy savings due to high-efficiency
motor systems will equal the total annual electrical consumption of
Venezuela, and the reduction in carbon emissions will be analogous
to removing 4-million vehicles from the roads.
In addition to calculating cost and energy savings, the international
software will enable the motor-system manager to track and manage
system inventory and maintenance. The universal software will have
the same look and functions as the Motormaster+ program, but will
be adaptable to each national or regional motor-systems database.
"By providing global transparency and uniformity, the software will
promote harmonization of both standards and testing procedures, and
will move us toward a common understanding of how to define and measure
real energy efficiency," said McKane. "It will also foster trade by
expanding the market for high-efficiency motor systems around the
world."
High-efficiency motors achieve better performance mainly because the
larger quantity of copper in the windings reduces the loss of power
through resistance. The motors also incorporate various design enhancements,
which along with the added copper, raise efficiency and reduce operating
temperatures.
To date, funding commitments from the sponsors have totaled about
two-thirds of the total $300,000 budget for the 18-month-long project.
The ICA is serving as project manager, under the direction of a steering
committee representing the sponsors.
Additional public and private sponsorship is being sought. Inquiries
can be directed to: Aimee T. McKane, (202) 484-0892, atmckane@lbl.gov,
or Riyaz Papar, (202) 484-0880, rapapar@lbl.gov,
USDOE Industries of the Future, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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