NORD emphasizes improving motor efficiency to be able to manage resources, save costs, and protect the environment as industrial electric motor driven systems account for about 23% of all electricity sold in the USA. Studies have shown that for many motor applications the combined costs of purchasing, installing, and maintaining these motors only represents about 5% or less of the cost of ownership whereas the operating energy costs represent nearly 95% of the cost of ownership. NORD’s goal for the use of energy efficient motors is to improve operating efficiencies and increase profitability for businesses and investors.
Fundamental application analysis is the first step of the NORD ECO service. The aim of the analysis is to record and review energy consumption and data from the current drive systems. This process determines the current energy consumption level, identifies which areas of the system are consuming the most energy, and finds opportunities where efficiency improvements can be made. Cost reduction is becoming even more critical as energy prices continue to rise, making the ECO service incredibly useful for both new and existing systems. The service is especially useful where regulations and standards are strict and gives companies a “green” image due to better sustainability efforts.
Using the information gained from the analysis, NORD develops a personalized solution that incorporates the collected data and selects motors that are more ideal for the application. For example, a customer who has a 5-hp motor with 28% load capacity could switch to a 3-hp motor with 50% load capacity and bring down the total energy cost. The goal in drive selection is to target higher efficiencies from the right operation point. In this example, choosing a drive that was larger than needed made the drive run inefficiently under partial load. The goal of the ECO consultation is to help you find a solution that is customized based on needs to be energy-efficient, reduce variants within the system, and cut overall cost. A customized solution can mean using new, innovative products, such as IE5+ ultra-efficient permanent magnet synchronous motors, which is characterized by its high efficiency rating and energy saving capability.
Optimization comes in the form of reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), energy efficiency through lower consumption, and reduced carbon emissions. A more efficient drive may increase the initial expense but can significantly decrease operating expenditure over the lifecycle of the unit. The investment in more efficient drives that are better sized for needs will result in costs savings due to the drives performing more efficiently over time. It also removes the losses experienced through oversized drives. Additionally, an ECO consultation can make an impact in other areas such as repairs, maintenance, downtime, and reduction of stock and spare parts.
The NORD ECO service provides several advantages over traditional methods of energy consumption analysis. With a more holistic analysis of the drive systems in place, the process to identify energy-saving opportunities is clearer. Those opportunities are then implemented into a financial assessment of an energy- efficient application redesign. This allows for a customized solution where Total Cost of Ownership is optimized and helps provide an insight on evaluating the amount of carbon emission savings.
To learn more about the NORD ECO energy solution, visit www.nord.com.
Filed Under: Motion Control Tips
