Electric motor standards, ecodesign and global market transformation

The use-phase cost of most industrial electric motors, namely the consumed electrical energy, dominates by far their overall life-cycle cost. Because electric motors use about 70% of the total industrial electricity use, they present attractive opportunities to save a huge amount of electricity in a cost- effective way, and contribute to mitigate climate change. The lack of global efficiency classes has prevented the large-scale adoption of high efficiency motors in most countries around the world. This paper addresses the most relevant electric motor efficiency-related international standards, including minimum efficiency requirements and a new efficiency classification standard, which have a profound impact on motor market transformation, being a powerful tool to reduce electric motor systems consumption. Moreover, the final results and conclusions of a European study to identify and recommend ways to improve the life-cycle environmental performance of electric motors at their design phase are presented, focusing life- cycle cost assessment of standard and best available electric motor technologies. It was found that if high efficiency or premium class motors replace standard efficiency class motors, significant reductions in the environmental impact will be achieved.