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According to calculations by the ZVEI and VDEW (Association of German Electricity Works), the savings potential in drive technology in German companies is 10% of the total industrial electricity consumption.
Energy efficiency measures also pay off quickly for pumps. Based on the life cycle of a pump, the energy costs average around 45 percent of the total costs. The energy efficiency potential is correspondingly large: Depending on the application, energy savings of up to 70 percent can be achieved.
To make it easier to select energy-efficient drive components, classifications for their efficiency were introduced in 2008. For motors for operation on the public grid, they are defined in the international standard IEC 60034-30-1, together with the legal requirements for energy efficiency. A distinction is currently made between five efficiency classes (IE = International Efficiency). IE classes were also defined for components such as variable frequency drives. They are described in EN 50598-2. The energy efficiency of the entire drive system, consisting of a variable frequency drive and a electric motor, is classified according to EN 50598-2 (IEC 61800-9-2) with an IES code (International Efficiency System).
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An important factor for increasing energy efficiency in the company – in addition to energy-efficient components and systems – is the establishment of an energy management system according to ISO 50001. Only in this way can companies implement systems and processes with which energy consumption – with the same or even increased performance – can be continuously improved, thus optimizing energy efficiency and energy use and reducing costs.
As a contribution to achieving the energy efficiency targets, the European Commission adopted new requirements for the environmentally friendly design of electric motors in 2009 (Regulation (EC) No. 640/2009 implementing the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC). According to this ordinance, the use of more efficient motors should lead to annual energy savings of 57 TWh by 2020.
According to a market study conducted by CEMEP (European Committee of Manufacturers of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics) in July 2022, more than half of the motors in 2015 still belonged to the IE2 class, and the IE3 share was 16%. Seven years later, in 2021, 70% of the motors placed on the EU market are IE3 motors.
The regulation has been further developed: Regulation (EU) 2019/1781 on electric motors and speed controls came into force on 1 July 2021 and replaces Regulation (EC) No. 640/2009 on the eco-design of electric motors. According to the European Commission, the revised version will increase annual savings to 110 TWh by 2030, which corresponds to the electricity consumption of the Netherlands.
Figure 1: Legal framework for the environmentally sound design of electric motors
The new regulation has a broader scope and applies to single speed 50 Hz, 60 Hz or 50/60 Hz induction motors with the following characteristics:
In addition, the new (EU) 2019/1781 takes into account that the increased use of variable speed drives for certain applications can lead to significant savings at the application level. Therefore, it now also includes the efficiency of speed controls - they were not yet taken into account by the old Regulation (EC) No. 640/2009 (further information on (EU) 2019/1781 is available from Eaton in special seminars).
According to the currently applicable regulation, motors must achieve efficiency class IE2, IE3 or IE4, depending on their nominal output power and other properties. For example, three-phase motors with a nominal output power between 0.75 kW and a maximum of 1000 kW must have the efficiency level IE3 by July 2021. From July 2023, efficiency class IE4 will be mandatory for motors with an output between 75 kW and 200 kW. The EU is the first place in the world to make the IE4 energy efficiency level mandatory for some motor categories.
Increasing the energy efficiency in industrial drives is an important component of the energy transition. The focus is not only on climate protection, but companies can also significantly reduce their running costs by applying the relevant standards. More detailed information about (EU) 2019/1781 is provided in the white paper "Successfully increasing energy efficiency in drive technology" by the energy management company Eaton, which is available for download on the company's website.
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