APPLICATION NOTE

An In-Depth Examination of an Energy Summary

Efficiency Technology
Energy-efficient AC motors produce the
same output as standard motors, but
require less electrical input because
they generally are better designed, with
closer tolerances, better materials, and
Efficiency improved manufacturing quality. In ad-
dition, they usually operate at lower
temperatures, last longer, and tolerate
Improvements for abnormal operating conditions better.

AC Electric Although a tremendous variety of AC

motors exists, three-phase squirrel-cage
Motors induction motors account for over 90
percent of installed motor horsepower.
Simple, rugged, reliable, and cheap,
they are found in a wide variety of
commercial and industrial uses. En-
ergy-efficient motors generally cost 15
to 30 percent more than standard units,
although costs for both vary widely. Effi-
cient motors last on average about 15
years, and proper maintenance can ex-
Summary ............................................. 1 tend their lifespan significantly.
How This Technology Saves Energy New energy-efficient induction motors
............................................................. 2 are from one to over six percent more
Characteristics of Energy-Efficient efficient than new standard motors. Be-
cause a motor consumes energy worth
AC Motors ........................................... 3
4 to 10 times its own cost each year,
Applicability ........................................ 4 energy-efficient motors often make eco-
nomic sense in a wide variety of situa-
Field Observations to Assess tions. It is usually appropriate to con-
Feasibility ............................................ 4 sider them when (1) designing new fa-
cilities, (2) modifying existing installa-
Estimation of Energy Savings ........... 6
tions or processes, (3) procuring pre-
Cost and Service Life ......................... 7 packaged equipment, (4) considering
rewinding failed motors, (5) replacing
Laws, Codes, and Regulations.......... 9 oversized (underloaded) motors, (6)
setting up an energy management or
Definitions of Key Terms ................... 9
preventive maintenance program, or (7)
References to More Information...... 10 utility rebates are available.

Major Manufacturers ........................ 10

Copyright © May 1997, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, all rights reserved. Revised 4/25/97

How This Technology
Saves Energy
Perhaps half the world’s electricity goes
through motors—yet most of these mo-
tors are far less efficient than they could
be. Standard motors, generally de-
signed to be just efficient enough not to
overheat, usually compete on price, not
efficiency. Energy-efficient motors, by
contrast, produce the same brake
horsepower but use less electrical input
because they generally are better de-
signed and better made.
Most motors have a fixed outer portion
called the stator1 and a rotor that spins
inside it to provide mechanical output.
There is a carefully engineered air gap
between the two. Virtually all motors use
rotating magnetic fields to spin their ro-
tors or shafts. Inside a motor, the mag-
netic fields try to align, just as two mag-
nets close to one another will try to align
their magnetic fields. This perpetual ef-
fort at alignment causes the motor's ro-
tor to spin. The strength of the fields
and their degree of misalignment make
the effort to align, or the torque, more
or less strong.
made of laminated stacks of thin steel
sheets.
Figure 1 shows the components of a
typical induction motor (specific types
of AC motors are discussed in the next
section). Manufacturers typically im-
prove motor efficiency by:

 Increasing the amount of copper
in the motor—often 60 percent or
more—to reduce electrical resistance
losses in the windings and lower oper-
ating temperatures.

 Using more and thinner lamina-
tions of high-quality motor steels to
reduce core losses in the stator and ro-
tor.

 Narrowing the air gap between
ENCLOSURE
BEARING
HOUSING
OUTPUT
NAMEPLATE SHAFT

A motor also has an enclosure to pro-

tect its components and define their STATOR STATOR
geometrical relationship; bearings to (CORE) (WINDINGS)
support the shaft and rotor; an output ROTOR
shaft at one end or both; and various BARS
lubricating, cooling, sealing, starting,
and related components. The electri-
cally generated magnetic fields result
from coils or windings which are wound COOLING
around, or fixed in slots cut into cores FAN
OUTPUT
SHAFT
1
Bold italicized words are defined in the section
titled “Definition of Key Terms” Figure 1: Parts of a Typical Induction Motor

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 2
stator and rotor, which increases the
intensity of the magnetic field and lets
the motor deliver the same torque at re-
duced power. Increasing the length of
the stator and rotor can also increase
the magnetic field.

 Improving the design of the rotor
bar and other components to reduce
other losses.
while the least expensive energy-
efficient motor of this size costs $900
less and is about 2.8 percent more effi-
cient.
Case Study: Motor Retrofit at
Manufacturing Plant Yields Big
100-hp

Price in $1,000's (US)

Characteristics of Energy-
Efficient AC Motors

Induction motors are the dominant type

in use today, accounting for over 90
percent of the installed horsepower—
largely because they are rugged, sim- Efficiency (%)
ple, reliable, and cheap. Synchronous
10-hp
Price in $100's (US)

motors are much less common. They

are generally used in the power genera-
tion industry and for very large applica-
tions. Nearly all energy-efficient motors
are induction motors, available in a wide
variety of sizes and configurations; their
primary disadvantage is their higher
cost. In addition, energy-efficient mo-
Efficiency (%)
tors sometimes generate less starting
torque.
1-hp
Price in $100's (US)

Figure 2 shows the range of trade prices

(list prices less 25 percent) by efficiency
for 100-hp, 10-hp, and 1-hp motors. The
actual discount from list price can be 20
to 40 percent or more. These figures
show an average additional cost of 15 to
30 percent for energy-efficient motors,
but trade prices for the three sizes vary Efficiency (%)
widely, and it is quite possible that a
careful user could purchase an energy-
efficient motor for less than the Figure 2: Comparison of Prices vs.
same-sized standard motor it replaces. Efficiency for Three Motor Sizes
(Source: E-Source)
The most expensive 100-hp standard-
efficiency motor costs about $5,900,

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 3
Benefits
A firearms maker provides an example
of the significant savings that retrofitting
energy-efficient motors can provide. The
company replaced 68 motors on its
drilling machines. The original AC mo-
tors had efficiencies of 75-80 percent,
while the energy-efficient models had
efficiencies of 87-90 percent. Purchas-
ing in quantity, the company negotiated
a more favorable price with the motor
supplier. The project cost $20,444,
yielded annual energy savings of
$5,500, and a utility rebate of $13,048
dropped the simple payback from 3.7 to
1.3 years. This project also enabled the
company to standardize its motor stock
and significantly cut maintenance costs
and equipment downtimes.
Applicability
Table 1 lists some examples of the
myriad of motor commercial and indus-
trial applications. Common uses are
listed within each system type, but mo-
tors can be found in many other appli-
cations than those shown below.
Field Observations to
Assess Feasibility
This section discusses field observa-
tions and questions that will help identify
appropriate situations for energy-
efficient motors.

System Type Commercial Industrial

Fresh Water Pumps Water Pumps
Fluid Chillers Induced- & Forced-Draft Fans
Handling Ventilation Fans Air Compressors
Cooling Towers Gas Compressors
Material Elevators Conveyors
Handling Conveyors Cranes
Hoists Robots
Printing Presses Extruders
Material Punch Machines Mixers
Processing Shears Grinders
Crushers

Table 1: Typical Motor Systems (Source: USDOE)

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 4
Related to Applicability
Opportunities to specify energy-efficient
motors may exist if the customer is:

 Designing new facilities

 Modifying existing installations or
processes

 Procuring pre-packaged equipment
or systems with electric motor compo-
nents

 Considering rewinding failed motors

 Replacing oversized (underloaded)
motors

 Implementing an energy manage-
ment or preventative maintenance pro-
gram

 Able to obtain utility rebates
Energy-efficient motors sometimes have
lower starting torque and/or power fac-
tor. If these factors are critical to a
customer’s application, energy-efficient
motors may not be appropriate.
Related to Energy Savings
To establish opportunities for energy
savings, get answers to these ques-
tions:
1. How many motors are in the system
and of what size? This information may
already exist in facility maintenance rec-
ords, or may be acquired by a facil-
ity-wide audit. Figure 3 shows a typical
motor nameplate. Note that the nominal
horsepower is listed in the upper left-
hand corner.
©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors”
Figure 3: Typical Motor Nameplate
2. What is the duty factor and load
profile for these motors? The higher the
duty factor, the larger the potential sav-
ings. Any motor that operates at 25 per-
cent or more duty factor (around 2,000
hours per year) should have a
well-documented load profile. Ways to
determine motor duty include monitoring
hours of operation per month (if the
motor controller has a run-hour meter)
or attaching a recording current meter.
Unfortunately, determining motor load-
ing is not a trivial matter, and directly
measuring motor efficiency is possible
only through very rigorous test proce-
dures.
There are several ways to estimate
motor loading, each subject to its own
sources of inaccuracy. The preferred
method for most users is to use a
wattmeter to measure the total motor
input power. Multiplying this by the ap-
proximate motor efficiency (from the
motor nameplate or manufacturer’s
data) yields the motor load. Reference 3
contains additional information about
estimating motor loading.
3. How efficiently are these motors op-
erating? Efficiency estimates require
either reliable nameplate information or
Page 5
manufacturer's data. Unfortunately there Motor Load
are no inexpensive ways to measure Size Type Full 75% 50% 25%
motor/drive efficiency in the field. The 100-hp Efficient 95.3 95.6 95.2 92.7
Standard 92.9 92.5 91.2 86.5
user's best recourse is starting with
Spread 2.4 3.1 4.0 6.3
nameplate efficiency and subtracting 10-hp Efficient 90.8 91.6 91.1 86.8
approximately one percentage point of Standard 87.0 87.9 86.6 79.9
efficiency for each motor rewind. Spread 3.8 3.7 4.5 6.9
1-hp Efficient 84.7 84.8 82.6 74.6
4. Which motors can be feasibly and Standard 77.2 74.9 69.2 54.7
economically retrofitted to improve en- Spread 7.5 9.9 13.4 19.9
ergy efficiency?
Table 2: Standard vs. Efficient Motor
Efficiency Comparison
Estimation of Energy (Source: E-Source)

Savings where:

Energy-efficient motors are usually 1 to Hp = Motor nameplate rating

6 percent more efficient than their stan-
dard motor counterparts. The difference
tends to be greater at part-load
(especially below 50 percent) and to be
more pronounced at lower horsepower.
Table 2 shows that at full load, 100-hp
standard and energy-efficient motors
are, on average, about 2.4 percent
apart, while 1-hp motors have an aver-
age spread of over 7 percent.
Standard Savings Calculation
Calculating energy savings requires an
estimate of operating hours for the mo-
tor and the kilowatt (kW) demand of the
motor. The difference in efficiency be-
tween a high-efficiency and a standard
motor determines the demand or kilo-
watt (kW) savings. For two similar mo-
tors operating at the same speed and
load, but having different efficiencies,
the following equation is used to calcu-
late the kW reduction:
kW  100  100 
kWsavings = Hp × L. F.×0.746 ×   −
Hp  Estd   EHE  
L.F.= Load Factor or percentage of
full operating load
Estd = Standard motor efficiency un-
der actual load conditions
EHE = Energy-efficient motor effi-
ciency under actual load conditions
The kW savings are the demand sav-
ings. Annual energy savings are calcu-
lated as follows:
kWh savings = kW saved x Annual
Operating Hours
The above equations apply to motors
operating at a specific constant load.
For varying loads, the equations can be
applied to each portion of the cycle
where the load is relatively constant for
an appreciable period; the total energy
savings is the sum of the savings for
each period. The equations are not us-
able for motors operating with pulsating
loads or for loads that cycle rapidly.

It is easiest to estimate efficiency gains
for motors under constant load. Motors

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 6
operating with varying loads can be
analyzed by totaling the hours per year
of operation at each load (for example,
50, 75 or 100 percent load) and running
the analysis separately for each load.
A hypothetical example can be drawn
from the firearms maker case study de-
scribed in the Characteristics section.
Assume that 19 of the 68 motors in the
project were 10 hp with efficiencies of
77%, and that each ran for 4,000 hours
annually at 80% of full load. These 19
motors would consume 19  10 hp  0.8
 0.746  100/77  4,000 hours, or
589,049 kilowatt-hours a year. If these
were replaced with motors with 88% ef-
ficiencies, then the kilowatt savings
would be 19 motors  10 hp  0.8 
0.746  (100/77 - 100/88), or 18.408
kilowatts. The annual energy savings
would be 18.408 kW  4,000 hours, or
73,631 kilowatt-hours. Energy con-
sumption would be reduced by 12.5%.
Cost and Service Life
Factors That Influence Service
Life
In general, energy-efficient motors will
be longer-lived than standard motors
under otherwise identical conditions,
because they typically run cooler. This
translates into fewer winding failures,
increased bearing life, longer periods
between scheduled maintenance, and
fewer forced outages.
Energy-efficient motors withstand stall-
ing and overloads better, and usually
run quieter and operate with lower
no-load losses. They are also less sen-
sitive to abnormal conditions such as
impaired ventilation, under- and
©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors”
over-voltage, and phase imbalance.
Many motors, however, fail because of
mechanical damage, hostile environ-
ments, or poor alignment. Energy-
efficient motors would not necessarily
have longer service life in such cases.
Factors That Influence First
Cost
The paragraphs below discuss the eco-
nomics and applicability for energy-
efficient motors in new installations, as
replacements for failed motors, and for
retrofitting standard motors.
New Installations
In most new installations, it is almost
always economically attractive to pur-
chase energy-efficient motors over
standard-efficiency models, whether the
energy-efficient motor is the same size
or smaller. Since installation costs will
be the same, the economic analysis
need only consider any additional cost
for the high-efficiency motor. This cost
averages 15 to 30 percent; but careful
shopping or volume purchasing may re-
duce this to about 5 percent. The incre-
mental cost is recovered quickly in all
except very low-duty applications. Since
electric motors typically use 4 to 10
times their initial cost in electricity costs
each year, even small improvements
provide attractive returns.
Replacements for Failed Motors
When motors fail, they must be repaired
or replaced quickly to avoid lost produc-
tion. Often—with some advanced plan-
ning—it is economically attractive to re-
place these motors rather than incur the
expense of rewinding.
Page 7
Though common practice is to replace
failed motors below 20 horsepower and
repair those above 20 horsepower, re-
placing all failed motors up to 50 hp is
almost always economic. Replacing
larger failed motors is also often
cost-effective, depending on how heav-
ily the motor is used. Because it re-
duces capital costs, the return from up-
grading to a one size smaller energy-
efficient replacement instead of rewind-
ing is even more attractive than re-
placement with a same sized energy-
efficient motor.
Many existing motors have been re-
paired more than once, with typical loss
of 0.9 percent in efficiency at each re-
wind. Thus existing standard-efficiency
motors may be much less efficient than
nameplate comparisons would sug-
gest—making them particularly attrac-
tive for replacement at or before their
next failure.
It is more common to rewind larger mo-
tors due to their high capital cost. But
these motors usually operate at very
high duty, and even modest efficiency
improvement is economically rewarding,
increasing the incentive to consider re-
placement with a more efficient new
motor.
Planning is the key to replacing a failed
motor with a new energy-efficient
model—the new motor must be close at
hand when the original fails, or the op-
portunity will be lost. The careful user
will consider the options for each motor
before failure and plan accordingly. If
vendors are given sufficient encour-
agement, they may stock the energy-
efficient replacement in anticipation.
Retrofit
©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors”
While the benefits of energy-efficient
motors for new applications and in lieu
of rewinding are well known, it is not as
widely known that it often pays to re-
move existing standard motors and ret-
rofit with high-efficiency units.
Since the economics of a retrofit must
include the cost of removing the old
motor and installing the new one, high
duty factor applications are much more
likely to be economically attractive. Of-
ten the old motor can be relocated to
standby, reserve, or light applications
that don't justify an energy-efficient
motor. This preserves the capital in-
vestment in the original motor, while the
retrofit increases overall efficiency.
The economics are often favorable for
retrofitting existing standard-efficiency
motors with smaller energy-efficient
models. Many existing motors are over-
sized for their applications, resulting in
efficiency loss and excessive energy
use. Replacing them with smaller en-
ergy-efficient models improves effi-
ciency and also reduces the capital cost
of the retrofit. Since the new motor will
operate at closer to full load, its speed
will be less, reducing the energy con-
sumed in equipment such as fans and
centrifugal pumps. It is important in
these situations, though, to verify that
the fan or pump can operate at a lower
speed and still provide sufficient output.
Typical Service Life
The PG&E CEE program assumption
for service life is 15 years.
Operation and Maintenance
Requirements
Proper maintenance increases the lon-
gevity of energy-efficient motor invest-
Page 8
ments, generally 10-15 percent. Some Current standards Standards after 10/1997
Horsepower ODP* TEFC* ODP* TEFC*
key aspects of a solid maintenance pro- 1 77.0 72.0 82.5 82.5
gram include: 1.5 82.5 81.5 84.0 84.0
2 82.5 82.5 84.0 84.0

 Correct installation, with proper

3 86.5 84.0 86.5 87.5
5 86.5 85.5 87.5 87.5
alignment and support. 7.5 88.5 87.5 88.5 89.5
10 88.5 87.5 89.5 89.5
15 90.2 88.5 91.0 91.0

 Regular lubrication, cleaning, and 20 91.0 90.2 91.0 91.0
checks for worn parts. 25 91.7 91.0 91.7 92.4
30 91.7 91.0 92.4 92.4
40 92.4 91.7 93.0 93.0

 Protection from hostile operating 50 92.4 92.4 93.0 93.0
60 93.0 93.0 93.6 93.6
conditions, such as extreme tempera- 75 93.6 93.0 94.1 94.1
tures, corrosive atmospheres, and ex- 100 93.6 93.6 94.1 94.5
cessive moisture and dirt. 125 93.6 93.6 94.5 94.5
150 94.1 94.1 95.0 95.0
200 94.1 94.5 95.0 95.0

 Regular checks for reasonable * ODP: motor with open drip-proof enclosure

motor loading, duty factor, and power TEFC: motor with totally enclosed, fan-cooled enclosure

supply.
Table 3: NEMA Standards for Electric

 Motor circuit analysis. Motor Efficiencies

 Good record-keeping to track op- that exceed the standards.

erating characteristics and maintenance
intervals.
Laws, Codes, and
Regulations
Official industry standards define which
induction motors can be classified as
"energy-efficient." In the U.S., the in-
dustry standard is in NEMA MG1-1993,
Section 12.59, which will be adopted as
a U.S. federal minimum efficiency stan-
dard for most induction motors in Octo-
ber 1997 as a result of the Energy Pol-
icy Act of 1992 (EPAct). Thus only
motors meeting this standard can be
sold in the U.S. after that date. Both
current and revised NEMA standards
are shown in Table 3. Although the
NEMA standard will raise the minimum
efficiency for new motor sales in many
categories, many motors are available
The EPAct standards apply only to gen-
eral-purpose, 1- to 200-horsepower,
polyphase, low-voltage AC induction
motors. They will leave a significant por-
tion of the market unaffected. Segments
not covered include motors that are:
single-phase, fractional horsepower
polyphase, larger than 200 horsepower,
575 volt and over 2,300 volt, and defi-
nite- or special-purpose motors.
Definitions of Key Terms

 Duty Factor: The amount of time a
motor system is operating, usually
measured in percent per day or year,
shifts per day, or hours per year.

 Induction Motor: The most com-
mon type of AC motor, in which a pri-
mary winding on the stator is connected

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 9
to the power source, while the secon- Information
dary winding on the rotor carries in-
duced current.
1. American Council for an Energy-

 Load Profile: Time distribution of a Efficient Economy, "Energy-Efficient
motor’s load (measured in percent of full Motor Systems--A Handbook on
load), usually expressed on an hourly Technology, Programs, and Policy
basis over a day, but sometimes on a Opportunities," 1991.
seasonal basis over a year. The load
2. Bonneville Power Administration,
on a motor can vary dramatically--for
"High Efficiency Motor Selection
example, a 15 hp motor could be loaded
Handbook," October 1990.
at 6.3 bhp (brake horsepower) one mo-
ment, then at 16.2 bhp seconds later. 3. E-Source, "Drivepower," Technology
Atlas Series, Volume IV, 1996.

 Rewinding: Repairing induction
motors by removing the old windings 4. PG&E, "Advanced Electric Motors
and installing new ones in the stator, Applications."
rotor, or both.
5. U.S. Department of Energy, "Motor

 Rotor: The center part of a motor; Challenge Sourcebook," 1996.
in most designs it is attached to the out-
put shaft and rotates.
Major Manufacturers

 Stator: The fixed outer portion of a
motor that surrounds the spinning rotor. Baldor Electric Company
P.O. Box 2400

 Synchronous Motor: An AC motor Fort Smith, AR 72902
in which the operating speed is exactly Tel (501) 646-4711
proportional to the rotational speed of Fax (501) 648-5792
the applied stator magnetic field.
General Electric

 Torque: The twisting force exerted P.O Box 2222
by the motor shaft on the load, meas- Fort Wayne, IN 46801
ured in units of force times length Tel (219) 439-2000
(pound feet). For smaller motors, torque Fax (219) 439-2780
can be measured in inch-pounds or
ounce-pounds. Magnetek/Century/Louis Allis
1145 Corporate Lake Drive

 Windings: In motor stators, the St. Louis, MO 63132
winding is a number of turns of insulated Tel (800) 325-7344
wire, usually copper, wrapped around Fax (314) 692-0792
the core of steel laminations.
Marathon Electric
P.O. Box 8003
References to More Wausau, WI 54401
Tel (715) 675-3311

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 10
 Fax (715) 675-6561

Reliance Electric Company

24701 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44117
Tel (216) 266-7000
Fax (216) 266-6036

Siemens
4620 Forest Avenue
Norwood, OH 45212
Tel (513) 841-3100
Fax (513) 841-3407

Additional lists of motor manufacturers

can be found in References 3 and 5.
Information on motors can also be
found by contacting relevant trade or-
ganizations, such as the National Elec-
trical Manufacturer’s Association.

©
PG&E Energy Efficiency Information “Efficiency Improvements for AC Electric Motors” Page 11