Motors

WAYS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
For Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Climate Change

Climate change caused by greenhouse gases is one of the most serious challenges facing our community. Human actions—particularly burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and land clearing—are generating more greenhouse gases. These additional greenhouse gases trap more heat and raise the earth’s surface temperature. This is called the enhanced greenhouse effect—it causes global warming and is changing our climate.

The impacts of climate change will have social, environmental and economic consequences that will affect all communities across the globe.

Why Small and Medium Enterprises

Greenhouse gas abatement is not just for the big end of town. Climate change will affect all of us and therefore it is to everyone’s benefit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most measures to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will save you money in the long term, increasing profitability. Some measures will even help to improve productivity and the marketability of your business. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be seen as an opportunity to provide your business with a strong business advantage.

Motors

In Australia, more than 1.7 million three-phase electric motors run in industrial and commercial facilities. These account for around 28 per cent of the country’s electricity use. Almost every organisation runs at least one electric motor - some companies run thousands - to drive pumps, fans, air compressors, conveyors, refrigeration equipment and other processes.

The cost of running electric motors for some businesses may account for more than half their total electricity bill. Therefore, substantial gains can be made through improving the energy efficiency of motors and by changing the way in which motors are used in the work place. Careful selection, maintenance and repair of motors and the equipment they drive will reduce operating costs, increase the reliability of processes and increase the life of equipment. This will also lead to other benefits such as improved product quality and improved environmental performance.

Simple No Cost Changes

Minimise motor use. Investigate what motors you have and operate and their pattern of use. Ask yourself the following questions for each motor:

• Do you need it?
• Do you need to run it all the time?
• Can you redesign your work schedules to reduce the running time of the motor?

Check the condition of the motor drives. Check the tension and alignment of belts and chains as increased friction caused by misaligned or loose belts not only increases energy consumption but also reduces the life of the drive. Check to ensure that the belts are not unusually hot as this can indicate that there is something wrong with the motor that will need to be fixed.

Check motor temperature. Use a non-contact thermometer to check if the motor is running hot. If the motor casing temperature is higher than 60°C this could indicate that energy is being wasted. Investigate the cause of this and have it rectified immediately.

Low Cost Options

Schedule regular maintenance. Regularly maintaining your motors can save you both in energy costs and in operational costs associated with running a faulty motor. Good maintenance practice can include:

• clean the motor regularly
• ensure that all parts are properly lubricated
• ensure that drive belts, chains and couplings are in good condition and are properly adjusted
• replace worn or damaged parts as soon as they are discovered
• ensure that the motor is well ventilated as temperature and humidity can affect the way in which the motor functions and can result in increased running costs
• run the motor at its optimum level as this is when the motor is at its most energy efficient.

Install control switches. Install a switch that will allow you to turn the motor off when it is not required, for example, outside business hours and on weekends and public holidays.

Train staff. Train staff to be aware of changes in the way your electric motors operate. Changes in sound, smell, noise and temperature generated by the motor can indicate that it is not operating at its optimum capacity. Fixing any motor problems promptly will allow you to avoid wasting energy and will reduce your energy costs.

Monitor power supply. The quality of your power supply including voltage supply and imbalance will affect the energy efficiency of your electric motors. Monitor your power supply in consultation with your electricity supplier or energy specialist to identify whether your motor is suited to the power that is supplied to it.

Review whole system. It is important not to look at any motor in isolation but to consider the energy efficiency of the system as a whole. The efficiency of the equipment being driven and of the drive system will greatly affect energy use.

Consider whether the drive is appropriate and efficient and whether the equipment being driven is efficient and efficiently used. A review of the system may identify opportunities to reduce motor and energy use.

Investment Projects

The cost to operate an electric motor is generally high compared to its purchase price. Investing in more energy efficient motors can therefore result in short pay-back periods and excellent returns on any initial investment. Potential investments projects could include the following:

Install efficient motors. Look to purchase electric motors that have a high energy efficiency rating. Although the purchase price of an energy efficient motor is generally greater that a less efficient model, the savings in energy costs will pay off the initial investment over time. It may be more cost-effective to replace older motors with efficient motors rather than wait for them to breakdown.

Provide your supplier with as much information on your requirements as possible to ensure that the motor is matched correctly for your requirements. E.g. Starting, pull-up, breakdown and full load torque.

Consider more than purchase price in selecting a motor. The life-time energy costs of motor may be more than 100 times its purchase price, so small efficiency improvements can make a big difference to overall cost.

Downsize motors. Many businesses run motors that are too big for their tasks. The decision to purchase oversized motors is often made to allow for future business growth or in the event that extra motor capacity may occasionally be needed. This strategy is often inefficient as oversized and under-loaded motors waste energy and cost more to run. Aim to match the motor to the task, especially for constant load applications.

Install variable speed drives. Reduce energy waste by installing variable speed drives on your motors. Variable speed drives allow motors to operate at the optimum level for each task they are required to perform.