For most motor buyers, the primary factor in the purchasing decision is price. Sometimes, the brand of the motor is a consideration. Very few buyers focus on a very important factor- motor efficiency and the lifetime cost of electricity it will consume. Even a 50 hp motor may consume many thousands of dollars of electricity per year. Over the lifetime of the motor, electricity costs will dwarf the initial motor cost.

When making a purchasing decision, the buyer needs to look at the life-cycle cost of a motor. Life-cycle cost includes the electricity consumed by the motor during its lifetime. Electricity costs represent up to 96% of the total life-cycle cost while the initial cost is only about 3% of the cost and installation and maintenance makes up the remaining 1%. Initial cost certainly should not be ignored, but more thought should be given to the cost of electricity consumed over the life of the motor. A small increase in motor efficiency can pay big dividends over the life of the motor. Premium efficient motors usually cost 15% to 30% more than standard efficiency motors but the additional investment usually has a payback period of two years or less. Your payback gets shorter as the rate per kilowatt hour goes up and as the amount of the run time of the motor goes up.

Effective December 19, 2010, federal law will change the way motors are manufactured and sold. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007(EISA) requires that most motors manufactured after December 19, 2010 meet the NEMA Premium® efficiency ratings. Most “standard” efficiency motors will no longer be manufactured.

If you have numerous motors in your facility, it is advisable to implement a Motor Management Plan. This includes an inventory of your motors and collecting all of the nameplate information off of the motors. Included in the motor data should be motor efficiency information. The Plan will include an analysis of motors that should have backups on your shelf. Your analysis should also include whether inefficient motors should be replaced before they fail or whether it is appropriate to wait until it fails.

Let Topeka Electric Motor be your resource for motor efficiency. If you want to learn more about motor efficiency and implementing a Motor Management Plan call us or you can visit the Motor Decision Matters website at motorsmatter.org.  Motor Decision Matters is consortium of power utilities and motor manufacturers dedicated to providing information to the public about motor efficiency.