Worldwide demand for energy is expected to double by 2050. At the same time, governments are under pressure to halve their countries CO2 emissions to head off climate change before it is too late.
If we are to find a solution, we must look beyond measures like turning off the lights when we leave a room and target the biggest energy consumers. For example, according to the International Energy Agency, electric motors account for 40% of total global electricity consumption, coming in ahead of lighting, a far better-known culprit, which weighs in at just 19%. Industry is also a major global energy consumer. And the electric motors used in many industrial plants typically consume 65% to 80% of total plant electricity.
On a global scale, industrial motors represent 28% of total worldwide electricity consumption. This is no surprise when you consider that an estimated 300 million industrial motors worldwide are running at full speed for extended periods of time. More efficient industrial motors can have a huge impact on energy consumption and generate substantial cost savings for plants.
The German Federal Environmental Agency has estimated that increasing motor efficiency could save 135 billion kWh and 63 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2020 in the EU alone. In the United States, the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) Premium® energy efficiency motor program is also expected to save 5,800 Gigawatts of electricity and 80 million tons of carbon dioxide over the next ten years.
