What this means to facility managers is the motors they purchase must be higher efficiency and will cost more than the current designs. The motors can be replaced but the new physical size of them may be longer and not work on the current equipment or configuration. This could require an equipment change though this will depend on where the motor is located. An equipment change will be an expense for building owners to absorb.
Although the SMR is mandated by DOE, it also affects the U.S. government, which is the single largest user of energy in the country with all its office buildings, schools, hospitals and military bases. According to the Rosslyn, Va.-based National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 45 percent of the energy consumed by the government is used to heat, ventilate and cool buildings. Most of these HVAC systems could operate more efficiently and will do so when manufacturers of HVAC systems— blowers and fans, pumps and pumping equipment— upgrade the motors moving forward.
HVAC equipment opportunities for energy savings includes:
- Centrifugal air-handler fans
- Centrifugal exhaust fans
- Centrifugal chilled-water pumps
- Centrifugal hot-water pumps
- Cooling tower pumps
- Cooling tower fans
Building owners, contractors and facility managers may purchase equipment with motors in them that do not meet the efficiency mandate as long as the motor’s date code is prior to March 9, 2015. This means even if they purchase the equipment after this date, it has to be manufactured prior to March 9.
Challenges, Rewards
OEMs design machines that are optimized for cost, energy efficiency and performance. When the currently installed motor supplies run out, HVAC OEMs must utilize the newly mandated high-efficiency motors. However, to reduce energy consumption is to reduce motor horsepower, which may mean a redesign of the product(s). Although the horsepower may not be changing, the need to meet the higher efficiencies requires that the motors include more material. However, the motor designs will provide cooler running motors, which will be less costly to run.
Typically because of increased costs for the products, the payback takes one to two years, but end users’ energy-consumption costs will decrease when using the more-efficient motors. Additionally, equipment running continuously will optimize the best savings.
The electric motor is a critical component in many plant applications and in most equipment. In fact, more than 70 percent of electricity costs come from motors. Given this, the impact of the SMR regulation will be significant for overall energy consumption in the U.S. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of the retrofits coming down the road for replacement motors and when purchasing new motorized equipment.