Motor power optimisers

© ieang, image #125176108, 2018, source: Fotolia.com

Information

Impacts:
Energy
Sector:
Cross-cutting
Investment cost:
Low cost
Cost savings:
Annual: € 48 (£ 44)
Investment cost:
€ 163.5 (£ 150) per project; the scale of the project is based on motor size and utilisation; minimal investment cost if correctly installed and programmed; minimal maintenance
Cost:
Low cost
Resource savings: Energy:
Annual: reduction in motor power consumption; 490 kWh or 245 kg CO2 equivalent

When running at low load, electric motors are less efficient. A motor power optimiser (also known as load sensing optimisers) could save between 5 % and 15 % on electricity.

Motor optimisers are solid-state devices that automatically monitor the load on an electric motor. Under low load conditions, they reduce the voltage.

The cost of installing a motor power optimiser depends on its size. A 1.5 kW optimiser, of the type often found in a refrigerated display case, would cost around € 170 to install. If the average running load on the motor were 25 % of full load (i.e. 375 W), it would save 15 % (i.e. around € 45 a year, given electricity prices of around € 0.10 per kWh). Investment costs can be recovered under four years.

EAUC-Scotland and Resource Efficient Scotland (RES), Energy Efficiency Technologies Catalogue, http://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/energy_efficiency_technologies_…

Carbon Trust, How to implement motor poweroptimisers, https://www.carbontrust.com/media/131441/ctl034_how_to_implement_motor_…

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