Within the EU there are approx. 85 million large electric motors and these motors use 30 to 40 percent of the electricity used in Europe. When all motors meet the efficiency requirements - or are controlled by frequency converters - their energy consumption will drop by 20 - 30 % according to studies made by the EU commission. This corresponds to 7 % of the total EU electricity consumption, or all of Sweden’s electricity consumption for a year.
As a leading provider of frequency converters globally, Danfoss have supported the urge for tighter rules.
"Because IE3 motors are more expencive than IE2 motors I expect some will choose to apply drives. The cost incentive and higher awarness of variable speed drives will increase the market," says Senior Vice President of Danfoss Drives Ole Møller Jensen.
"There will be a great deal of discussion on in the future about energy. We have considerable knowledge about this that we would like to share " he states.
The directive
The adopted directive concerns electrical motors in the power range 0.75 - 375 kW and these consume 70 % of the energy consumed within industrial areas. The total consumption within this area is 1,067,000,000,000 kWh - causing emmissions of 427,000,000 t CO2 .
The total consumption of industrial motors is expected to increase to 1252,000,000,000 kWh in 2020, by when the total emmission of greenhouse gasses should be cut by 20 %.
IE efficiency classes
The IEC 60034-30 standard was published at the beginning of 2009 with global unified efficiency classes ("International Energy Efficiency Class")
IE 1 = Standard Efficiency
IE 2 = High Efficiency
IE 3 = Premium Efficiency
IE 4 = Super Premium
More European motor manufacturers are expected to officially introduce the IE classification at the HMI 2009 exhibition and offer only motors with IE classes.
IEC 60034-30 is also valid outside Europe.
Danfoss Drives has develloped the VLT® drives to optimise the operation of energy efficient motors. This development will continue and be strengthened in the future.