Energy conservation by using energy efficient electric motors

This paper deals with energy conservation by installing energy-efficient (EE) motors instead of standard efficiency motors. This transition become a necessity as a direct result of limitation in energy sources and escalating energy prices. As electric motors use about three quarters of the total electric energy in Bahrain, attempts to conserve the energy consumed by electric motors recently received intensive research efforts. Therefore, the energy efficiencies of energy efficient motors are compared with those of standard efficiency motors ranging from 5 to 300 HP. To provide more clarification in this regard, full design details of 200 HP standard-efficiency and energy-efficient motors are compared. Pay back periods when replacing standard-efficiency motors with energy-efficient motors, with reference to Bahrain's market, have been discussed. Finally the energy-conservation capability of EE motors in the petrochemical industry has been discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.