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Successfully Promoting Premium-Efficiency Motors
(Continued) According to Dr. John Cowie, Copper Development Association vice president for strip, sheet and plate and program manager of the copper motor rotor project, a new set of standards may eventually need to be established due to the efficiency levels being achieved in tests on motors with a copper rotor. He said recent tests reveal higher efficiency levels than any premium-efficiency motor available. “By switching from an aluminum to a copper rotor, it is possible to create a ‘super-premium’ efficiency motor, surpassing any set of specifications that currently exist,” he said. “However, until the copper motor rotor reaches full commercialization, these existing standards and other efforts to promote premium-efficiency motors, establish a foundation for future motor-efficiency technology to be built upon.” 
While creating standards makes it easier to purchase premium-efficiency motors, there are also many programs that promote the use of these products through technical assistance and/or financial incentives. Programs may be local, regional, or statewide. The target of the programs can also differ. Some focus on motor vendors, while others speak directly to the end-user.
The New York Energy $martSM Premium-Efficiency Motor Program offers a combination of incentives. This program is run through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). It offers both financial incentives and technical assistance. The program is aimed at trying to change the way the motor industry sells and purchases premium-efficiency motors. It encourages vendors to promote premium-efficiency motors while working with end users to encourage them to purchase and demand premium-efficiency motors. “It’s really a two-pronged approach,” explained Laurie Kokkinides, associate project manager at NYSERDA. “We’re working with the vendor community to encourage them to promote and sell premium-efficiency motors, and, at the same time, we’re working the end-user community to encourage them to realize the benefits of premium-efficiency motors, both on the energy side and on the reduced-maintenance and reliability side. Therefore, hitting both sides of the market.” Programs throughout the nation are varied. Ilene Mason, industrial program associate at CEE, explained other types of programs available. “Technical assistance programs may perform energy audits, help with project design or assist with implementation. These programs often include follow up to see if the energy savings are realized,” she said. |
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