The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcomes a recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory publication, U.S. Industrial and Commercial Motor Systems Market Assessment (MSMA), a study that delves into considerable detail on the number, disposition, and operating characteristics of electric motor-driven systems in U.S. industrial and commercial facilities.
By investigating current electric motors in industrial and commercial facilities, the study provides data on how electric motors from 1-500 horsepower are employed on a national scale. According to MSMA, electric motors’ aggregate electricity consumption has not significantly increased or decreased in the past 20 years, while the number of installed electric motors has noticeably increased. This evidences that electric motor energy efficiency and motor control improvements made by NEMA Members have enabled U.S. businesses to expand and increase capacity and performance without using more electricity. The study reveals that electric motors in industrial and commercial facilities account for 29 percent of U.S. electricity consumption.
“NEMA Member products are an important part of national wellbeing and energy savings. The documented increase in motor system efficiency—without performance degradation—is especially notable. While motors may appear to some to be a tempting target for more federal efficiency standards, there are benefits from and other ways to move beyond simple efficiency measures as regards a product’s economic and societal value. For instance, systems-level assessments offer likely better paths to value measuring,” says NEMA President and CEO Kevin J. Cosgriff. “This study provides manufacturers and government agencies with a richer context.”
“The updated MSMA illustrates how our products continue to be central to U.S. production, management, and manufacturing. The study also shows the significant energy savings potential available with the increased use of variable speed through Power Drive Systems. We look forward to being part of the solutions evidenced in the MSMA to improve industrial and commercial facility production efficiencies with all of our applicable products, whether electric motors, variable frequency drives, sensors, or other solutions,” adds WEG Electric Corp. President Peter N. Barry.
“Thousands upon thousands of industrial and commercial facilities represented by those studied in the Motor Systems Market Assessment rely on electric motors and control systems to power the U.S. multi-dimensional economy, underpin essential society functions and improve production processes and facilities. The long-awaited update to the MSMA enables NEMA Member companies like ours to more accurately understand the needs of our customers and the nation to provide the best motor-driven solutions for the most efficient economy possible,” says Nidec Commercial and Industrial Motors President David Buckley.
The study also reveals that facilities can do much more to improve their end-use application of electric motors and that facility and system-level energy consumption should receive increased attention.
A NEMA analysis of MSMA is available.