The second phase of the EU’s Ecodesign Regulation raises the bar for electric motor energy efficiency – and the rest of the world is sure to follow. Daniel Eberli from ABB, a technology leader in electrification and automation, discusses ecodesign in an article on the Engineer Live website.
Energy efficiency with ecodesign
Energy efficiency has a critical role to play in achieving Net Zero. While some of the technologies on the roadmap to decarbonisation – such as green hydrogen and carbon capture – are not yet ready, energy-efficient equipment is available today. For this reason, the International Energy Agency (IEA) calls efficiency “the first fuel – the fuel you do not have to use.”
Electric motors are a logical place to focus energy efficiency efforts. They are essential in almost every industry, and collectively they consume more than 45% of all electricity generated globally. In part, this is because many motors in use today are older, less energy efficient models.
To ensure that facilities install modern, energy-efficient motors, the European Union (EU) has published the Ecodesign Regulation. This legislation establishes minimum energy efficiency standards for new installations and upgrades of existing motors with the goal of improving “EU products’ circularity, energy performance and other environmental sustainability aspects.” Here is what engineers need to know about it.
Understanding ecodesign
The EU uses International Efficiency (IE) standards to describe motor efficiency, where each increase in number reflects approximately 20% lower losses than the previous. The Ecodesign Regulation is being applied in two phases. The first phase came into effect in July 2021. It requires motors rated below 0.75kW to achieve IE2 efficiency, and motors above 0.75kW to achieve IE3 efficiency. This requirement includes brake motors with external brakes and motors designed for potentially explosive atmospheres.
Phase one has been a success, and phase two will come into effect from July 1, 2023. This phase builds upon the requirements established in phase one. Under phase two, IE4 becomes the minimum efficiency class for 3-phase 1-, 4- and 6-pole single-speed safe area motors rated between 75 and 200kW. Phase two also requires motors with “Ex be” protection, as well as single-phase motors with a rated output of over 0.12kW, to achieve IE2 efficiency as a minimum. However, phase two excludes brake motors.
These changes, applied at scale, will have a huge impact by 2023, the Ecodesign Regulation is predicted to produce annual power savings of 110TWh – equivalent to the total energy use of the Netherlands.
Beyond the ecodesign minimums
The Ecodesign Regulation’s new minimum standards are welcome and will play a significant role in decarbonising European industry. For businesses looking to achieve even greater energy efficiency, there is potential to go further. The latest generation of motor-drive packages use synchronous reluctance (SynRM) technology to achieve IE5 efficiency. Businesses may be interested in upgrading to the most efficient motors to minimise emissions or due to the compelling financial case for efficiency.
The initial cost of a motor accounts for just 2% of its total cost of ownership (TCO). Around 1% goes toward lifetime maintenance, and the remaining 97% is spent on electricity. Compared to a less efficient motor operating continuously at maximum speed, a SynRM motor and drive package can reduce energy costs by up to 60%. Therefore, motor efficiency has a significant impact on a motor’s TCO, especially when energy prices are high.
For example, when Australian food manufacturer Campbell’s switched four motors used in refrigeration compressors to 55kW IE5 SynRM models, it achieved major savings. The motors eliminate over 130 tons of CO2 emissions. The new motors also save the manufacturer $9,750 in energy costs every year.
Efficiency is the future
While the EU is the first region to apply IE4 efficiency requirements, it is widely expected that other regions will follow. It is also likely that legislation will continue to demand even higher energy efficiency in industries – driven by net zero ambitions and enabled by continued advances in technology.
The Ecodesign Regulation sets clear, reasonable standards for industrial motors, and that’s good news for everyone: facilities save money and more efficient equipment brings society closer to Net Zero.
External link
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
I will preface what follows with: I’m an electrical engineer, I used to run factory services for a Sony TV factory, I am very familiar with efficiency measures both electrical and non-electrical. In 2021 in NL, total energy use was 653TWh – all fuels (source: Eurostat). Electricity use in NL is circa 110TWh. The EU has an electricity consumption of around 3200TWh. A 110TWh saving is around 3%. Worth having. But. with respect to elec motor efficiency this will take some years to achieve, the article implies this will happen overnight, it won’t.
The big number savings in terms of energy, will come from, for example, the electrification of transport and to some extent space heat. These savings will dwarf that from motors. Again, not saying, don’t do it (motor efficiency) but the article implies “every little helps”, nope it doesn’t – we need urgently to massively reduce fossil fuel consumption, that, is the big-ticket item that needs to be focused on.
Thanks for your comments, Mike. You are so right about the urgent need to massively reduce fossil fuel consumption. I would have hoped that message would come across loud and clear given the current weather conditions and the sense that they will only get worse without urgently ramping up action. But that message is not coming across. In fact there seems to be a backlash.
I think you got it wrong in the detail: I think the new IE4 requirements are for 2,4,6, and 8 poled motors, not for 1-poled, and the requirements are up to 1000 kW, see https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/energy-label-and-ecodesign/energy-efficient-products/electric-motors-and-variable-speed-drives_en
Thanks Gunnar
Well, we will have to get back to ABB since they wrote the article.