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Transforming the market for super-efficient motors: the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal

Panel: 7. Appliances, product policy and the ICT supply chain

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Debbie Karpay Weyl, World Resources Institute, USA
Chad Gallinat, US Department of Energy, USA
Peter Bennich, Energy Efficiency Department
Swedish Energy Agency, Sweden
Mike Walker, Department of Energy and Climate Change, UK, United Kingdom
Stefan Nording, Energy Efficiency Department
Swedish Energy Agency, Sweden
Anders Hallberg, Energy Efficiency Department
Swedish Energy Agency, Sweden
Nils Borg, Borg & Co., Sweden

Abstract

The Global Efficiency Medal (GEM) competition, a cornerstone activity of the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, is an awards program that encourages the development, production and sale of super-efficient products. SEAD is a voluntary multinational government collaboration of the Clean Energy Ministerial. This winner-takes-all competition recognizes energy-efficient products, guides purchasers towards energy-efficient product choices, and demonstrates the levels of energy efficiency achievable by commercially available and emerging technologies.

The third Global Efficiency Medal competition recognized super-efficient electric induction motors in two size categories and four regions around the world. The SEAD Global Efficiency Medal complements existing labelling programs and advances comparable and transparent international test procedures that support MEPS efforts.

This paper focuses on the wide range of efficiencies among motors available worldwide. In 2013, the efficiency of motors sold in the European market trailed North American (most efficient) and Australian markets for motor sizes included in this competition. This correlates with the relative stringency of MEPS in each region, reflecting the impacts of different regulations in place. The SEAD award-winning motors are 1.5 - 6.4% more efficient than the average motor sold in each corresponding regional market. For induction motors, this is a huge improvement that represents significant potential energy savings.

Motors nominated for a new technology category claimed full-load performance that was 1.2 - 6.4% more efficient than requirements for the IE4 super-premium efficiency category. However, reliably assessing the efficiency of these motors, which require a variable frequency drive for operation, was not possible due to absence of an international test method. There is a clear need for transparent international test procedures that enable the energy performance of these products to be accurately measured so that these products can be included in future labelling and incentive policies.

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