SAMAE (the city water and sewage service company) in São Bento do Sul was one of the entities that joined the Motor Bonus Program, a partnership between ANEEL (Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency), CELESC (Santa Catarina State electricity utility company) and WEG that offers a discount of up to 40% on the replacement of old electric motors with new ones, as registered in the City Council for Basic Sanitation at the end of 2018.

Considering that motive power is responsible for approximately 27% of all the energy consumed in Brazil, and that electric motors are responsible for 90 to 95% of the consumption in sanitation, SAMAE replaced 13 of its motors installed in the treated water pumping stations and in the untreated water pumping station with motors of the W22 IR3 Premium line to improve the drinking water and sewage services in the city of São Bento do Sul.

The bonus on the acquisition of such motors reached R$ 43.7 thousand, which were saved due to the program. Using the old equipment, SAMAE spent R$ 113.2 thousand on electricity monthly at those operating units. After the installation of the new electric motors, the entity has saved around R$ 10,100.00 a month, that is, at the end of an eight-month period, SAMAE will have the return of the R$ 81.6 thousand invested in the replacement of the motors.

The Motor Bonus Program, which is part of CELESC's Energy Efficiency Program, aims at upgrading the motors of industries, commerce and service companies, public institutions, condominiums and farmers with a National Registry of Legal Entities (CNPJ) of Santa Catarina State of Brazil. The initiative also aims at reducing the practice of repairing motors, as the companies benefiting from the program give the old motors to WEG, which is responsible for its proper disposal, including the destruction and recycling of some materials.

The advantages go beyond the discount in the purchase of a more efficient motor with the manufacturer warranty. By replacing old, damaged or low-efficiency motors with new equipment such as WEG W22 IR3 Premium motors, which meet the new minimum levels of performance established by law in Brazil as of August, the company reduces the energy consumption and operational costs and expands the awareness of energy conservation.

Click here and see our e-book on the new Energy Efficiency directive.