Over the past two decades, global population growth and economic development have significantly increased the demand for energy around the world. This increasing demand for electricity to sustain global growth requires constant investments in power generation. One of the main reasons for this dramatic increase in consumption is in the industrial sector, where the electric motor and its drives represent more than 40% of the total energy consumed globally.
Due to this rise in energy consumption, avoiding waste and ensuring that products are manufactured with a high level of energy efficiency are the best strategy to ensure the continuity of the energy supply and sustainable consumption.
Aware of this situation and as a response, governments in several countries have implemented actions to ensure the use of highly efficient equipment. Pioneers, since 2011 the European Union (EU) has contributed to increasing the efficient use of energy through the Ecodesign Directive¹, establishing mandatory minimum energy performance standards (MEPS²) for electric motors and integrated systems.
The requirements of the Ecodesign Directive were defined in a gradual and incremental manner, as follows:
Since 2017, IE3 minimum energy efficiency levels are required for three-phase electric motors (from 0.75kW to 375 kW). Motors with IE2 efficiency level were still allowed, as long as they were driven by frequency inverters. On that occasion, there was still no requirements regarding the efficiency level of frequency inverters.
On July 1, 2021, it became mandatory to meet the minimum IE3 energy efficiency levels for three-phase electric motors (from 0.75kW to 1000 kW), and the option of IE2 motors driven by frequency inverters is no longer valid. Furthermore, power losses in three-phase frequency inverters (from 0.12 kW to 1000 kW) must not exceed the levels corresponding to IE2 efficiency.
To help customers obtain power information based on operating points, WEG developed a App that can be downloaded free of charge at App Store and Google Play. The tool will also classify the system efficiency for motors operating with inverters.
Ensuring that the competitiveness of WEG products is aligned with and even exceeds the level of manufacturers from countries that are benchmark in energy efficiency is the challenge that motivates WEG. To that end, investments are constantly made in innovation and technology, so that the products enable customers to optimize their results by reducing their operating costs, especially those related to electricity and maintenance.
To tackle this issue, WEG presents its wide range of frequency inverters that exceed the IE2 levels defined in IEC61800-9. When combined with W22 Super Premium Efficiency motors (which exceed the IE4 levels defined in IEC 60034-30-1), these inverters form a solution that provide high performance, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership due to their reliability, simple maintenance and, above all, energy savings.
WEG, synonymous with Efficiency and Reliability for the industry!
To learn more about the change in the European legislation click here.
¹ Ecodesign Directive for Energy Related Products (ErP) 2009/125/EC
² Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards