Motors Matter; ‘High-efficiency’ electric motors are not your run-

As custodians of a wealth of natural resources, Canadians are accustomed to plentiful, cheap electricity. We seldom worry about wasting it. But like communism in Eastern Europe, that attiutude is outdated and about to be turfed, though not in revolutionary fashion.

As the real cost of electricity begins to trickle down to the consumer (the “cost” of losing natural habitat to reservoirs behind hydroelectric dams, the “cost” of disposing of nuclear waste and the “cost” of injecting carbon dioxide “greenhouse” gases into the atmosphere), Canadians should become more aware of how much money they spend on electricity. And as this awareness deepens, we will begin looking for ways to cut back on electrical use. But, paradoxically, our wasteful habits are the very thing that might make cutbacks less painful. We will still get as much power, but out of a smaller amount of electricity. In short, there is huge potential for more efficient electrical use in this country.

Perhaps the industrial sector, traditionally the biggest consumer and waster of electricity, will reap the largest gains. Realizing this, Ontario Hydro, the nation’s number one electrical supplier, recently initiated an ambitious rebate program encouraging companies to use electricity more efficiently. For mining companies, generous cash rebates on the capital cost of efficient electrical motors have important economic implications. So- called “high efficiency” motors are nothing new — they have been available from several manufacturers for years. But because of the way they are designed, built and tested, these motors are expensive and, therefore, less popular than cheaper but more wasteful electric motors.

Efficient motors are constructed from the very best conductive metals. They incorporate additional copper windings (compared with windings in standard motors) and are designed so precisely that the air gap between the stator and the rotor is an absolute minimum. Smaller bearings also cut energy losses. Because less energy is converted into heat, motors are cooler in operation and, therefore, require smaller cooling fans. High-efficiency motors, too, must pass more stringent factory tests. Efficiency ranges from 80% to 97% (depending on the horsepower of the motor). So up to 97% of the incoming electrical energy comes out the other end as usable mechanical torque.

“High-efficiency motors have been used in Europe for years because of the high cost of electricity there,” says John Szuroz, president of Amptech, a motor manufacturer in Mississauga, Ont. “But in North America, where industry has been notorious for wasting electricity, motors have been built for durability not energy efficiency.” To benefit fully from high-efficiency motors, operators must run them constantly. If the motor runs for fewer than eight hours per day, the benefits are nullified. Let it run full time and, in terms of lower energy consumption, the motor will pay for itself in about two years.

Unfortunately, European acceptance of high-efficiency motors has not influenced Canadian energy users. Big electrical bills have generated such little concern among business managers in Canada that only about 1% to 2% of all new motor purchases in Ontario are of the high-efficiency type, John Stonehouse of Ontario Hydro estimates. The low capital costs of so-called standard motors (the energy wasters) are more attractive to buyers. As it turns out, though, motors designed to be more efficient not only use less electricity but also appear to outlast standard models. Canadian General Electric (CGE) has been building high-efficiency motors since 1977. “The first motors we put into service have not broken down yet, so we can’t say how long they’ll last,” Leo McQuire of CGE told The Northern Miner Magazine.

Of course, longevity is a function of application. In mining, where the mechanical torque of an electric motor drives fans, pumps, crushers, conveyors, etc., corrosive moisture and abrasive dust are tough on motors. However, that shouldn’t deter the mining industry from eventually adopting efficient motors.

The pulp and paper industry has done so. “About 60% of all new pulp and paper mills built today spec their motors for high efficiency,” says CGE’s McQuire. “In fact, pulp and paper giant Abitibi-Price buys nothing but high-efficiency motors.” Some Ontario companies, perhaps convinced by the economics alone, haven’t even bothered applying for Hydro’s rebates, says Dan Fox, also of CGE.

But why is it that mining companies are fighting rather than switching? Certainly, changing from a standard to a high-efficiency model is simple. Efficient motors are the same size and fit on the same standard frames as their wasteful cousins. Perhaps the reason is that few operators are aware of just how much electricity the old motors consume. And we can’t discount the simple fact that miners nowadays buy a preponderance of second-hand equipment.

“For more mining companies to switch to high-efficiency motors, a change in awareness is required,” says Thomas Johnson, product manager for Westinghouse Canada. Mine managers must consider motor efficiency, not just capital costs. For a 60-hp motor, for example, capital costs are three times the annual operating cost. Compare that with operating costs of a typical car. Yearly operating costs (excluding insurance premiums) of the family sedan reach about 7% of the purchase price of a car every year. “So, if you can increase the efficiency of that mill motor by 8%,” Johnson says, “you save a significant amount of money. It’s up to the manufacturers and the distributors to inform the mining industry of the benefits of high-efficiency motors.”

Even if mining companies were suddenly to see the light, should there be concern about supply? “Rumor has it that stock levels are not sufficient to supply the market, so clients are coming to us for standard models,” says Peter Beyer, supervisor of inside sales for Alschon International. “So we’re not feeling the pinch yet.” Geg has only a handful (eight to 12) of models that meet the efficiency levels set by Ontario Hydro, so it profits from supply rumors.

Westinghouse, on the other hand, leads in high-efficiency motor manufacturing and sales. About five years ago, it switched to high-efficiency motors by re-designing all of its motors (now called Lifeline Plus models). “We’ve got a couple million worth of motors in stock and we think the Hydro program has helped sales. But I don’t think supplying demand will be a problem,” says Johnson.

Teco might be in an even better competitive spot. “Most of our motors in the 50-hp range already meet the standards set by Ontario Hydro, so our clients don’t have to pay the premium price (on re-designed models),” says Teco’s David Lord. His company manufactures motors in Taiwan and assembles (to standards set by the Canadian Standards Association) motors up to the 250-hp class in Vancouver. Teco deals mainly with original equipment manufacturers, many of which take the middle road between quality and pricing, so they don’t see a great increase in demand because of the Ontario Hydro rebate program. “I think clients are becoming more aware of the rebate,” Lord says, “but it is a slow process that will eventually snowball.”

Appearances suggest the Hydro program is helping to promote the sale of high-efficient motors, says CGE’s McQuire. “It has swung the sales towards the more efficient models, but it is difficult to get a feel for this swing because we don’t have detailed figures.”

Undaunted by the slow start, the creators of the Ontario Hydro program are seeking management approval for sufficient funds to extend rebates another four years. “As it looks now,” Hydro’s Stonehouse says, “this could be a 10-year program.”

Well, revolutionary change it’s not. But slow and steady are said to win the race.