White certificate on electrical motor driven systems

Panel: 4. Technology, products and systems

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Marc Berthou, EDF R&D, Département TREE, France
Abdessalim Arras, EDF R&D, France
François Saliou, Leroy-Somer SAS, France

Abstract

The major part of the electrical consumption in the industrial sectors is due to electrical motors. The motorised machines will therefore play an important role in the implementation of energy efficiency and decarbonisation technologies.

The European Energy Efficiency Directive sets new targets in order to increase the efficiency in the EU different Member States. In France, the principal instrument to achieve these savings is the introduction of an energy efficiency obligation, frequently applied as White Certificates, “WC”. Since 2006, the French white certificate regulation has promoted new efficient motor technologies. These innovative technologies have quickly penetrated the market thanks to financial aids associated with the energy savings generated. In the existing framework each part of the motor device is considered separately resulting in overall inefficiencies. Furthermore the motor performance is reaching an asymptote.

This paper aims to explain how France tackles these limits with a specific approach of the problem and a regulation incentive. First, expertise has shown that it was possible to save more energy with a new global system approach compared to a unitary approach. The global system approach called “Motor Driven System” for pumps, fans or compressors is widely addressed in scientific publications and standardization groups. Second, an overview of the electrical motor consumption is given with a segmentation of the consumption by industrial sectors and usages to point out the issue. The age distribution shows that the existing motors in France are globally old. Third, a study of the white certificate standardized operations eligible for the industrial sector shows that between 2006 and 2017, 20 % of the certificates validated by the French Ministry came from the standardized operations concerning electrical motors.

The analysis conducted on the three aspects above was considered by the French government who published recently a decree which integrates into the white certificate scheme a new standardized operation entitled “motor driven system”. Two practical examples of applications of the standard WC motor driven system approach are detailed. They both show that the system approach approach can reduce both energy consumption and CO2 emissions far beyond what the mere replacement of the electrical motor can achieve.

Watch presentation