Abstract

Motor-driven equipment accounts for more than 70% of all electricity consumption by U.S. industries. The U.S. Department of Energy? (USDOE) Motor Challenge Program was launched in 1993, with the twin aims of increasing the energy-efficiency of electric motor-driven systems in domestic industry and enhancing environmental quality. The program is an industry/government partnership that promotes industrial energy efficiency through the use of energy-efficient electric motors, drives and driven equipment, and effective motor-driven system integration and optimization. Through these efforts, USDOE? Motor Challenge seeks to save 5 billion kWh of electricity per year and 1.2 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE) by the year 2000.

Program offerings include: the Information Clearinghouse, which provides up-to-date information about the practicality and profitability of electric motor system strategies; design decision tools, such as MotorMaster+ software; Showcase Demonstration projects; training; workshops, and conferences. While these offerings offer solid technical information on the benefits of energy efficient motor-driven systems, the methods devised for 1) getting information to industrial end-users and 2) adding new information and services to the program portfolio clearly illustrate the program? theme- "developed with industry for industry."

The Motor Challenge Program recognizes the benefits of working with the existing marketplace of companies and organizations that routinely provide products and services to industrial users of electric motor-driven systems. This market-driven approach requires a delicate balance between conveying the program message of energy efficiency and the commercial interests of companies delivering (and in some cases, developing ) the message. To deliver the program message, Motor Challenge recruits suppliers, distributors, utilities, state agencies, consulting engineers, and others as Allied Partners. The Allied Partner effort has been highly successful in recruiting companies interested in working with Motor Challenge as a way to provide an added benefit to their customers. This paper will include examples of how Allied Partners use Motor Challenge publications and decision tools in communicating with industrial end users in the course of their daily business or in conjunction with customer education meetings or workshops. In addition, an emerging initiative under Motor Challenge, the Excellence Partner program, will be described. This initiative is designed for companies that commit to undertake efforts aimed at continuous improvement of their motor systems management practices.

The current portfolio of educational materials, workshops, and software tools available through Motor Challenge focus primarily on energy-efficient motors and drives. To broaden the scope of program offerings to include motor-driven equipment such as air compressors, pumps, and fans and blowers, Motor Challenge is forming Industry Partnerships. These partnerships can include: industrial trade associations, energy providers, efficiency experts, and industrial end-users and are formed for the purpose of developing new educational products, materials, and services. Examples of successful collaboration will be provided along with an analysis of key elements and lessons learned.

Issues concerning use of the Motor Challenge program model in other countries will also be discussed.

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Panels of

Panel 2: Incentives and instruments to achive greater

Panel 1: Energy Efficiency policies, programmes and their links

Panel 4: Human dimensions of energy use and efficiency

Panel 3: Energy Efficiency options for industry

Panel 5: Energy efficiency in transport