Over the last few decades electric motor makers have developed their designs so that efficiency has indeed improved. Driving this along has been the introduction of the IE standards for motor efficiency, the most recent IE4 coming into force in 2011.
At that point it was inevitable that the idea of a higher standard, IE5, would be mooted. To date there is not an official IE5 specification, but there are draft consultation proposals that basically call for a 20% improvement over IE4 motors. Several manufacturers have used these to develop their next generation of high efficiency motors and are promoting them as ‘IE5-ready’.
As well as the ecological benefits higher efficiency motors are also cheaper to run (if not purchase – more on that later), so they offer an immediate bottom-line benefit to users. This is particularly important for motors that run continuously or for long periods, while – naturally – bigger motors generate bigger savings.
Read the full article in the January 2020 issue of DPA.