How smarter motor control is driving industrial energy efficiency

Faced with rising energy costs, stricter regulations, and sustainability pushes, the industrial sector is under growing pressure to boost efficiency wherever possible. For many companies, however, the biggest gains can be found by targeting their biggest source of energy consumption: electric motors.

Motors play a vital role in everything from manufacturing and water treatment to rollercoasters and stage-show special effects, and the way they are selected, controlled, and maintained has far-reaching implications. 

Across the EU, electric motors account for a little over half of all electricity consumption, and with it, around 578 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. To put that into perspective, this is a carbon footprint roughly equivalent to that of Australia.

The sheer scale of this energy consumption means that even relatively minor improvements in efficiency can deliver monumental benefits in terms of carbon emissions, cos, and regulatory compliance. 

Read the full article in DPA's September 2025 issue