Engine Standards Aim To Increase Efficiency, Reduce Carbon

A 500-member trade group for electronics manufacturers has issued efficiency standards for motors that it says exceed government standards and will significantly reduce carbon emissions. The Motor and Generator Sector of the National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. (NEMA) has established the Premium Motor energy-efficiency program in response to confusion in the industry over what constitutes an energy-efficient motor -- despite standards imposed by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. That law established minimum efficiency levels for 1-hp to 200-hp general purpose motors. NEMA's Premium Motor program will cover motors up to 450 hp. Using Dept. of Energy industrial motor research data, NEMA estimates the program would save 5.8 gigawatts of electricity and prevent the release of nearly 80 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere over the next 10 years.