High efficiency motors buck economic trends

Efficiency mandates seem to be having an impact on the bottom line of motor manufacturers. One indication of the trend: At NEMA Premium motor maker Baldor Electric Co., overall motor sales this year are down 20%, but sales of NEMA Premium models are up 25%.

So says Baldor Electric Marketing Vice President Randy Breaux. In comments to a group of trade press editors at Penton Media Inc. (parent company of EE&T Magazine), Breaux also said Baldor also expects "crush to credit" legislation now making its way through Congress to boost energy efficient motor use. The proposed Bill will provide a $25/horsepower incentive to companies that replace electric motors with energy efficient versions. Equally important, says Breaux, are provisions that would give distributors of the energy efficient models $5/horsepower for each energy efficient model they sell as a replacement for energy hogging motors.

The DoE also recently put out information on some work Baldor is doing in energy efficiency:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/intensiveprocesses/pdfs/electric_motors.pdf