Engineered Systems - June 2008 - (Page 60)

Five health care institutions in New York are looking forward to healthy savings — approximately $320,000 — over the next decade, having completed an electric motor audit and subsequent upgrades. This article explains how smart motor management can generate a similarly sunny prognosis for other facilities in health care and beyond, and where to look for assistance. BY BRUCE BENKHART, EDWARD EVANS, AND PRISCILLA RICHARDS ive health care institutions in New York State will save more than $320,000 in energy costs over 10 years by following the simple recommendations of an electric motor audit done at their facilities through New York State’s New York Energy $martSM Program administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The motor audits were completed at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown; Roscoe Community Nursing Home in Roscoe; Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo; The Samaritan Keep Home in Watertown; and Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville. The audits looked at the operating parameters of 235 motors at the five facilities and made specific recommendations on a motor-by-motor basis. F more efficient National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Premium® class motors can immediately reduce their electric bill. Motor purchasers have a choice between standard efficiency EPAct class motors, or NEMA Premium class motors, which are typically .4% to 3% more energy efficient. While this may seem small, consider the impact of a $20,000 annual reduction of a hospital’s electric bill that can result from the use of more efficient motors. HISTORIC OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. MOTOR POPULATION Motors designed to be energy efficient were first introduced in the 1980s. However, the efficiencies of 1- to 200-hp motors were quite varied and often well below what current technology could economically permit. NEMA developed the NEMA MG 1 Table 12-10 that established a definition for energy-efficient motors. The Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) developed standardized test procedures for energy efficiency (IEEE 112B or CSA 390) for 1- to 200-hp motors. With a definition of energy-efficient motors and standardized test procedure established, federally mandated efficiency standards were developed for 1-to 200-hp motors* and are included in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct). The definitions in NEMA MG Table 12-10 are identical to the EPAct minimum standards (which became effective in 1997). The new standards effectively raised the overall efficiency of the U.S. motor population and presented the opportunity for the motor energy WHY MOTORS? Motors drive the industrial and commercial sectors, and therefore contribute significantly to their electric load. Unlike typical commercial facilities, hospitals, which operate 24/7/365, are regulated by strict levels of air circulation, air quality, and temperature stability resulting in longer operating hours for HVAC fans and pumps — essential equipment in maintaining the hospital’s environmental management. As a result, while management sees computers, lighting, and refrigerators every day, they are usually unaware of the contribution a myriad of hidden motors makes to their operating costs, or of how 60 En gi neer ed S y stem s June 2008

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Engineered Systems - June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Letters To The Editor Back2Basics HVAC Challenge Case In Point Commissioning Efficiency Incentives HydroTech Building Automation Energy Wiz HVACR Designer Tips Notre Dame Tackles the Heat State Of The Arts Time For A Transplant? Project Delivery: What Can IPD Do For You? Issues & Events Computers & Software Products Application Checklist Glossary Classifieds Advertiser Index Tomorrow’s Engineer

Engineered Systems - June 2008

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