Wanting to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? Here is why "I already had an audit" beliefs may be costing you.

Article by: Heidi Fritz Martinez

#Confessions of a Motor Gal

So in a previous position some years ago, I helped hundreds of commercial, industrial, and municipal plants apply through energy rebate programs. This utilized programs of some of the largest power providers in the country. Our focus was on the installation and implementation of VFD controls (Variable Frequency Drives) and motor equipment upgrades.

As a customer focused, Rebate and Partnerships Coordinator, I learned a lot about the fears and thoughts on the customer end of energy savings programs. This is the start of where became I have become a constant advocate for Energy Efficiency User Experience Project Design for the "Non-Technicians" utilizing any energy programs.

One of the most common things I would hear, is " I already had an audit back in the 90's." perhaps they didn't even realize that the 90's was 30 years ago! I would see plant after plant, facility after facility, high rise after high rise, hospital after hospital, hotel after hotel, who were sure they had completed all there was too do for energy upgrades all by roughly one glance of their facility.

Yet, we would physically go to their facility and the technicians would find literally 10, 20 even up to 400 motors running across the line! That's is a lot of wasted power. especially when you calculate the waste over the past 30 years. That savings money could be used for so many company upgrades but yet time the motors were forgotten or ignored.

You see motors were designed for worst case power load scenarios but those designs are part of the reason that motors can equate to up to 70% of your total electric bill and load.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a building management system, you may not even know which pieces of equipment are using the most energy. Without that knowledge that is like going to a doctor without even seeing him and getting a monthly statement of your health in the mail.

To be clear, this is not anyone's fault! Motors are not the most aesthetically beautiful devices so they are often hidden in machines.One of my previous customers was so worried about his competition seeing his process, he built entire metal panels blocking all view of any of his equipment so his 42 motors that needed retrofit were completely forgotten until they broke down or needed repair.. . In addition to this, VFDs were very expensive back in the 90's and it was often simply too expensive to often look at anything under 25 to 30 horse power once you figured in installation costs.

However today, 2019, 30 years later... there is lots of opportunity to change that now with the search for carbon foot reduction going up and the costs of equipment dramatically going down. Whether its building pumps, fans, blowers, HVAC, vacuum pumps, chillers, cooling towers, water/waste water, critical process or auxiliary equipment (Or any other uncontrolled motor) in a commercial/industrial facility, it may be time to look again. Plus technologies are constantly evolving so even annual audits is a great idea.

Regardless of whether you use Re-Motor America for a second glance or not, 100 HP is 100 HP whether it is one 100 horse power motor or 100 - 1 horse power motor they are using the same amount of power. So definitely consider having another look, information is power where you can base decision and the owner cares that, depending on facility, he may be spending an extra estimated $10,000 to $2 million in wasted energy costs per year. That is a lot of profit needlessly wasted when there are millions to implement energy savings efforts in the United States.

We even have an offering of a two day training or a customization in person training program to help strengthen the numbers of motors hunters and also other ways like demand response where savings could be focused.

Energy saving equipment is not saving energy until it becomes installed, so the time to act is now, yesterday and 30 years ago. Thanks for reading and we welcome any questions or comments. We would love to for you to participate in the discussion.