Page 19 - EngineerIt March 2021

AUTOMATION AND CONTROL

ABB urges greater adoption of

high-efficiency motors and drives

In a new white paper, ABB reveals potential for significant energy efficiency improvements

in industry and infrastructure, enabled by the latest and most high-efficiency motors and
variable speed drives. ABB calls on governments and industry to accelerate adoption of
the technology to help combat climate change.

ccording to the International greatest capacity for combatting the climate emergency. It is essentially the world’s
Energy Agency (IEA), industry invisible climate solution,” said Morten Wierod, president of ABB Motion. “For ABB,
Aaccounts for 37 percent of global sustainability is a key part of our company purpose and of the value that we create for
energy use and some 30 percent of all of our stakeholders. By far the biggest impact we can have in reducing greenhouse
global energy is consumed in buildings. gas emissions is through our leading technologies, which reduce energy use in industry,
While mostly hidden from public buildings and transport.”
view, electric motors – and the variable Considerable steps have already been taken to support the uptake of electric
speed drives which optimise their vehicles and renewable energy sources. ABB believes it is time to do the same for an
operation – are embedded in almost industrial technology that will deliver even greater benefits for the environment and the
every built environment. They power a global economy.
vast range of applications fundamental “The importance of transitioning industries and infrastructure to these highly energy
to our modern way of life, from industrial efficient drives and motors to play their part in a more sustainable society cannot be
pumps, fans and conveyors for overstated,” Wierod said. “With 45 percent of the world’s electricity used to power electric
manufacturing and propulsion systems motors in buildings and industrial applications, investment in upgrading them will yield
for transportation, to compressors outsized rewards in terms of efficiency.”
for electrical appliances and heating, ABB frequently assesses the net impact of its own installed high-efficiency
ventilation and air conditioning systems motors and drives on global energy efficiency. In 2020, it enabled 198 terawatt-hours
in buildings. of electricity savings – more than half of the UK’s annual consumption. By 2023, it
Motor and drive technologies have is estimated that ABB motors and drives will enable customers globally to save an
seen exceptionally rapid advancement in additional 78 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, almost as much as the annual
the past decade, with today’s innovative
designs delivering remarkable energy
efficiencies. However, a significant
number of industrial electric motor-
driven systems in operation today – in
the region of 300 million globally – are
inefficient or consume much more power
than required, resulting in monumental
energy wastage.
Independent research estimates
that if these systems were replaced with
optimised, high-efficiency equipment,
the gains to be realised could reduce
global electricity consumption by up to
10 percent. In turn, this would account
for more than 40 percent of the reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions needed to
meet the 2040 climate goals established
by the Paris Agreement.
“Industrial energy efficiency, more
than any other challenge, has the single

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