IEA 4E: Annex Electric Motor Systems. Working period 2021 - 2024

Motor systems account for 69% of electricity consumed in industry in Austria. They include, for example, pumping, fan, cooling and compressed air systems. At the same time, an average of 20% of electricity consumed could be saved through economic optimization measures.

Over the last years, many political activities in the field of international efficiency and minimum performance standards have been set (e.g. EU Ecodesign Directive, efficiency classification ac-cording to IEC 60034-30-1) considering mainly induction motors without control. In the meantime, new technologies have also been included in standards for energy efficiency (e.g. permanent magnet motors in IEC TS 60034-20-2).

The extensive digitalization of production will in future enable all relevant factors of production (human and equipment) to be integrated in the production process and to communicate via in-telligent networks. On the one hand, intelligent networks of supply and demand will decrease energy consumption of motor systems, while on the other hand, consumption will increase by further installation of electric motors and control equipment.

Electric motors provide a broad field for applying technologies associated with Industry 4.0 and, as the most important component of many automated processes, are already integrated into numerous automation solutions. In the pre-project, the crucial elements of Industry 4.0 and their possible impact on energy consumption were qualitatively recorded, the results of several studies with regard to savings effects of Industry 4.0 were summarized and a series of application examples and products for Industry 4.0 in different motor driven systems were collected and described.

In addition, options for energy management for the various layers of the automation pyramid were presented. Finally, the requirements for electric motors associated with Industry 4.0 were compiled. The key findings are that Industry 4.0 technologies will have a major energy-saving effect on traditional electric motor systems (compressed air, pumps, fans) and that special motors for automated applications are still a marginal issue.

Based on this, the following activities will take place in this period:

• Further analysis, definition and categorization of Industrie 4.0 technologies in the field of motor driven systems
• Identification of stakeholders and collection of programmes in the area mentioned
• Quantification of the effects of individual categories on energy consumption (as far as possible in the next two years)
• Survey of potentials and dangers of using Industry 4.0
• Identification of the development, necessity and possibility for political intervention
• Research and description of use cases of Industry 4.0 technologies in the field of energy-efficient motor driven systems

In the next phase, the focus will be on relevant policies, further use cases and final energetic evaluation of the technologies.

Australia, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United States

Österreichische Energieagentur
Mag. DI Konstantin Kulterer
Mariahilfer Straße 136
A-1150 Wien
Tel.: +43 (1) 586 15 24-114
E-Mail: konstantin.kulterer@energyagency.at