All these operations savings potential varies greatly

These are the convicts unsung industry. They allocate, pump, operate, grow, manipulate, dangle, numerically, heat, cool. Electric motors rotate the economy and eat up 70 of the electricity consumed by the business. Almost a quarter of the electricity used by the man, a beautiful deposit for the control of anti-wasted. All factory audits are tirelessly within the same observation: parks of engines are old and lack of effectiveness. Some are oversized to their tasks, others turn too quickly. Many countries have taken the bull by the horns by regulating their performance. Europe comes from the bandwagon and whether similar measures to its catch (see below).

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has studied global industrial motor Park, 264 million machines of 0.75 kWatt to 375 kW. It emits 3.5 billion tonnes of CO per year in the world, knowing that most of the countries produce their electricity from oil or coal. In France, it is the Centre for studies and economic energy research (Ceren) who has developed a first picture of the situation, through 700 visits to factories and companies. According to the work of Ceren, French industrial park has 60 of engines of class 3, the less effective, and only 20 have an upstream speed control.

Electric motors yet offer a remarkable effectiveness of thermal engines. Gasoline engines does not exceed 30 of performance, those diesel CAP to 40. The yields of the electric motors easily cross several tens of percent. But as explains Frédéric Streiff, ADEME, the majority of industrial engines are small power and asynchronous type, a robust technology and cheap, but who suffers from poor yields. The high performance, 90-95 range, corresponds to the large engines of more than 100 kW rotating at an optimal plan.

And then the Gigantism of the powers involved makes interesting each point earned, said Bruno Millet. This is why IEA has targeted the most common engines, those between 0.5 and 500 kW of power, for its outreach programme hosted by a dozen countries.

Controlling upstream power

Beyond the engine itself, the experts target the complete system that it supports. "The efficiency of an engine of high quality can be totally negated by another poor component." "The complexity of the subject explains partially why the culture of industrial energy efficiency has both delay", judge Conrad Brunner, the specialist of the record to the IEA. The most simple and effective solution is to install an electronic dimmer of power above the engine. This electronic cabinet allows to adapt the speed of the engine to the task that is requested. In the functions of ventilation and pumping, mills use too often fixed speed motor which is grafted valves that regulate downstream the flow of fluids. Result, the engines turn too fast and consume without reason: engine rotating at half of its speed is its energy divided by four.

These systems have conquered many industrialists in energy savings certificates. They allow since 2005 the State to impose on energy suppliers to carry out or to saving energy in their clients. "On the 180 standardized operations, the drives are part of the 10 most used, alongside boilers for example", explained Frédéric Streiff to Ademe.

20-35 Savings

Downstream of the engine, the margins of progress are also strong. In mechanical applications, is to rethink the transmission of power, well lubricate the bearings, etc. Pumping systems, misconfiguration of the piping can destroy an engine performance. The ldar is the first action to achieve in compressed air systems, before even the modernization of the compressor. Thermal bridges are as much the enemy of the condensers and compressors of cold circuits.

All these operations savings potential varies greatly. The IEA estimated at 22 possible global gain of energy on the horizon of ten years. The Ceren was anticipated not to the France a 14 gain in its first assessment. A new more comprehensive study which will be released soon gives hope 20-35 savings. As experience shows that the return on investment does not exceed one to three years.

Despite the economic interest of these initiatives, they spread slowly. Engines such as Siemens, Leroy Somer or ABB vendors abound but extol the merits of engine performance. Their vendors explain to their clients that the total cost of a motor breaks down into a couple of percent for the purchase and maintenance of the engine, and 95 of electricity consumption. However, a head of ABB recognizes that it is difficult to raise industrial costs in the long term.

A fact that also shared the IAE. Frédéric Streiff said that most of the buyers of engines are integrators and not end-customers, they reason thus on a cost of low sale rather than a cost. The same conflict of interest between end users, purchase services and production services. Industrialists are also reluctant to upgrade their facilities to the risk of destabilizing a system of production well stalled after many adjustments.