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Motors & Variable-Speed Drives Program

MidAmerican Energy's Motors and Variable-Speed Drives program offers our commercial and industrial customers in Iowa incentives for installation of energy-efficient motors and/or variable-speed drive equipment.

In general, NEMA Premium®-efficient motors are 2-8 percent more efficient than standard motors. Adding a variable-speed drive to a NEMA Premium-efficient motor in an appropriate application saves even more because the motor then consumes less energy when load requirements are less than full speed. Qualifying equipment is eligible for cash rebates.

Note: MidAmerican Energy will continue with increased incentives from $30 per horsepower to $50 per horsepower, sized by the driven motor, for variable-speed drives purchases made after Aug. 1, 2011. The incentive is $50 per horsepower of the motor driven or 70 percent of the installed cost, whichever is less. Purchases made prior to Aug. 1, 2011, qualify for an incentive of $30 per horsepower of the motor driven or 70 percent of the installed cost, whichever is less.

Updated Federal Standards
General-purpose motors have been built to efficiency standards by horsepower and type, open or closed, in the 1- to 200-horsepower range since the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which was enacted in 1997. In 2002, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association established standards for more efficient motors and branded the NEMA Premium designation. Signed into law Dec. 19, 2007, and in effect beginning Dec. 19, 2010, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 establishes efficiency levels outlined in NEMA Standards Publication MG-1 (2006), Table 12-12, as the minimum efficiency standard for explosion-proof/severe-duty and 1- to 200-horsepower motors. Manufacturers are not allowed to produce or import 1- to 200-horsepower motors of less efficiency. MidAmerican Energy offers rebates for explosion-proof/severe-duty motors, as well as rebates for 437 motors identified by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency as having efficiencies at least one band greater than the current NEMA Premium efficiency level. Gaps in manufacturers' product offerings exist, primarily due to lack of commercial availability.

When Should You Install a Variable-Speed Drive?
Commercial and industrial energy customers should consider installing variable-speed drive equipment if the motors are utilized for increased operating hours and have a higher variability of loads on the system (centrifugal pumps and fans) or the application of use includes mechanical throttling (valves, dampers, etc.). Variable-speed drives match the speed of the motor-driven equipment to the process requirement. Applications with low variability of loads such as vibrating conveyors, punch presses, rock crushers, machine tools and other applications where the motor runs at constant speed are not good candidates for a variable-speed drive. The variable-speed drive incentive is $50 per horsepower of the motor being used. Variable-speed drive incentives cannot equal or exceed the installed cost of the equipment.

When Should a Motor be Replaced?
Because electricity accounts for 97 percent of a motor's lifetime costs, choosing a NEMA Premium-efficient motor is appropriate before a motor fails, when a motor fails and for new installations. Other reasons for considering replacing motors are loading factors and age. Premium motors generally are most efficient at a loading factor of 75 percent. Motors operating above or below this loading factor may be candidates for resizing. Older units having high operating hours or which have been rewound also can be considered for replacement. Motors greater than 200 horsepower can be reviewed for incentive eligibility through MidAmerican Energy's EnergyAdvantage® Custom Systems program.

Consider These Benefits
Motor systems improvements generally will:

• Reduce energy costs
• Improve plant efficiency and load factor
• Minimize unscheduled downtime
• Reduce maintenance costs

The minimum annual operating hours for both motors and drives to qualify for incentives is 3,000 out of a possible 8,760 hours.

For additional resources regarding motor systems management, visit www.motorsmatter.org. For detailed motor efficiency information, visit www.nema.org/gov/energy/efficiency/premium. For pumping system improvements, visit www.pumpsystemsmatter.org.

Brochure and Application Form
Learn how adding flexibility to production processes can make a big difference in operational efficiency by reviewing a full brochure of our Motors and Variable-Speed Drives program. If you're planning a purchase of qualifying equipment or if you've recently purchased qualifying equipment, print and complete our premium motor application form or our variable-speed drive application form to apply for a rebate.

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Questions?
Call our representatives at 800-894-9599.