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Specifying energy efficient motor, cabling and local power transformer

Why energy efficient? Let’s see.

Many energy saving actions can encourage specifiers and engineers to look closely at the savings which
can be made by specifying an energy efficient version of a particular component.

Specifying energy efficient motor, cabling and local power transformer (photo credit:
directindustry.com)

This technical article presents the case for taking the important step and looking at the overall benefit
of specifying energy efficient options throughout the system, looking at the motor and cabling together,
and if appropriate, the local power transformer.

1. The motor

2. The cable

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 3. The transformer

1. The Motor

As an example, consider a ventilation fan motor, working full time, at 100 metres from the distribution
panel.

Rating kW % Load Output Power kW Duty hours/year 

7.5 87 6.525 8,760

Typical Motor parameters:

Efficiency Output Power Input Power Annual Consumption Current per phase
Comparison [%] [kW] [kW] [kWh] [A]
Standard 87 6.525 7.50 65,700 9.84
Energy efficient 90 6.525 7.25 63,510 9.51

The input power is given by the following formula:

At a unit cost of  £0.0443 per unit, the annual saving is  £97.02, while the incremental cost of the energy-
efficient motor would be about  £95.

The Cable

A conductor cross-section of 1.5 mm2 would be considered adequate – from a thermal rating point of
view – to carry this current (< 10A). Such a cable would have a resistance of 25 milliohms per metre.

The power loss in the cable is:

pL = I2 × R

The reduction in power loss in the cable due to the use of an energy efficient motor is:

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pD = (I12 – I22) × R
pD = (9.842 – 9.512) × 25 × 10-3 × 100
pD = 5.796 × 2.5 = 14.49 W

Energy saved per year = 127 kWh

But, if the cable size is chosen for energy efficiency, rather than the minimum safe size, much greater
savings can be made!!

For a 1.5 mm2 cable supplying an energy efficient motor the power loss is:

= 9.512 × 25 × 10-3 x 100 = 226.1 W per phase, or 678.3 W total for all three phases.

Using, say, 10 mm2 cable would reduce the total loss to 103.1 W, giving an annual saving of

575.2 × 8,760 = 5,037 kWh

At a unit price of  £0.0443 per unit, the annual saving would be  £223.14. Since the cost of installation
will not be significantly higher than for the smaller cable,  the only additional cost is the purchase cost
of the cable.

This table shows the power saving achieved so far:

Standard motor Energy efficient motor

For 6.525 kW output power
1.5 mm2 cable [kW] 10 mm2 cable [kW]
Input power 8.178 7.353
Overall efficiency [%] 80 89

The overall annual power saving is  7,227 kWh, or £320.16.

3. The Transformer

There are dozens of factors which should be considered when selecting local transformers (core losses,
load losses, winding material, etc.). By careful selection of the motor and cabling we have already
reduced the input power by 10%, and consequently the attributable transformer load loss by 21%.

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Selecting a low loss transformer would reduce the loss further. Transformer load loss is proportional to
the square of the load current, so the loss associated with an incremental load depends on the degree of
loading.

Using the standard and low loss transformers from Table 1 and assuming that it is running at 80% load,
the incremental loss associated with a 1 kW load for each transformer can be estimated at 24.4 W and
21.25 W respectively.

  Typical RES Typical Industry user Typical RES

(10% TDR) (5% TDR)
Loss capitalisation values per kilowatt £3,000/£625 £3,988/£814 £3,750/£780
Standard loss alternative
No-load loss 0.735 kW £2,205.00 £2,931.18 £2,756.25
Load loss 4.8 kW £3,000.00 £3,907.20 £3,744.00
Price £5,000.00 £5,000.00 £5,000.00
Totals £10,205.50 £11,838.38 £11,500.25
Low loss alternative
No-load loss 0.38 kW £1,140.00 £1,515.44 £1,425.00
Load loss 4.08 kW £2,550.00 £3,321.12 £3,182.40
Price £6,690.00 £6,690.00 £6,690.00
Totals £10,380.00 £11,526.56 £11,297.40
Amorphous steel alternative
No-load loss 0.145 kW £435.00 £578.26 £543.75
Load loss 4.77 kW £2,981.25 £3,882.78 £3,720.60
Price £7,315.00 £7,315.00 £7,315.00
Totals £10,731.25 £11,776.04 £11,579.35

TDR – Test discount rate

REC – Regional Electricity Companies

For the incremental load of the motor, the additional losses are  195.2 W  for the standard and  170
W  for the low loss transformer,  so that the low loss transformer saves a further 221 kWh per annum.
The additional cost of selecting a low loss transformer is equivalent to  £5.37 per kW of rating (based on
a 315 kW unit), so that attributable to the motor load (remembering that the overall loading is 80%)
is  £53.60.

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 Input power [kW]
For 6.525 kW output power Standard motor Energy efficient motor
1.5 mm2 cable standard 10 mm2 cable low loss
transformer (kW) transformer (kW)

Input power to motor 7.500 7.250

Input power to cable 8.178 7.353
– plus incremental 8.373 7.523
transformer loss

Annual consumption 73,347 kWh 65,901 kWh

The overall saving is 7,446 kWh per year, equivalent to £329.85 per year (at £0.0443 per unit).

The payback period will be different for each element. In this example it is less than 1 year for the
motor, and about 7 years for the transformer – a short time compared to the life expectancy of a
transformer.

It must be remembered that the selection of more efficient downstream components, including cabling,
reduces losses in other components upstream.

Reference //  Electrical Energy Efficiency by Copper Development Association