Duncan Lewis 
5 March 2024 
There is an increasing emphasis on the efficiency of electric motors, reducing our energy consumption to help us hit the carbon emission targets around the world.
Considering 45% of all electricity is converted into motion by motors, changes to these could be significant in halting Climate Change. Electric motors are instrumental to our everyday lives, from simple hairdryers to refrigerators to industrial manufacturing machines, with an estimated 300 million electric motor driven systems operating daily. Generating this electricity causes a substantial amount of CO2 emissions, which contributes to Global Warming; so in order to reduce emissions and help the environment, making motors more efficient is one of the best places to start.
The energy efficiency of an electric motor is expressed in the International Energy efficiency classes (IE), IE1 being the lowest class, and IE5 being the highest. IE5 ultra-premium efficiency class, as defined by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), goes well beyond the new minimum standard, IE3, for IE classes for low-voltage motors, established and enforced by the EU Ecodesign Regulation in July 2021.
Benefits of IE5 motors
- Up to 40% lower energy losses compared to IE3 induction motors and 50% lower energy losses compared to an IE2 motor.
- Lower CO2 emissions
- Perfect solution for motor retrofits, remarkably easy to retrofit into existing installations, or incorporate into new projects and OEM designs
- Provides increased reliability & lower maintenance costs
- Reduced heating/lower running temperatures protect the motor & extend its lifetime.
As well as the obvious positive environmental impact IE5 motors can make compared to their less efficient counterparts (IE1-4), the end user benefits from the reduction in energy usage and expenditure along with the longer life of the motors themselves & less frequent need for maintenance. A more efficient motor can save from several hundred to several tens of thousands of pounds over its lifetime based on its power and usage. This is particularly apparent in motors that run continuously or for long periods, as well as bigger motors generating bigger savings.
IE5 motors at Dutypoint
As technology advances, so must we, and the next logical step we can take, as a company looking to become more sustainable and green, is to make IE5 prominent in our newly developed products, or certainly an option available for our customers who are also working on becoming more sustainable.
This is why we are introducing our latest VR-X system: a variable speed twin, triple and quad high efficiency and space saving pump booster set. Utilising not only the ultra-high efficiency IE5 motors, but also the IES2 compliant drive system.
Our team are continuously working to create further innovations to keep up with industry changes, customer needs and sustainability. Keep an eye out for new systems coming soon.
