Boosting Your Bottom Line: Motor-Management Toolbox Essentials

Motor management isn’t difficult: Understand what you’ve got, then use tools and information to make informed decisions at key times.

It’s the way you operate with regard to other aspects of your business—why should motors be any different?

But how do you actually get started? What tools and information do you need? Who can provide the hands-on service and technical expertise to ensure that motor management works for your business? These answers are closer than you might think: Motor Decisions MatterSM (MDM)—a campaign founded by energy-efficiency programs, motor manufacturers and motor service professionals—offers free tools and information.  Your motor service center and local utility may provide additional resources to help you get started, often at no added cost.

The MDM campaign
Motor Decisions Matter is an information initiative designed to promote motor management and informed decision making. MDM offers a number of tools to help you get started, as well as case studies from a broad array of businesses, to demonstrate the benefits of motor management. All the tools and resources below are available on the MDM Website at www.motorsmatter.org:

1-2-3 is a straightforward, step-by-step approach to help you identify, evaluate and act on opportunities in your key motors and motor systems. It’s a spreadsheet tool to support informed motor repair/replace decisions that account for the full lifetime of motor costs.

The Motor Planning Kit is a user’s guide to motor management. It provides an overview of motor-management basics and walks users through how to develop and implement various management plans, from a purchasing policy to a total motor inventory.

Many companies have already implemented successful motor-management plans and projects. MDM offers two-dozen Case Studies from more than 10 different industries that highlight effective motor-management planning and benefits.

For example, Crown Pacific Lumber, with support from its local energy-efficiency program and motor service provider, identified a key opportunity in its initial inventory of 10 motors, resulting in more than $3400 in annual savings. This payback has prompted the company to take a closer look at its entire fleet of 150 motors, seeking further savings. For more information on this and other MDM Case Studies, see http://www.motorsmatter.org/case_studies/index.asp.

Others can help
While case studies and decision-support tools are helpful resources, there’s no substitute for hands-on support. Many motor service centers can help you develop or implement a motor-management plan. Your local energy-efficiency program may also provide financial or technical resources to support motor management or efficiency. Ask your motor service provider and utility account representative what they offer. MT

The Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) campaign is managed by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a North American nonprofit organization that promotes energy-saving products, equipment and technologies. For further information, contact MDM staff at mdminfo@cee1.org or (617) 589-3949.

For more info, enter 68 at www.MT-freeinfo.com