Evaluating EPACT’s Impact

Motors affected by the 1992 environmental legislation are mostly meeting the Energy Policy and Conservation Act’s (EPACT) minimum load efficiencies. Advanced Energy Corp. (AEC), Raleigh, NC, has completed the first in a series of studies to determine if newer motors are complying with the minimum EPACT-specified energy efficiency. The Motors and Drives Laboratory of AEC was the first motor-testing laboratory to be certified through the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program, a requirement under EPACT. The AEC study tested 20-horsepower, 1800-rpm, totally enclosed, fan-cooled motors from 15 manufacturers. The goal of this study is to see if the motors meet the minimum required efficiency, which EPACT specifies as the nominal efficiency for motor nameplates defined by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). The results of this study will not be used to certify compliance with EPACT regulations. The AEC study is primarily for industrial motor users, which have a vested interest in ensuring that the motors they buy comply with all the rules.