Monitoring induction motors for energy savings Your motors can
help you find substantial energy savings, if you can hear what
they’re trying to tell you. The right monitoring equipment will
help you get the message. Jim Plourde, Schneider Electric With
limited natural resources and the ever-increasing global demand
for energy, it only stands to reason that energy costs will
continue to increase. As energy costs rise around the world, the
incentives for facilities to operate their equipment more
efficiently will compound over time. There are mandatory means
(e.g., regulations) that authorities use to enforce
conservation, and compensatory means (e.g., special rate
tariffs) that reward users for using less energy. In either
case, reducing energy consumption will decrease bottom-line
costs to the user. To reduce energy costs effectively,
industrial facilities should begin by evaluating their No. 1
energy consuming culprit: motors. Many studies have shown that
motors in industrial facilities consume by far the la