Reducing carbon emissions is a globally significant challenge, reflected by its inclusion in the Paris Agreement. The Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2050, requiring an approximately 70% reduction in CO₂ emissions from 2018 levels.²

Meeting the challenge of a 1.5°C target will require a shift in investment away from fossil fuels and toward energy efficiency, renewables, and nuclear power as well as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) along with other low carbon areas. However, while renewable energy gets much of the attention, Analog Devices sees gains in energy efficiency as perhaps even more critical. By increasing efficiency and mitigating demand on the energy grid, manufacturers may be able to increase resilience, generate cost savings, and reduce emissions in their operations.

With energy efficiency as a centerpiece to combating emissions, it’s imperative that technologists and manufacturers identify where they can make a practical difference, and electric industrial motors are a perfect starting point.

The most basic and lowest efficiency motion solutions operate in an either on or off position, applying one level of output regardless of changes in their task’s requirements. They are based on a grid-connected or AC-powered, 3-phase motor that uses a switchgear to provide on/off control and protection circuitry. However, through the use of variable drive technology, motors are able to better match output with the load requirement. Deploying more high efficiency motors and drives, and embracing digitalization represents a tremendous opportunity as the world seeks to achieve greater energy efficiency and cut CO₂ emissions.

In the U.S., it has been estimated that about 1 in 6 motors make use of variable drive technology.⁵ This gives a sense of the opportunity for how many grid-connected motors are in the market and would benefit efficiency-wise from being connected to an inverter or variable speed drive (VSD) to reduce energy consumption.

However, the opportunity for more energy efficient motor operations is not limited to just the motors themselves. VSDs use data from voltages, currents, position, temperature, power, and energy consumption combined with external sensors that monitor vibration and other process variables. With a converged information technology/operating technology (IT/OT) Ethernet network, the various data captured from motion applications are networked together communicating data and insights to cloud-based data storage or on-premises storage, making them more accessible and actionable thanks to powerful cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). This opens the possibility for more scalable optimizations of manufacturing flows, reductions in energy consumption, and lowered CO₂ emissions in manufacturing. Moreover, the use of these motion insights extends equipment lifespans, improves manufacturing quality, and reduces unplanned downtime and material wastage while increasing safety in manufacturing plants.

Another critical capability is identifying deployed motors that operate too near to or slightly above their rated output, which may result in increased electricity consumption and potential lifetime issues. In a large manufacturing installation with several hundred to several thousand motors deployed, digital transformation strategies are especially crucial to identifying these opportunities for reducing electricity consumption and CO₂.

The path to reducing emissions is complex but could create new opportunities for industrial manufacturing companies to embrace new technologies that accelerate lower carbon manufacturing. It is anticipated that increased industrial activity will nearly double the demand for motor systems by 2040.⁹ Therefore, the CO₂ reduction impact and the opportunity for new higher efficiency motor-driven systems are expected to increase significantly. Key for manufacturers will be how they partner with companies within the ecosystem, as a variety of experience and connections will be important for deploying more energy efficient motor technology at scale. The scope of the challenge is significant, but collaborating with the right players in industry, technology, and government will be important to achieving energy efficiency goals in industry and our world.

¹ “Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” EPA.
² “World Energy Outlook 2019.” International Energy Agency, 2019.
³ “Electricity Market Report 2023.” International Energy Agency, February 2023.
⁴ “Industrial Energy Report.” International Energy Agency.
⁵ “U.S. Industrial and Commercial Motor System Market Assessment Report, Volume 1.” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, January 2021.
⁶ “Achieving the Paris Agreement: The Vital Role of High-Efficiency Motors and Drives in Reducing Energy Consumption.” ABB, 2021.
⁷ R. Saidur, S. Mekhilef, M. B. Ali, A. Safari, and H. A. Mohammed. “Applications of Variable Speed Drive (VSD) in Electrical Motors Energy Savings.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, January 2012.
⁸ “Global Lighthouse Network: Shaping the Next Chapter of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” World Economic Forum, January 2023.
⁹ “World Energy Outlook 2017.” International Energy Agency, 2017.