The Overlooked Source of Electrical Energy Waste
Energy waste in the manufacturing sector is not sinister, but typically a product of a mindset that seems harmless. For instance, an employee may decide or be instructed to leave a motor running even when it is experiencing intermittent activity. It is easy to program a pause to shut off a motor and then automatically restart when a process requires its operation, but to the user that can seem risky. A common concern is that frequent starts and stops might cause premature wear or system failures.
The Myth of the Small Motor
An employee or manager may think that because these motors are small they do not use a lot of electricity. This is a critical misunderstanding. The fact is, even small motors running idle draw electricity and this wasted energy adds up over time, creating a substantial and unnecessary operational expense. Every motor left running without a purpose contributes to a larger problem of inefficiency and financial drain.
Calculating the True Cost
Let’s look at a conservative example. Generally a small motor between one half to five horsepower, for which we will use an average of two horsepower for this calculation, will draw about 1,500 watts of power. If that one motor is left running idle for an entire day, it will use 36,000 watt hours or 36 kilowatt hours of energy. While the daily cost may seem minimal, multiplying that by weeks, months, and the total number of idle motors in a facility reveals a significant financial leak.
A Nationwide Perspective
Now, consider the scale of this issue. With roughly 300,000 factories in the US, how many motors are running idle right now? The collective waste is staggering. This widespread inefficiency represents not only a major cost for individual businesses but also a substantial drain on the national energy grid. Addressing this problem presents a clear opportunity for manufacturing cost savings and improved sustainability. The solution is simpler and more reliable than many believe. Modern control systems can intelligently manage motor activity, ensuring they operate only when needed without compromising production uptime or equipment longevity.
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