How new MEPS regulations can benefit businesses that rely on electric motors. Part 1 of a two-part series.
Image by WEG
The International Efficiency 3 (IE3) motor standard will soon become South Africa’s legal minimum standard, mandating that local suppliers offer more efficient electric motors. What is driving this change, and how does it affect the many industries that rely on these modern electric workhorses?
The multi-century revolution
The world is powered by electric motors. First invented in 1835, electric motors are ubiquitous nearly two centuries later, playing roles in running vehicles, elevators, escalators, air conditioners, conveyor belts, and pumps, to name a few. It’s a substantial list—even the average modern car can include 40 electrical motors that handle tasks such as water pumps and automatic door locks.
Mechanised motors put momentum behind modernisation. Ancient societies invented water wheels and windmills to turn the elements into torque for production. The invention and commercialisation of steam engines served as one of the early industrial revolution’s biggest catalysts. Combustion engines ushered in an era of giant machinery and shortened distances.
However, electric motors are at the forefront of powering the modern world, generating over $150 billion annually in sales, according to Allied Market Research. Yet, industries that rely on these motors are grappling with rising energy costs and constrained networks market spending. Electric motor-driven systems (EMDS) have a considerable impact on both, not the least because they consume more than 40% of global electricity supplies.
“Most industries are focused on how to reduce their energy bills and increase energy efficiency,” says Rodrigo Cetenareski, sales and marketing director at WEG Africa. “They are also looking to save costs through more equipment efficiency, particularly around maintenance. These factors have made electric motors a priority area and put momentum behind MEPS regulations.”
A regulated seachange
Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) encourage the use of energy-efficient technologies, including electric motors. Managed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), it published new MEPS standards in 2007. The US updated its MEPS laws in 2011, European countries followed by 2017, and China deployed similar regulations soon after.
Currently, over 57 countries support the new MEPS standard, with more to follow. South Africa gazetted its new MEPS regulations in late 2023, with enforcement slowly coming online.
What are the implications of these new laws? There are numerous benefits that support industries’ saving and efficiency priorities. But before exploring those, what are the new requirements?
Source: WEG
