The Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) campaign is a national public awareness campaign to increase awareness of motor management opportunities, increase demand for NEMA Premium^® motors & best practice motor repair, and encourage the market to engage in motor planning. The Campaign was launched in 2001 by a diverse group of stakeholders including energy efficiency program administrators, motor manufacturers, sales/service centers, and trade associations.

IN THIS ISSUE:
New Motor Systems Source Book Available
MDM Revises 1*2*3 Spreadsheet
Motor Management Workshop a Success
MDM in the News

Earlier this fall, the U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Technologies Program (DOE ITP) released a new Sourcebook, Improving Motor and Drive System Performance. Topics covered include:

• motor and drive system basics
  
• opportunities to improve system efficiency
  
• motor system economics (including measuring the dollar impact of efficiency, the finances of efficiency, and relating efficiency to corporate priorities)
• a directory of contacts, resources, and tools for additional information

Several MDM Sponsors contributed to the development of the Sourcebook, which is available on the Best Practices webpage for the DOE ITP website.  As one reviewer noted, "this is a tremendous, well-written sourcebook covering all aspects of motor systems".

The MDM Campaign recently released the newest version of the 1*2*3 Spreadsheet, version 6.5.  The 1*2*3 Spreadsheet is an Excel Spreadsheet designed as a tool to help customers develop a motor management action plan.  Using 13 pieces of user-specific data (e.g. motor nameplate data and operating hours, energy costs, etc.) the Spreadsheet presents a simple analysis of the overall costs associated with the decision to repair or replace motors.  The core functionality of the new spreadsheet is the same as previous versions.  Changes were made to improve the overall user-friendliness, including the addition of graphs to demonstrate replacement comparison choices and new tables to portray Life Cycle Costs, Net Present Value, and Simple Payback.  Version 6.5, like all of the MDM Tools, can be downloaded from the tools page of the MDM website.

On September 10, the MDM Sponsors hosted a Webcast that summarized the MDM tools, and included a demonstration of the new Spreadsheet.  If you weren't able to participate, a recording (presentation and audio) is available for download on the webcasts page of the MDM website.

Revisions to the 1*2*3 Spreadsheet were highlighted in a recent article by Mark Jewell in Engineered Systems magazine.  See the MDM in the News section for more details.

MidAmerican Energy, an MDM Sponsor, recently hosted a motor management workshop in Moline, Illinois, on November 6.  More than 50 people participated in the workshop including industrial end users, motor sales & service centers, motor manufacturers, and efficiency program representatives.  Through a mixture of presentation and discussion, the workshop focused on:

• life cycle costs, energy efficiency in electric motors, and motor selection considerations
• the basics of motor management, including why and how motor management can be an asset that motor sales and service centers offer their industrial customers
• MDM tools and resources that can be used to understand and communicate the value of motor management
• MidAmerican's new rebate programs in Illinois

Plant Engineering: August 2008
In his August 2008 bimonthly OpEd Column in Plant Engineering Magazine, Focus on the Basics for Sustainability, CEE's Executive Director Marc Hoffman, identified how achieving sustainability can be done by starting with the basics, such as energy efficiency.  The article also referenced case studies in which customers are better able to implement sustainability solutions by partnering with a local utility.

Maintenance Technology September and November 2008
Every other month, Maintenance Technology runs a column "Boosting Your Bottom Line" contributed by MDM project staff.  The column provides a systematic discussion of motor management strategies ranging from motor planning to creating a spares inventory.  The September column, Start with the Basics, summarized the savings available to industrial and commercial users by targeting an efficiency improvement opportunity that is common to both sectors: motor systems.  The November column, If the Shoe Fits, highlighted key selection criteria to determine which motor is best for your system:  type, efficiency, size, load, and the potential for using drives.

Automation World September 2008
The September issue of Automation World included an article, Premium Motors Provide First Class Savings, which summarized the energy and cost savings available through NEMA Premium motors.  The article included information about NEMA's efficiency tables, included quotes from John Malinowski (of Baldor Electric Company, an MDM Campaign Sponsor), and highlighted the MDM Tools available to assist with motor management.

Lubrication Management & Technology September/October 2008
The "Boosting Your Bottom Line" column, Start with the Basics, was also included in the September/October issue of Lubrication Management & Technology.

Engineered Systems August and November 2008
The August issue of Engineered Systems included an article, Efficiency Incentives: Opportunities for Motors and Drives, which summarized the potential for significant savings through upgrading to higher efficiency motors.  Also identified were the opportunities for incentives from efficiency programs, and resources for additional information such as NEMA, the MDM Campaign, and DOE.

In an article titled Efficiency Incentives: Show Me the Motor Money!, the November issue of Engineered Systems highlights the MDM Campaign and specifically the 1*2*3 Spreadsheet as available resources to "facilitat[e] communication between the boiler room and the boardroom."  As noted in the article, identifying costs and savings, by using tools such the 1*2*3 Spreadsheet, can speed project approval.