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Global
electricity consumption to be reduced by 10%
In a new whitepaper published recently, ABB has revealed potential for
significant energy efficiency improvements in industry and infrastructure
enabled by the latest and most high-efficiency motors and variable speed
drives. ABB has called on governments and industries to accelerate adoption of
the technology to help combat climate change.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA),
industry accounts for 37% of global energy use and about 30% of global energy is
consumed in buildings.
While mostly hidden from public view, electric motors
- and the variable speed drives which optimize their operations – are embedded
in almost every built environment. They power a vast range of applications
fundamental to our modern way of life, from industrial pumps, fans and
conveyors for manufacturing and propulsion systems for transportation to
compressors for electrical appliances and heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems in buildings.
Motor and drive technologies have seen exceptionally
rapid advancement in the past decade, with today’s innovative designs
delivering remarkable energy efficiencies. However, a significant number of
industrial electric motor-driven systems in operation today – in the region of
300 million globally – are inefficient or consume much more power than
required, resulting in monumental energy wastage.
Independent
research estimates that if these systems were replaced with optimized,
high-efficiency equipment, the gains to be realized could reduce global electricity
consumption by up to 10%. In turn, this would account for more than 40% of the
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions needed to meet the 2040 climate goals
established by the Paris Agreement.
“Industrial energy efficiency, more than any other
challenge, has the single greatest capacity for combating the climate
emergency. It is essentially the world’s
invisible climate solution,” said Morten Wierod, President ABB Motion.
“For ABB, sustainability is a key part of our company’s
purpose and value that we create for all of our stakeholders. By far, the
biggest impact we can have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is through our
leading technologies, which reduce energy use in industry, buildings and
transport”, he said.
Considerable steps have already been taken to support
the uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. ABB believes it
is time to do the same for an industrial technology that will deliver even
greater benefits for the environment and the global economy.
“The importance of transitioning industries and
infrastructure to these highly energy efficient drives and motors to play their
part in a more sustainable society, cannot be overstated,” said Morten Wierod.
“With 45% of the world’s electricity used to power electric motors in buildings
and industrial applications, investment in upgrading them will yield outsized
rewards in terms of efficiency.”
ABB frequently assesses the net impact of its own
installed high efficiency motors and drives on global energy efficiency. In
2020, it enabled 198 terawatt-hours of electricity savings – more than half of
the UK’s annual consumption. By 2023, it is estimated that ABB motors and
drives will enable customers globally to save an additional 78 terawatt-hours
of electricity per year, almost as much as the annual consumption of Belgium,
Finland or the Philippines and more than the total annual consumption of Chile.
Regulatory policies are among the main drivers of
industrial investment in energy efficiency around the globe. While the European
Union will be implementing its Ecodesign Regulation (EU 2019/1781) this year,
which sets out stringent new requirements for an expanding range of energy
efficient motors, many countries have yet to take action.
To take advantage of the tremendous opportunities
afforded by energy efficient drives and motors to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, ABB says all stakeholders have a critical role to play. For
instance, public decision makers and government regulators need to incentivize
their rapid adoption; businesses, cities and countries need to be aware of both
the cost savings and environmental advantages and be willing to make the
investment; also, investors need to reallocate capital towards companies better
prepared to address the climate risk.
“While our role at ABB is to always provide the most
efficient technologies, products and services to our customers, and continue to
innovate for ever greater efficiency, that in itself is not enough. All
stakeholders need to work together to bring about a holistic transformation in
how we use energy. By acting and innovating together, we can keep critical
services up and running while saving energy and combatting climate change”,
concludes Morten Wierod.
ABB’s white paper “Achieving the Paris Agreement: The
Vital Role of High-Efficiency Motors and Drives in Reducing Energy Consumption”
can be downloaded here.
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