The Race to Energy Efficiency


Reducing energy usage saves money, enhances your companies reputation and assists in the fight against climate change; it makes perfect business sense.

Installing Variable Speed Drive technology on appropriate applications could save energy, cut costs and increase profit margins. To understand how this works, first we must look at how a Variable Speed Drive works.

Electric AC induction motors run at a fixed speed and are ideally suited to applications where a constant motor output speed is required. However over half of all motor application have some kind of varying demand, such as pumps and fans. Historically, processes would have been controlled using opening and closing dampeners and valves, all whilst the motor speed remained constant.

Consuming Energy


In the 1980’s, Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) started appearing on the market offering an alternative method of control. A VSD also referred to as a ‘drive’ or ‘inverter’ is an electronic power controller that is able to adjust the electrical supply to an AC induction motor with a corresponding change in the motor’s speed and torque output.

Pumps, fans and compressors consume vast amounts of energy. They can be over engineered or running at full power even when they don’t have to. Fitting a Variable Speed Drive to your fixed speed pump, fan or compressor allows the motor to run at a speed, which is appropriate to the requirements of the process. Because energy and motor speed are exponentially related, even a relatively small reduction in speed can result in a significant energy saving. Fitting a VSD to an electric motor is an attractive, cost-saving project for many businesses, as it can provide quick results and a relatively short payback.

Pumps, fans and compressors all consume vast amounts of energy. Fitting a Variable Speed Drive is a cost saving measure