Harmonization and gaps of motors efficiency standards

Energy efficiency has become an essential attribute of today´s industrial products and systems. But the multitude of different standards in this area makes the direct comparison of energy-efficiency performance indicators enormously difficult, if not impossible. The globalization of markets has resulted in the need to compare the energy efficiency of devices in the same product group, regardless of where a specific device was produced. The harmonization of standards and underlying legislation is a prerequisite for successful proliferation of energy-efficient technologies. Standardization initiatives have resulted in the harmonization of energy-efficiency requirements, testing methods and certification schemes in a number of areas, including electric motors. Today, all major organizations that develop standards, as well as intergovernmental bodies, are working on defining common frameworks for the comparable qualification of products and systems in terms of their energy use. This is just the beginning of a very important undertaking.