Frequently Asked Questions

• Does NYSERDA still offer incentives for NEMA Premium^® motors?
• What is motor management and why is NYSERDA focusing on it? (define basic components, address magnitude/potential, benefits to customer)
• Why, as a motor vendor, do I want to help my customer develop a motor management plan?
• What is the easiest way to determine which of my customers would benefit from a motor management plan?
• How do I get my customers interested in a motor management plan?
• What is my role and the program representative’s role during the sample inventory or the full plant inventory?
• What is the “Motor Decisions Matters” campaign?
• What is the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management and does it differ from MotorMaster+?
• Why should I bring a program representative from NYSERDA’s Business Partners Program for Motor Systems with me when I visit one of my customers?
• What can I expect to happen when the full MotorMaster+ inventory is completed?

Does NYSERDA still offer incentives for Premium-Efficiency Motors?

The Business Partners Program for Motor Systems includes an emphasis on motor management education and training. Financial incentives for motor vendors ended on Dec. 31, 2004 . Incentives for motor purchasers, including the Existing Facilities Program , are still available. For more information, see the Motor Incentives information on the motor purchaser side of the site.

What is motor management and why is NYSERDA focusing on it? (define basic components, address magnitude/potential, benefits to customer)

Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) defines a motor management plan as a set of policies and practices that address common motor decisions before they become a crisis. By pursuing a plan and consciously evaluating potential actions before motors fail, companies can base decisions on lowest life-cycle-cost and ensure motor availability, enhanced productivity, and lower energy costs. According to MDM, the Department of Energy estimates that greater attention to motor system management can reduce energy costs by as much as 18 percent. Many motor purchasers create motor management plans because the potential financial losses generated by unscheduled downtime are their greatest concern. A motor management plan can help minimize this threat.

MDM's Motor Planning Kit describes the basic steps to developing a motor management plan as:

• Creation of a motor survey/inventory and tracking program
• Development of guidelines for proactive repair/replace decisions
• Preparation for motor failure by creating a spares inventory
• Development of a purchasing specification
• Development of a repair specification
• Development and implementation of a predictive and preventive maintenance program

Using these steps as building blocks, companies can mix and match them to create a plan to fit their needs.

NYSERDA is focusing on motor management because recent data indicates that more than 70 percent of the motors installed in the commercial/industrial sector are not as efficient as they could be and the potential for energy savings is enormous. Additionally, reducing unscheduled downtime improves the profitability of New York companies.

Why, as a motor vendor, do I want to help my customer develop a motor management plan?

The economic climate is such that for a motor vendor to be successful, he must change his relationship with the customer. The relationship should move away from a seller-purchaser relationship to that of a trusted adviser and partner. The motor marketplace is all about building relationships and increasing your “value” to customers. If you do not go the “extra mile” for your customers, your competition will.

Many vendors have said that they have identified many opportunities as a result of performing customer motor inventories and some have spotted problems that prompted immediate sales. The process is a win-win scenario for both the motor vendor and the customer. The customer gets a motor inventory and is well on their way to a motor management plan, and the motor vendor has developed comprehensive knowledge about one of their customers and improved their relationship with that customer.

What is the easiest way to determine which of my customers would benefit from a motor management plan?

Any customer with a substantial motor population would benefit from a motor management plan. Having said that, customers with larger, older motor populations operating more than 2,000 hours a year and paying a higher rate for their electrical energy will experience a greater immediate cost savings.

How do I get my customers interested in a motor management plan?

The process usually begins when working closely with a customer. Try opening the discussion by explaining the incentives available under the New York Energy $mart^SM Existing Facilities Program that help buy down the purchase-cost of a motor. Then explain that the incentives are only the “tip of the iceberg,” and discuss the true cost of ownership of a motor and the benefits of a motor management plan. Move the discussion along by bringing up the use of Motor Decisions Matter's 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management and how a small sample of motors could be inventoried and used as a barometer for the entire facility. Offer to make an appointment to return and inventory a sampling of motors using 1-2-3 . Work with the customer to choose which motors to include in the sample. Once the sample is completed, analyzed and presented to the customer, a decision is made whether to proceed with a full plant inventory and MotorMaster+ Software analysis. The results of the inventory and analysis often lead customers to see the value in following through with a motor management plan. Through the Business Partners Program for Motor Systems , NYSERDA provides program representatives who are available to help discuss the benefits of motor management with customers, to conduct the analysis, and analyze the savings, and present results to customers. The program also offers Motor Decisions Matter templates for motor management plans.

If I use a program representative, what is my role and the program representative’s role during the sample inventory or the full plant inventory?

Typically, the motor vendor and the customer collect the nameplate data during the inventory and the program representative enters the data into a computer and performs the analysis. Once the analysis is complete, the program representative discusses the results with the motor vendor, creates a presentation to illustrate the results and, in conjunction with the motor vendor, presents the results to the customer.

What is the “Motor Decisions Matters” campaign?

Motor Decisions Matter is a national campaign encouraging the use of sound motor management and planning as a tool to cut motor energy costs and increase productivity. The campaign is sponsored by a consortium of motor industry manufacturers and service centers, trade associations, electric utilities and government agencies. The campaign is managed by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency .

What is the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management and does it differ from MotorMaster+?

The 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management is a strategy designed by Motor Decisions Matter (MDM) to demonstrate the benefits of NEMA Premium^® motors and proactive planning. It uses a spreadsheet to take nameplate data from up to five representative motors and automatically make calculations for two scenarios: 1) replacing a motor immediately with a NEMA Premium^® motor or 2) deciding on the appropriate course of action when a motor fails. Based on the results of the calculations, the most cost-effective course of action for each of the motors for can be determined. Typically, once the customer sees the results he is interested in a full motor inventory.

MotorMaster+, on the other hand, is an energy-efficient motor selection and management software tool. It includes a database of more than 25,000 motors from 18 manufacturers. Among other functions, the software permits the entry of a detailed motor inventory and analysis of each motor to determine if any energy savings are possible. The software is free from the Department of Energy and is available from our program representatives.

Why should I bring a program representative from NYSERDA’s Business Partners Program for Motor Systems with me when I visit one of my customers?

The program representative can help offer credibility and impartiality. He can explain NYSERDA's programs and the benefits of a motor management plan, and help with the inventory and analysis. He can help you learn to change a sales call into an informative session and build trust with the customer. These representatives have helped several motor vendors get “in the door” to see accounts they have been unsuccessful with in the past.