March 8, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CDA to present MotorMaster+ Workshop to U.S. Military in Guam
A program funded by the Department of Energy and led by the Copper Development Association (CDA) will assist the U.S. military in Guam with reducing its electric energy consumption for their industrial machinery and equipment and lowering costs.
CDA, in collaboration with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program, has been invited by the resource efficiency manager of the Navy to the U.S. Naval Base Guam to present the MotorMaster+ Workshop April 6-7.
The two-day motor management best practices workshop will be taught by Rich deFay, CDA's project manager, sustainable electrical energy, and Gilbert McCoy, the energy systems engineer with WSU's extension energy program. McCoy is one of only three engineers recognized by the Department of Energy to administer the program.
The interactive computer software program consists of a database of more than 25,000 electrical motors that enable the end user - in this case engineers, technicians and electricians from the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force - to better manage their motor inventory and compare older motors with more efficient ones when it comes to replacing or specifying a new unit.
"The government is under mandate to improve their energy efficiency," deFay explained. "This software tool is going to help them make better decisions when purchasing new equipment."
The equipment includes any electric motors used to power fans, pumps, air compressors, exhausters, and any electric motor-driven equipment on the military base and their facilities.
McCoy said one of the biggest cost-saving measures includes scrapping or replacing standard electric motors with newer NEMA Premium™ efficient motors.
"During the two-day training session, we'll advise them on motor management practices, how to identify opportunities, calculate energy savings, give examples as to what other agencies are doing and train them on how to use the Motor Master plus software," McCoy added.
Because oil needs to be imported to the island to produce electricity, utility rates are extremely costly. But with energy efficient programs such as the MotorMaster+ Workshop, the military could see a significant savings in the future.
"By going to electric energy efficient motors across the board, this could reduce electric energy consumption over time by 2 to 4 percent," McCoy said. "It's not unusual for large facilities like these to see a quarter of a million to four million dollars in savings."
"We're excited about this program because there is a lot of potential for upgrades at military bases not only in Guam but throughout the pacific theater," McCoy said.
Over the last four years, deFay and McCoy have presented the program to local municipalities, schools, hospitals and other motor distributors in Iowa, Indiana, Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota and New Mexico.
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