Electric motors power many of the machines and equipment that are needed for modern life: pumps and fans for heating and air conditioning, operating elevators, running manufacturing lines, as well as transport like trains, and ships. In fact, motors consume over 45% of the world’s electricity. And it is estimated that today there are more than 300 million electric motor-driven systems operating in industry. Clearly motors need to become more efficient in order to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.

ABB’s award-winning Synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motors take energy efficiency to the next level. They deliver the highest efficiency of any current design, meeting the IE5 ultra-premium efficiency class as defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission.

IE5 efficiency is made possible by SynRM technology, which combines the performance of permanent magnet motors with the simplicity of induction motors. With a magnet-free design, they do not contain rare earth materials, which makes them environmentally friendly. ABB introduced its first SynRM motors in 2011, and the technology has been successfully operating all over the world since then.

Conventional induction motors can easily be replaced with SynRM motors, which can be used in a wide range of demanding industrial applications. It is estimated that if 80% of the motors installed in industry today were replaced with IE5 motors, a total of 160 terawatt-hours of electricity would be saved each year. This saving is greater than the annual power consumption of Poland.

Key facts:

Up to 40 percent lower energy losses compared to IE3 induction motors
Increased reliability, extended lifetime, and lower CO₂ emissions
Perfect solution for motor retrofits

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Did you know…

…that ABB’s high-efficiency Synchronous reluctance motors are helping to cut global energy consumption?

More fascinating facts you may not know