Philippines: to adopt int'l standards on energy-efficient motors

Philippines: to adopt int'l standards on energy-efficient motors

The Philippines is adopting the international standard classification for
electrical machineries in the run-up to mandating the use of high-efficiency
motors across industries to reduce electricity consumption.

"In about a month's time, the IEC standard will be adopted by the
Philippines. It will become the Philippine National Standard and this
standard is actually the energy efficiency classification standard for
motors," Marvin Ryan Bathan, project manager of Switch to High Efficiency
Motors (HEMs) project, told GMA News Online in an interview on the sidelines
of a workshop in Pasay City.

Funded by the European Union, HEMs is a four-year project that aims to
encourage a switch to more efficient electric motors and lower operating
costs.

Adopting the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard
60034-1 is the policy component of HEMs, Bathan noted.

"Part of the HEMs team is involved in the technical working committee for
the Bureau of Product Standards of the DTI (Department of Trade and
Industry)," he said.

"Once this standard is adopted it will become a Philippine National
Standard. Contained in that standard are the different classifications of
motors in terms of efficiencies. We have IE-1 as a standard efficient motor,
and then IE-2 as high efficient, and EI-3 as premium," he added.

By next month, the IEC 60034-1 will become a PNS if there are no major
objections and comments from the public regarding the standard.

"Once this standard is in place, the DOE (Department of Energy) can come up
with the MEPS or the Minimum Efficiency Performance Standards. MEPS will
mandate the efficiency class of motors in the industries," Bathan said.

"The process kasi, before the MEPS is enforced there has to be a certain
reference standard that has to be followed or used and as of now we do not
have that motor standard. So our team is most involved in the deliberation
and facilitation of the IEC 60034-1," he added.

Bathan underscored the importance of having an electric motors standard.

"As of now, we don't have any standards that says industries should use a
particular efficiency class of motors. So most of the motors in the industry
now are standard efficient motors, but once the MEPS is in place then we
could have a high-efficiency motors IE-2, or IE-3 as the minimum motor that
will be sold in the market," he said.

"Other countries in ASEAN already have their own MEPS for motors. So, a lot
of inventory of standard efficient motors are coming into the Philippines.
And that is sad . kasi 'young mga low-efficiency as at in napupunta," he
added.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/605102/money/companies/phl-to-adopt-int
-l-standards-on-energy-efficient-motors

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com