On 10th & 11th March 2025 the consortium of the LIFE funded EU-MORE projected hold its last General Assembly Meeting in Brussels. Here are our findings and developments:

1️⃣ Data on average motor lifetimes, load factors, and number of running hours is key information. A better knowledge in the EU would be welcome.

2️⃣ Industrial motors tend to operate for much longer than their intended lifetime. This slows down adoption of the high efficiency levels laid down in the EU Ecodesign Regulation for electric motors.

3️⃣ New electric motors have substantially higher energy efficiencies compared to older models. Where motor replacement is combined with system optimisation, the energy savings potential is even greater.

4️⃣ Most existing policy measures address industrial energy efficiency in general rather than motors specifically – https://lnkd.in/dsFZViQJ

5️⃣ Key guidelines have been developed to design motor replacement policies – https://lnkd.in/dFq3ETgv

6️⃣ An independent tool designed to make quantified assessments of policy measures has been developed https://lnkd.in/dm-sza-g

7️⃣ Guidance for replicating policy recommendations in related product categories with similar challenges.

👏 A big thanks to all project partners 👏

Instituto de Sistemas e Robótica

Austrian Energy Agency

International Copper Association Europe

Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy Foundation (IEECP)

Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES)

The final event of the EU-MORE project took place in Brussels on March 11th. Over 50 participants attended the event, where they had the opportunity to learn about the achievements of the EU-MORE project and provide valuable feedback on the policy recommendations and tools developed (see here in the Download section of our EU-MORE website).

Insightful discussions on replacing old, inefficient electric⚡️motors in industry and the service sector at the EU-MORE final event with 3 projects participating from the EU LIFE programme. Special thanks to our Project Officer Stamatis Sivitos from CINEA for attending and giving direct feedback 👏

We were fortunate to hear from several key speakers:

▶️ Ronald Piers de Raveschoot from the European Commission DG ENER.B3, who enlightened the audience about legislative developments in the field of Ecodesign and the ongoing revision of the Ecodesign regulation.

▶️ Simone Maggiore from Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico – RSE SpA, who explained the progress made by the AUDIT2MEASURE project, including its set of policy recommendations for energy audits.

▶️ Georg Benke from e7 Energy Innovation & Engineering, who informed us about the 51 non-energy benefits associated with energy efficiency. He shared key findings from the KNOWnNEBs project and demonstrated the cost-effectiveness calculation tool they recently developed.

▶️ Lauren Boucher from CLASP, who illustrated the relevance of systems thinking in motor systems and highlighted the impressive savings potential of compressed air systems.

The teams from the EU-MORE, KNOWnNEBs, and AUDIT2MEASURE projects are eager to continue supporting the European Commission by summarizing key findings and recommendations.

You can download the summary report of the final EU-MORE event here: EU-MORE final event report

⚡ Don’t miss the SmartEnergyCluster session and stand at the Enlit Europe event!
💡 Come visit us, learn from experts and discover how the innovative projects InEExS LIFE, DEDALUS EU, EU-MORE, FORTESIE EU_Project, RESONANCE Project , DigiBUILD Project, and Reschool Project are shaping the future of energy.
👉 Visit our stand for the three days of Enlit Europe and attend our workshop on October 24th, register now: https://lnkd.in/gjeDaZHK

Fraunhofer ISI beta tool now available to test & download.

test first a webbased excel here: https://t1p.de/l7w8s

Then to download full beta version go to our “Download” section on the EU-MORE website

New modeling challenges are accompanying the shift in EU product policy toward an increased focus on circular economy aspects. Combined material flow analysis and life cycle assessment can play an important role in assessing the impact of such policies. A flexible model has been developed that is suitable for the ex-ante impact assessment of the material flows and environmental impacts of a range of circular economy product policies, extending an established approach. The model uses a layered approach, in which material and environmental impacts are derived from product flows via a product database that defines physical properties for product variants. Combined with a stock model, the impact of policy interventions on the whole market can be assessed over time and per life cycle stage. We apply this model in a theoretical case study on electric motors, which compares early replacement of inefficient motors and motor repair with a base case.

at Session 3A: Policies II, we will present:

Policy recommendations to accelerate the replacement of old electric motors

🕓 on Tue 3rd Sep at 16:00 hrs

📌 in Trakt IV, Foyer D415

EU-MORE has conducted a review of existing policies in EU member states that directly or indirectly aim at accelerating motor replacement. A total of 61 policy measures have been identified and analysed for their approach, impact and lessons learnt, leading to an initial set of general observations. These observations will be used to derive policy recommendations.

A first observation is the uneven geographical distribution of the identified measures and their impact. While countries like Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland manage to achieve a relatively substantial impact, other major European economies like Italy, France and Spain have implemented few policies to enhance the replacement rates of motors. A second observation is that support systems of a financial kind, including subsidies, loans and fiscal compensations, comprise the large majority of all policy measures. Whether this kind of measures is still the most effective could be questioned, as the pay-back times of motor replacement have become shorter with rising electricity prices. The lack of information is a major barrier that is much less addressed by existing policy measures. Many of the identified measures were part of wider industrial energy efficiency programmes, in which the benefits of motor replacement were insufficiently clarified. Even when energy efficiency audits do identify motor replacement as a potential action, there are still many barriers to overcome before implementation actually takes place, and these barriers seem to be insufficiently addressed by the existing policies.

👉download here:
https://help.leonardo-energy.org/hc/en-us/articles/14340142522524-Boosting-efficiency-EU-MORE-s-policy-review-on-replacing-inefficient-motors-in-industry-and-services-MA09:

Electric motors used in industrial applications often remain in service beyond their expected lifespan, limiting the benefits of newer, more efficient motors. The EU-MORE project aims to capitalize on the advantages of accelerating the replacement rate of old, inefficient motors by developing new policies. To achieve this, a review of past and current policies affecting industrial electric motors in the 27 EU Member States was conducted. The review includes 64 policy measures aimed at promoting the early replacement of motors to improve energy efficiency in industries. Each policy measure was characterized with details such as the national responsible authority, implementation timeline, available budget, and impacts on electricity savings and replaced industrial motors.

Key takeaways

The effectiveness of policy measures supporting motor replacement actions is difficult to assess due to the general lack of publicly available data about the policy impact.

The EU-MORE project has conducted a review of EU policies supporting the early replacement of electric motors, highlighting the predominance of policies addressing only economic barriers.

Only a few programs in the EU have tried to tackle information and behavioral barriers.

The replacement of inefficient motors is generally integrated into cross-cutting programs that do not define specific eligibility criteria for motor replacement.

EU-MORE will display two posters at the poster session on Tue afternoon:

1) Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Policies on Industrial Electric Motors
A Stock Model, Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment Approach

2) Policy recommendations to accelerate the replacement of old electric motors

plus, our colleagues from Fraunhofer ISI will also be involved in “informal sessions” on Thu on “EU Product Regulations: From Ecodesign to ESPR”

Unlocking the Power of Collaboration: The #SmartEnergyCluster Driving the Smart Energy Transition

Energy-saving blockchain technology, replacing outdated electric motors and integrating smart energy services are among the LIFE projects forming a new #SmartEnergyCluster aimed at achieving a sustainable and efficient energy system.

Energy-saving blockchain technology, replacing outdated electric motors and integrating smart energy services are among the LIFE projects forming a new #SmartEnergyCluster aimed at achieving a sustainable and efficient energy system.

Recognising that collaboration and innovation are key, 19 projects will pool resources and expertise to accelerate the smart energy transition. The projects share a common objective to develop and deploy new business models and concepts which add value by leveraging integrated energy services.

#SmartEnergyCluster projects focus on merging different energy services and incorporating non-energy benefits whilst overcoming market fragmentation and fostering cooperation. This inclusive approach bridges gaps and creates a common ground for business development across different segments.

The cluster also aims to communicate the projects’ activities and success stories to groups interested in smart energy solutions in order to amplify the impact of innovative service offerings, reduced energy costs for end-users, and faster payback periods for sustainable energy investments.

Among the innovative LIFE projects taking part in the #SmartEnergyCluster are:

• InEExS (Integrated Energy Efficiency Services), uses blockchain technology to tokenise energy-saving data and enable cooperation among sectors. It focuses on integrating smart energy services and sustainable technology while bringing together different market actors through distributed ledger technology. InEExS revolutionises energy efficiency by promoting system efficiency, non-energy benefits and seamless cooperation among stakeholders.

“The core of InEExS is the deployment, validation, and replication of integrated energy services,” says InEExS coordinator Filippos Anagnostopoulos, “It opens new possibilities and offers integrated service packages to enable energy savings, promote renovations, electrify heating and improve the efficiency of the energy system.”

• AUDIT-TO-MEASURE, which helps companies reduce energy consumption by translating energy audit opportunities into actionable measures, facilitating their energy transition. “AUDIT-TO-MEASURE helps companies take up the energy-saving measures recommended by energy audits,” explains project coordinator Simone Maggiore. “We are developing a capacity-building programme for decision makers and energy managers within the company, helping them to see the benefits of a more energy-efficient business and operation.”
• EU-MORE (Early Replacement of Old Electric Motors), is an innovative project to accelerate the replacement of outdated electric motors throughout the EU and give credit to Member States which are early adopters of energy-efficient equipment. By promoting sustainable practices and using modern technologies, EU-MORE contributes to the EU’s energy reduction targets through system efficiency and circular economy principles.
• BungEES (Bundling Energy Efficiency Services) – a comprehensive package of smart energy efficiency services which integrates energy sectors and innovative financing and offers rewards for adopting energy-efficient technologies.

The #SmartEnergyCluster highlights the power of collaboration to drive and is a great opportunity to showcase ground-breaking LIFE projects with significant potential for improved energy efficiency, increased renewable energy use and enhanced system flexibility.

The cluster aims to inspire even greater collaboration, innovation and more widespread adoption of smart energy solutions by everyone involved in the sector and to pave the way for a smarter, greener, and more efficient energy system for all.

Publication date: 7 July 2023

Author: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

As dozens of ministers and CEOs from around the world gather in France for IEA Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, new analysis sets out what’s needed to meet energy and climate goals.

he International Energy Agency is bringing together global energy and climate leaders in France this week for a major ministerial meeting on energy efficiency, with new IEA analysis showing that the world needs to double progress on efficiency between now and 2030 as part of efforts to improve energy security and affordability while keeping the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C within reach.

The IEA’s 8th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency is convening 700 people from more than 80 countries, including over 30 ministers and 50 CEOs, in Versailles to address how to accelerate energy efficiency improvements. The event is co-hosted by France’s Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, and is being organised in partnership with Schneider Electric.

A special briefing report published today for the Global Conference – Energy Efficiency: The Decade for Action – highlights that ramping up annual energy efficiency progress from 2.2% today to over 4% annually by 2030 would deliver vital reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time create jobs, expand energy access, reduce energy bills, decrease air pollution, and diminish countries’ reliance on fossil fuel imports – among other social and economic benefits.

Energy efficiency investment in 2023 is expected to reach record levels, despite a slowdown in year-on-year growth as the high cost of capital weighs heavily on potential new projects. Under current expected and announced policies, efficiency-related investment is projected to rise by a further 50%. However, to see annual progress double, investments in the sector must increase from USD 600 billion today to over USD 1.8 trillion by 2030.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said: “Today, we are seeing strong momentum behind energy efficiency. Countries representing over 70% of the world’s energy consumption have introduced new or improved efficiency policies since the global energy crisis began over a year ago. We now need to push into a higher gear and double energy efficiency progress by the end of this decade. I believe this major global conference, which I’m delighted to co-host with French Minister Pannier-Runacher, can be a vital impetus for accelerating ambition and action.”

France’s Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher said: “Energy savings and energy efficiency are the most simple and obvious responses to both the energy and the climate crises. They are one of the most crucial actions for clean energy transitions, and that is why I am honored to co-host this important global conference. I am pleased to be working closely with the International Energy Agency to strengthen the focus on energy efficiency worldwide.”

Chairman of Schneider Electric Jean-Pascal Tricoire said: “Optimizing how we consume energy is the priority of how we tackle the climate-and-energy crisis. We have all the ingredients. What we don’t have is time: We simply can’t let more time go by before we deploy the power of electrification and digital energy-efficiency technologies to the fullest.”

Policy will have a critical role to play in whether the world delivers on energy efficiency in the short, medium and long term. The RePowerEU plan in Europe, the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States and Japan’s Green Transformation (GX) initiative are a few examples of policy makers making renewed efforts to deliver on the energy efficiency agenda. While various emerging and developing economies – including India, Chile and South Africa – have enacted progressive measures to bring energy efficiency to the fore.

The new IEA report shows how doubling energy efficiency efforts can also deliver positive knock-on effects for society. Today, the sector employs tens of millions of people worldwide. With increased ambition, energy efficiency activities could lead to another 12 million jobs globally by 2030. Importantly, more efficient and lower energy demand supports faster progress towards universal access to modern and affordable energy in emerging and developing economies. The shift toward efficient electrification through the phasing out of the traditional burning of biomass such as charcoal and wood for heating and cooking also brings multiple benefits in terms of improved air quality and health.

To continue its support for stronger action on efficiency, the IEA has developed and updated its policy toolkit for governments. The toolkit comprises two parts: The first is 10 strategic principles, based on the recommendations of the Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency, that bring together key learnings from global experience on how to maximise the impact of all energy efficiency policies and programmes. The second is a set of sectoral policy packages that highlight key policies available to governments, and how they can be integrated into an effective coherent suite of policies and actions to deliver faster and stronger efficiency gains. The 2023 policy toolkit includes two new policy packages on clean cooking and finance as well as updates to the existing packages.

The European-funded project AUDIT2MEASURE will support companies in turning energy audits into actionable plans. For the next 3 years, 10 partners from 6 countries will focus on taking down barriers to the uptake of Energy Saving Measures (ESM), thus accelerating their response to the present energy context.

Energy prices reach new heights across Europe and fears for gas shortages lead to the roll-out of emergency plans and measures that affect citizens, companies, and governments at all levels. The growing push towards the energy transition prompted a spread of energy audits – which have shown to be a proven tool to tell companies where to start their interventions for better energy efficiency -, however, studies show these audits seldom result in actions, with informational, behavioural, and/or economic barriers being coined as culprits. Industry continues, therefore, to be a key player in energy consumption with high economic impact in the European Union (EU).

Looking to change this trend of collective inertia, 10 partners from 6 European countries (The Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, and Spain) are working on a project that aims to motivate companies to act by addressing common barriers and offering practical support.

Speeding up energy transition, multiple barriers at a time

Three main barriers may block the adoption of Energy Saving Measures in the industrial sector: lack of information (about the costs and benefits; about energy contracts; about the potential impact on the business); behavioural inertia (due to lack of interest or commitment; imperfect evaluation criteria); and economic discouragement (low capital availability; intervention-related risks; insufficient profit potential). AUDIT2MEASURE will address each by engaging stakeholders through a holistic approach which focuses on clarifying the auditing process and resorting to using success cases as replicable examples.

AUDIT2MEASURE starts from an engagement principle called “Audit2Action”, which draws opportunities from audits and turns them into real plans of action. Among the expected project outcomes is a direct, hands-on, capacity building programme designed to engage professionals of all seniority levels, in- and outside the decision-making flow. This programme will advocate for the benefits of implementing at least 125 measures in different industrial fields, thus encouraging the execution of action plans after every energy audit.

As much as 60 companies will be engaged in AUDIT2MEASURE, invited to share experiences with energy audits and their implementation through a common Knowledge Exchange Space to help motivate others and allow for strategic comparison and replication. Through this combined approach, AUDIT2MEASURE is expected to increase the implementation rate of ESMs following auditing processes, thus nudging the industrial sector towards a green transition.

Different industrial sectors on board

For the sake of relevance and representativity, AUDIT2MEASURE will address different industrial sectors in each country:

• In The Czech Republic, the main sectors addressed include non-metallic mineral (glass, construction products), chemical industry, iron, steel, and automotive;
• In The Netherlands, the machining sector is targeted specifically for its energy intensity and savings potential. It is one of the nation’s most profitable industries which have already shown their willingness and openness to explore the implementation of ESM;
• In Italy, the ceramic, chemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, and machinery sectors will be addressed, as they rank top for consumption and potential energy savings;
• In Spain, the non-metallic mineral, chemical-pharmaceutical, machinery, and pulp and paper sectors will be targeted mainly because their energy efficiency potential is high, and also because the amount of these industries in the country is very representative;
• In Greece, the machinery sector will be mainly targeted due to its energy intensity and savings potential, as well as the numerous companies activated in the field and the replication dynamic (production of aluminum and iron constructions, production of agricultural machinery companies and companies activated in the manufacturing of electrical equipment, among others).

For more information on the project, visit www.ieecp.org

Co-funded by the European Union under project ID 101075785. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

CONTACT PERSON

Marta Maia
marta@ieecp.org
+351 916 165 442

PARTNERS

Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas claimed

“With 200 million euros we are upgrading the energy efficiency of small and medium enterprises, the backbone of our national economy”

In Greece, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Kostas Skrekas, presented the new “Save – Business” Program, with a budget amounting to 200 million euros. The program aims to improve the energy efficiency of small and medium enterprises, and foresees among other eligible actions the upgrade of electromechanical equipment. As a minimum the program requires each project to achieve 35% reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The program as a whole is expected to contribute to the national energy efficiency targets, by reducing primary energy consumption by 380 GWh annually.

Link to full press release (Greek language only): https://ypen.gov.gr/kostas-skrekas-me-200-ekat-evro-anavathmizoume-tin-energeiaki-apodosi-mikromesaion-epicheiriseon-tis-rachokokalias-tis-ethnikis-mas-oikonomias/

Source: CRES, Dec 2022