40 n BUILDING SERVICES March 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com Motor upgrades could save enough to power 18,000 homes CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, has worked with ABB to identify signi cant energysaving potential in the cooling and ventilation systems at its site in Geneva, Switzerland. Under a research partnership, the two organisations carried out energy e ciency audits which helped to identify potential savings of 17.4% across a eet of around 800 motors operating at the site. They found possible annual energy savings of up to 31GWh which, if implemented in full, would be enough to power more than 18,000 typical European homes, and could avoid 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions – the same as planting more than 420,000 trees. Between 2022 and 2023, experts from the two organisations assessed data from the motors used in various cooling and ventilation applications at the laboratory. They combined data from multiple sources, including digitally-connected motors, CERN’s Scada system, and data gathered directly from pumps, piping and instrumentation. An analysis of the e ciency of the whole system helped to pinpoint the motors with the best business case for e ciency upgrades. CERN is using the data to to upgrade motors with the biggest energy-saving potential, with projected payback times of less than two years. The audit recommended using IE5e ciency synchronous reluctance motors controlled by VSDs (variable speed drives). The digitally connected motors will enable condition monitoring to check their health and performance to maximise uptime. “The collaboration with ABB was set up with the aim of optimising the laboratory’s cooling and ventilation infrastructure to reduce its energy consumption and is in line with CERN’s commitment to minimise its environmental footprint as well as to share the ndings publicly for the greater impact on society,” explains Giovanni Anelli, head of CERN’s knowledge transfer group. “It’s a great example of a collaboration where each side brings their own contribution to the table. CERN brings its large-scale infrastructure and ABB contributes with its technology and service expertise. We are very happy with the nal result of this research project as we have exceeded our goal of identifying a 10-15% energy e ciency improvement.” “Cooling and ventilation systems are a fantastic rst place to look for energy e ciency upgrades,” adds Erich Labuda, president of ABB’s motion services division. “This is because they are often overdesigned, being speci ed to operate at a maximum load way above the average. In fact, we found one pump motor at CERN with an energy-saving potential of 64%. It is also important to not just evaluate motor e ciency, but the system as a whole – including the fans, condensers and cooling towers. This holistic approach supports the improvement of CERN’s overall energy e ciency and reliability. “This research project represents another step in CERN’s energy e ciency journey,” Labuda continues. “As an institution with a large installed base of motors, working with CERN is a great example of how we can support in making a big impact in improving energy e ciency as part of the transition to a low-carbon society.” n An energy audit of the 800 motors used for cooling and ventilation at CERN’s laboratory in Switzerland has revealed potential energy savings of 17.4% – enough to power more than 18,000 European homes. CERN is home to the 27km-long Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator. Images: CERN Two of the 800 motors that CERN uses in its cooling and ventilation installations
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