ROSSLYN, Va. - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has announced that the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has named NEMA Premium® motors as the standard for purchase for federal facilities.

"Adoption of NEMA Premium by FEMP as the federal motors efficiency standard clearly signals our country's willingness to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Emerson Motor Company's Rob Boteler, chairman of NEMA's Motors and Generators Section Energy Management Task Force. "NEMA fully expects many industrial and commercial motors users to follow the federal example and specify only NEMA Premium motors."

FEMP issued notice of the new standard to all federal agencies on the procurement of premium efficient motors. The basis for the standard is the comments jointly submitted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and NEMA.

Specifically, EPAct 2005 section 104 requires that federal agencies procure only Energy Star-qualified products or FEMP-designated products.

This key provision requires that agencies use the premium efficiency definition consistent with the criteria for Energy Star and FEMP-designated products when specifying procurements involving energy-consuming products and systems. Such specifications must be included in all construction, renovation, and services contracts that include provision of energy-consuming products and systems. They must also be used in the evaluation criteria of offers received in response to competitive solicitations.

Finally, section 104 requires that Energy Star products and FEMP-designated products shall be clearly identified and prominently displayed in any inventory or listing of products by the General Services Administration (GSA) or the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The act directs GSA and DLA to supply only Energy Star products or FEMP-designated products for all product categories covered by these programs, except in cases where the purchasing agency specifies in writing that (1) no Energy Star product or FEMP-designated product is available that would meet the buyer's functional requirements, or (2) no such product is cost-effective.

The new FEMP specifications are based on the efficiency criteria set by the NEMA Premium Efficiency Motors Program. For low-voltage motors up to 200 hp, the same FEMP and NEMA Premium efficiency criteria are also used by CEE's Premium Efficiency Motors Initiative. FEMP has now extended the designation of premium-efficient motors to include medium-voltage electric motors (up to 5 kV) with rated capacities up to 500 hp.

Publication date: 03/06/2006