Motors and frequency converters will usher in a golden period of development

　　Recently, the editor noticed that an administrative penalty decision published on the website of Credit China (Shandong) shows that: On April 8, 2022, during the comprehensive energy conservation supervision of Huaneng Jining Canal Power Generation Co., Ltd., the Jining Municipal Energy Bureau found that its The use of 8 sets of Y and YB series three-phase asynchronous motors, the energy-consuming equipment that has been explicitly eliminated by the state, is an illegal fact of using the energy-consuming equipment that has been explicitly eliminated by the state. In the end, the Jining Municipal Energy Bureau imposed an administrative penalty on Huaneng Jining Canal Power Generation Co., Ltd. for confiscation of the energy-using equipment (8 sets of YB and Y series motors) that the state had ordered to eliminate.

According to China’s latest mandatory national standard GB 18613-2020 “Energy Efficiency Limits and Energy Efficiency Grades for Electric Motors”, IE3 energy efficiency has become the lowest limit value of energy efficiency for three-phase asynchronous motors in China, and it is stipulated that enterprises are strictly prohibited from purchasing, using and producing products that are explicitly eliminated by the state. motor products.

　　In the above news, there are still companies using motors that do not meet the relevant standards. By looking at some news in recent years, the editor found that this is not an exception. In the equipment used by many enterprises, there are still a large number of motors that do not meet the high-efficiency standards, and many old motor equipment still use the IE1 or IE2 design. Prior to this, Air China Co., Ltd., Beijing Beizhong Steam Turbine Motor, Sany Heavy Industry and other companies had all been punished and confiscated for using motors that were explicitly eliminated by the state.

　　Motors and frequency converters will usher in a golden period of development

　　In November 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the “Motor Energy Efficiency Improvement Plan (2021-2023)”. reach more than 20%.

　　Looking at the current market, the share of high-efficiency and energy-saving motors is still relatively low, accounting for about 10%. According to a sample survey of 198 motors by domestic key enterprises conducted by the National Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for Small and Medium Motors, only 8% of them are high-efficiency and energy-saving motors that reach level 2 or above. However, because the replacement of energy-saving motors faces an increase in short-term costs, many companies take chances and do not replace them in time as required.

　　As the driving device of various mechanical equipment such as fans, pumps, compressors, machine tools, conveyor belts, etc., the motor is a high-energy-consuming power equipment with a large number of applications and a wide range of applications. Its power consumption accounts for about the entire industrial power consumption in China. more than 60%. Therefore, accelerating the promotion and application of high-efficiency and energy-saving motors, promoting enterprises in various industries to actively purchase and replace high-efficiency and energy-saving motors, and gradually phasing out low-efficiency and backward motors play an important role in achieving the “double carbon” goal.

　　In the communication with various enterprises and users, we have noticed that the combination of frequency converters and motors is one of the common practices for various enterprises to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction in recent years. Frequency converters control the speed of an AC motor by changing its supply frequency and voltage, and when high-efficiency motors are used in conjunction with frequency converters, significant energy savings can be achieved.

　　The inverter market is usually subdivided into two parts: high voltage and medium and low voltage. Most of the downstream of high voltage inverters are large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises with high energy consumption. Under the trend of environmental protection and energy saving, the market has maintained steady growth. Under the promotion of the “double carbon” goal, the frequency converter with adjustable speed and torque will also usher in a broad development space as a key component of motor control and energy saving and environmental protection.

　　Chinese brand VS foreign brand, which one to choose?

　　In order to further understand the use of high-efficiency motors and inverters, we conducted interviews with some industry users. During the communication, almost 100% of the enterprises indicated that they have fully realized the importance of energy conservation and consumption reduction, and are gradually phasing out some equipment or products with outdated production capacity, replacing energy-saving equipment and improving processes.

　　In the process of upgrading equipment, many users will first ask a question: which one is more suitable for the cost of purchasing a motor or the higher energy consumption?

From the perspective of short-term cost investment, the cost of high-efficiency motors is higher than that of traditional motors, and the power size and application requirements of the product will affect the specific cost. In the long run, high-efficiency motors have higher efficiency, longer lifespans, and more advantages under the general trend of energy conservation and emission reduction. Driven by policies and technologies, high-efficiency and energy-saving motors will continue to reduce costs, and the economy will further emerge. More and more customers are willing to invest in energy-saving products such as high-efficiency motors and inverters.

　　Data reference:

　　For example, taking the commonly used 15kW motor as an example, the efficiency of the IE3 motor is about 1.5% higher than that of the IE2 motor on average. During the entire life cycle of a motor, about 97% of the cost comes from electricity bills.

　　Therefore, assuming that a motor runs 3000 hours a year, the industrial electricity consumption is 0.65 yuan/kWh. Generally, after purchasing an IE3 motor for half a year, the electricity cost saved can offset the difference in the purchase cost of the IE3 compared to the IE2 motor.

　　In our communication with some users, we also indicated that the use of inverters and motors will also take into account various dimensions, such as software configuration, compatibility, specific parameters and what new functions it has. On this basis, we can compare prices. , so as to select the appropriate product.

　　Regardless of the application of the motor or the inverter, it ultimately depends on the technical level difference, that is, the energy saving and the precision. In this regard, many users also said that in terms of technology, the gap between domestic and foreign brands in the low-end and mid-end is not too big, and the quality and technology are relatively mature. The main difference is the price, generally foreign brands are 20% to 30% higher. If it is not specified by the customer’s project, many users say that they will also choose domestic brands, which are more cost-effective.

　　After years of accumulation, local inverter and motor brands have gradually expanded their market share. In particular, some domestic motors have almost no competitors and no substitute brands in certain industries. In terms of frequency converters, the gap between low-voltage frequency converters has narrowed significantly, and many companies have adopted domestic frequency converters. For medium and high voltage frequency converters, the market share of local enterprises has increased year by year, but they are still dominated by foreign brands. Among the domestic brands, the services of Inovance Technology and INVT are more prominent. When there is a problem with the equipment, these domestic brands can be dealt with on the spot as soon as possible, while the foreign brands have been affected by the delivery time problem in recent years, which has caused many users to choose Domestic brand.

　　In the exchange, many users mentioned that not only the products are better, but also the services are in place. At present, foreign brands generally have the problems of restricted import and export, shortage of stock and long delivery time. Inverters and other equipment are shipped by sea, which is greatly affected by logistics. Under the background of trade wars, product prices are also easily affected by import taxes. The uncertainty of the epidemic situation at home and abroad also has a greater impact on the development of the industry. The main raw materials of motors and inverters include electronic components, metal materials, etc., and the prices have fluctuated to a certain extent. In addition, the pressure of international freight rates and exchange rate fluctuations continues to reduce the profit margins of enterprises. Many enterprises have issued price increase notices. .

　　Foreign brands are complained just because the update is too fast?

　　”Almost every two or three years, the spare parts are replaced once in a year. Often the spare parts products on the production site cannot keep up with the replacement of the supplier’s products, resulting in a series of problems such as the discontinuation of the spare parts in the on-site production workshop and the inability to repair them in time.” “It has actually become one of the problems that foreign brands are complained about.

　　A user specifically stated that some foreign brand products are updated too quickly, and old products are removed too quickly. Some agents will stock up in advance, but if they buy from an agent, they will face a price increase. Moreover, among the price increase notices issued by some companies, the products with the highest increase are often products that are ready to be replaced (that is, about to be eliminated). This is the consistent practice of some foreign brands. The price of the products to be eliminated will increase, or even higher than the price of new products.

　　In our communication with users, although this view is only a minority, it also affects the reputation of some companies to a certain extent. Indeed, with the replacement of products, it is difficult to purchase spare parts for old products, and it is difficult to buy the exact same model as the original. Even if there is, it is expensive. If you change to a different manufacturer or upgrade products, the new generation of products and the old generation of products are not compatible in some parts. If it is returned to the factory for repair, not only the cost is high, but the cycle is also relatively long. It is also very inconvenient for users.

　　On the whole, domestic inverter and motor brands have more advantages in price and service. Although foreign brands are slightly insufficient in some aspects, there is still a gap between domestic brands in terms of reliability and performance of high-end product series.