Free program calculates efficiency savings

Siemens has developed a program which calculates the energy savings possible by adopting high-efficiency motors and variable-speed drives. The Sinasave program, available as a free download from the company`s Web site, evaluates not just individual drives, but the entire drive chain.

When looking at fixed-speed applications, the program calculates the potential energy-savings and the payback period of changing to a higher efficiency motor.

For variable-speed applications, the program requests information such as characteristics of the application - in the case of pumps, for example, delivery heads and volumes - as well as information on the expected operating patterns. From this it calculates how much energy and money could be saved by adopting a VSD.

The program also assesses the effects of other cost-reducing moves such as using pole-changing motors, improving the power factor in variable-speed applications, or removing mechanical closed-loop controls.

Payback periods are determined by offsetting the purchase, planning, engineering, integration and start-up costs against the possible savings.

The program, which is available in nine languages, displays the results in the form of characteristic curves and shows potential cash savings. It converts various units of measurement automatically into standard units.