Variable Speed Drives (VSD)

Irish businesses spend over €317m each year on motive power applications. Commercial and industrial firms can use variable speed drives for a variety of purposes, including pumps, fans and blowers, hoists, cranes, machine tools, extruders and textile-fibre spinning machines. Variable speed drives can be applied to ac motors regardless of motor horsepower or location within a facility, and can be used to drive almost all types of motorised equipment.

The use of Variable Speed Drives can reduce electricity costs by between 20 and 50% on suitable pump and fan applications. The more time equipment operates at less than full load, the more energy will be saved with a VSD. They have lower maintenance costs than other speed control methods, can provide the opportunity to operate pumps and fans over a wide speed range and can reduce the number of different equipment sizes required on a given site.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has produced two case studies on Variable Speed Drives:
Case Study 4 - Variable Speed Drives at Premier Periclase Ltd., Drogheda
Case Study 5 - Variable Speed Drives at Ascend Communications International