Baldor has released the latest version of its new software estimating tool that enables users to evaluate the energy efficiency of electric motors and variable speed drives. Known as BE$T, the Baldor Energy Savings Tool can be downloaded free of charge from the company’s Web site. The software analyzes the efficiency and annual electricity usage of users’ existing motors, and calculates the cost savings that can be achieved by replacing them with equivalent higher efficiency models. Built-in motor performance and pricing information enables the software to suggest optimum replacements and to estimate the investment payback period, according to the company.Baldor’s BE$T program runs on any standard PC. Data can either be input from the computer’s keyboard or imported from a Microsoft Excel file – both methods employ drop-down menus and are backed by extensive built-in help. A single screen is used for setting all preferences and global project data, such as local currency, electricity costs, supply frequency, default motor load, etc. The results are available immediately – simply clicking on the Instant Cost Calculation button will show the amount of energy being used by the existing motor, together with the amount that would be used by comparable Baldor Standard-E (IEC IE2 rated or NEMA ‘Energy Efficient’) and Super-E (IEC IE3 or NEMA ‘Premium Efficient’) models. The results screen also shows the purchase cost of the motors and the payback period, and provides a direct link to a full motor specification. A built-in report writer function facilitates the creation of a simple summary or detailed report, with an export feature allowing the results to be output to an Excel file for further analysis or archiving.
