What is datasheet IND240?
Datasheet IND240 - Installation of a variable speed drive on an industrial electric motor - is one of the datasheets with the greatest CAE generation potential in the MITECO catalogue. It applies when a variable frequency drive (VFD) is installed on an electric motor that previously ran at a fixed speed, allowing the motor speed to be adjusted to the real demand of the process.
This datasheet is particularly relevant for motors driving pumps, fans, compressors and other equipment with variable load, where reducing the speed generates significant savings according to the affinity laws of turbomachinery.
Scope of application
Datasheet IND240 applies when the following conditions are met:
- The electric motor is located in an industrial installation
- The motor previously ran at a fixed speed (without a drive)
- A variable frequency drive that allows the speed to be modulated is installed
- The motor drives a load with variable demand (pump, fan, compressor, etc.)
Calculation formula
The annual final energy saving is calculated as follows:
Saving (kWh/year) = P_motor (kW) x H (h/year) x FC x %Reduction
Where:
- P_motor: rated power of the electric motor (kW)
- H: annual operating hours of the motor
- FC: average load factor of the motor (between 0 and 1)
- %Reduction: percentage of consumption reduction attributable to the drive (between 20% and 50% depending on the type of load and the demand profile)
The total CAE equals the annual saving: in Spain only one year of saving is counted, it is not multiplied by the useful life of the action.
Practical example
An industrial plant with a 75 kW extraction fan:
- Motor power: 75 kW
- Operating hours: 6.000 h/year (3 shifts)
- Load factor: 0,70
- Estimated reduction with drive: 30%
Saving = 75 kW x 6.000 h x 0,70 x 0,30 = 94.500 kWh/year = 94,5 MWh/year Total CAE = 94,5 MWh Valuation: 94,5 MWh x 100 EUR/MWh = 9.450 EUR
This example illustrates why datasheet IND240 is one of the most profitable in the catalogue: a single variable speed drive on a 75 kW motor can generate more than 36.000 EUR in CAE.
Factors influencing the reduction percentage
The percentage of consumption reduction depends mainly on the type of load and the demand profile:
- Centrifugal pumps: 25% to 50% reduction (the power/speed relationship is cubic)
- Fans: 20% to 45% reduction (same cubic law)
- Screw compressors: 15% to 35% reduction (less favourable relationship)
- Conveyors and belts: 10% to 25% reduction (more constant load)
The ENAC verifier will expect the declared reduction percentage to be justified by real measurements or by technical references from the drive manufacturer.
Required documentation
- D1: motor nameplate (power, speed, current starting method), diagram of the installation without a drive
- D2: technical datasheet of the installed variable frequency drive, installation certificate
- D3: purchase and installation invoice for the drive
- D4: photographs of the motor before (without drive) and after (with drive installed and operating)
- D5: justification calculation of the saving (generated automatically by CertificAhorro)
Common mistakes with datasheet IND240
- Declaring a reduction percentage without technical justification (the verifier will request supporting evidence)
- Applying the datasheet to a motor that already had a soft starter (this is not the same as a drive)
- Failing to properly document the motor's operating hours
- Confusing the rated power of the motor with the actual absorbed power
- Not including the motor nameplate in the D1 documentation
IND240 vs TER240: which datasheet to apply?
Datasheet IND240 applies to motors in industrial installations (warehouses, factories, production plants). For drives installed in tertiary buildings (offices, hotels, shopping centres), the applicable datasheet is TER240, which uses the same calculation formula but with a different scope of application. The correct choice is important because a classification error can lead to the file being rejected by the ENAC verifier.