UK Trade Association GAMBICA has created this VSD Energy Saving Calculator to demonstrate typical savings that can be obtained by using Variable Speed Drives to control pump and fan applications.

The calculator is intended as a first-pass indication tool to help decide if a VSD will bring energy savings to your application and what type of payback period may be expected.  In addition to showing energy savings as a monetary value, the calculator also estimated CO₂ savings. The results of the calculator are representative of saving that can be achieved for fan and pump application.

Energy saving screen shot

Once you have established if a VSD can offer energy savings, you should contact a member company such ABB Drives, Mitsubishi Electric UK, Omron or Schneider Electric for more detailed calculations on the precise energy saving potential.

Energy saving is attained by using a variable speed drive to vary the speed of the controlled motor to directly affect the output process variable, i.e. air or water flow.  In essence the larger the turn-down on the application process output variable, the higher the potential energy saving.   The fan/pump graph shows the typical characteristic of a centrifugal pump or fan application.

Fan/pump energy saving graph

The VSD energy saving calculator is an Excel based programme and can be downloaded from the GAMBICA website here

GAMBICA is the Trade Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation and Laboratory Technology in the UK. It has a membership of over 200 companies including the major multinationals in the sector and a significant number of smaller and medium sized companies.

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