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Small Electric Motors 

This page presents information 

on test procedures, energy 

conservation standards, and 

rulemaking activities for small 

electric motors. 

Statutory Authority 

Part A–1 of title III of the 

Energy Policy and Conservation 

Act (EPCA) provides for an 

energy conservation program 

for certain commercial and 

industrial equipment (42 U.S.C. 

6311–6317). In particular, 

section 346(b)(1) of EPCA 

directs the Secretary of Energy 

to prescribe testing 

requirements and energy 

conservation standards for 

those small electric motors for 

which the Secretary determines 

that standards would be 

technologically feasible and 

economically justified, and 

would result in significant 

energy savings. (42 U.S.C. 6317

(b)(1)) 

On July 10, 2006, the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) 

completed its determination 

analysis for small electric 

motors. In this study, the 

Secretary of Energy determined 

that energy conservation 

standards for small electric 

motors appeared to be 

technologically feasible and 

economically justified, and 

would result in significant 

energy savings. Accordingly, 

DOE developed test procedures 

EERE Information Center 

Programs and Offices 

Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards: Small Electric Motors Page 1 of 4

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/small_electric_m... 3/31/2010

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 COMMENT 37
to measure the efficiency of 

small electric motors. DOE will 

also evaluate whether to 

establish energy conservation 

standards for small electric 

motors, and if so, at what level. 

Some of the following 

documents are available as 

Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download 

Adobe Reader. 

Test Procedures 

DOE prescribes test procedures 

to measure the energy 

efficiency of certain singlephase and polyphase small 

electric motors in the July 7, 

2009 final rule. In addition, it 

(1) incorporates by reference 

industry test procedures already 

in use for measuring the 

efficiency of these types of 

small motors, (2) clarifies 

definitions that apply to small 

electric motors, and (3) 

provides the requirements for 

determining small electric motor 

efficiency by testing or by 

application of an alternative 

method. 

z Final Rule: Test 

Procedures for Small 

Electric Motors, Federal 

Register, 74 FR 32059, 

July 7, 2009 (PDF 168 

KB) 

z Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking: Test 

Procedures for Electric 

Motors, Federal Register, 

73 FR 78220, December 

22, 2008 (PDF 372 KB) 

z Electric Motors Test 

Procedures Public Meeting 

Energy Conservation 

Standards 

Final Rule 

z Energy Conservation 

Program: Energy 

Conservation Standards 

for Small Electric Motors; 

Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards: Small Electric Motors Page 2 of 4

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/small_electric_m... 3/31/2010

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 COMMENT 37
March 9, 2010 (PDF 424 

KB) 

z Energy Conservation 

Standards Program: 

Energy Conservation 

Standards for Small 

Electric Motors: Finding of 

No Significant Impact, 

February 22, 2010 (PDF 

134 KB) 

z Technical Support 

Document 

z Analytical Spreadsheets 

Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking 

z Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking, Federal 

Register, 74 FR 61410 

November 24, 2009 (PDF 

3.7 MB) 

z Public Meeting 

z Technical Support 

Document 

z Analytical Spreadsheets 

Notice of Public Meeting and 

Availability of Preliminary 

Technical Support Document 

z Notice of Public Meeting 

and Availability of the 

Preliminary Technical 

Support Document, 

Federal Register, 73 FR 

79723, December 30, 

2008 (PDF 64 KB) 

z Public Meeting 

z Preliminary Technical 

Support Document 

z Preliminary Analytical 

Spreadsheets 

Framework 

z Notice of Public Meeting 

and Availability of 

Framework Document, 

Federal Register, 72 FR 

44990, August 10, 2007 

(PDF 80 KB) 

z Framework Document, 

July 30, 2007 (PDF 321 

KB) 

Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards: Small Electric Motors Page 3 of 4

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/small_electric_m... 3/31/2010

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 COMMENT 37
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Content Last Updated: 03/12/2010 

Determination Analysis 

z Determination Concerning 

the Potential for Energy 

Conservation Standards 

for Small Electric Motors, 

Federal Register, 71 FR 

38799, July 10, 2006 

(PDF 112 KB) 

z Determination Analysis 

Technical Support 

Document: Analysis of 

Energy Conservation 

Standards for Small 

Electric Motors, June 2006 

(PDF 625 KB) 

Contact Information 

James Raba

Project Manager 

202-586-8654 

Printable Version 

Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards: Small Electric Motors Page 4 of 4

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/small_electric_m... 3/31/2010

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 COMMENT 37