Motors and Drives Incentives for Business

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.  We plan to add a motor for a new application, in an existing facility.  Is this considered existing or new construction, for purposes of calculating baseline energy usage?
 
A1.  Existing facilities should consider the currently installed equipment when calculating the baseline energy usage.  New construction projects should use EPACT minimum motor efficiencies when calculating the baseline energy use.  If an existing facility is adding a motor for a new application (i.e. – an additional chilled water pump motor) then this should be considered new construction and EPACT efficiency used for the baseline case.

 
Q2.  Is there a per-application or per-facility limit on incentives?
 
A2. As described in the Terms and Conditions, the incentive provided by any FirstEnergy business program will not exceed the total equipment cost for the project.

Q3.  Does it matter what the motors/drives are used for?
 
A3.  No.  The motors may be used for any commercial or industrial application that operates at least 3,000 hours per year.  Please describe the motor use in the first column of the Motor Inventory form, using the list of abbreviations on page 3.  If your motor use is not in the list of provided abbreviations, please describe the application.  (i.e. – high lift pump motor, industrial process motor, etc)

Q4.  What if we replace an existing motor with a new motor of different horsepower?  Can we still qualify for the incentive? 

A4.  Yes. Replacing an existing motor with a new motor of a smaller size is an eligible project.  However, if the new motor is greater than 200 hp (nominal rating) and/or the project will involve a change in the annual operating hours, then the project should be submitted to the Custom Incentives for Business program.

Q5.  I am replacing an existing Variable Speed Drive with a new, Variable Frequency Drive.  Can I apply to the Motors and Drives program?

A5.  No.  The Variable Speed Drive incentives are only available for the installation of a new, electronic VSD on applications where no speed control of any kind existed previously.  If you are replacing an existing speed control, your project may be eligible for the Custom Incentives for Business program.

 
Q6.  What does NEMA stand for?

A6.  National Electrical Manufacturers Association.