[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24923]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

 

Motor Challenge Showcase Demonstration Projects

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice inviting participation.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is interested in obtaining 
proposals from industrial electric motor system end users for projects 
that are intended to demonstrate and ``showcase'' electric motor system 
energy efficiency, productivity, and environmental improvement in 
varied industrial or municipal facilities and settings. Projects 
selected by DOE will become ``Showcase Demonstrations'' and are part of 
a larger, Federally-sponsored (DOE) program that is an industry-driven 
collaborative effort called MOTOR CHALLENGE. The experiences and 
successful results to be gained from the Showcase Demonstrations will 
be used to encourage other U.S. industrial companies with similar 
applications to adopt efficient electric motor systems, and therefore, 
to increase the market penetration of efficient electric motor systems 
on a widespread basis within the U.S.

DATES: To guarantee consideration, preliminary proposals must be 
received by January 18, 1995. Preliminary-proposals shall be considered 
as meeting the deadline if they are either: (1) received on or before 
the deadline date or, (2) postmarked on or before the deadline date. 
Preliminary-proposals which do not meet the deadline will be considered 
late applications and may not be considered. The preliminarily-accepted 
Showcase Demonstrations are projected to be announced by approximately 
February, 1995 and will be asked by DOE to provide final-proposals. The 
final proposals scheduled due date is approximately March, 1995. DOE is 
expected to finalize Showcase Demonstration project selection by 
approximately April, 1995. The initial Showcase Demonstration Workshop 
is scheduled to take place in May, 1995. It is envisioned that selected 
projects will have a duration of no more than 18 months, and therefore, 
projects are expected to be completed (the project's costs and benefits 
defined and validated) by September, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Preliminary-proposals and MOTOR CHALLENGE Partnership 
applications should be submitted to the MOTOR CHALLENGE Information 
Clearinghouse: MOTOR CHALLENGE Information Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 
43171, Olympia, Washington 98504-3171.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive further information on the 
MOTOR CHALLENGE Partnership, to obtain application forms for the 
Partnership, or to make inquiries related to the Showcase Demonstration 
projects, call the MOTOR CHALLENGE Hotline at 1-800-862-2086.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MOTOR CHALLENGE program is designed to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased market penetration of 
efficient electric motor systems. It is expected that industry 
participants will achieve increased electric motor system efficiency 
through the system integration of a variety of technology and 
application options including: energy efficient electric motors, 
adjustable speed drives, and motor-driven equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, 
and compressors) within industrial operations and processes. DOE is 
carrying out the MOTOR CHALLENGE program with industrial and 
manufacturing companies, municipalities, electric motor and drive 
manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors, 
utilities, energy service companies, research institutes, other Federal 
agencies, state energy agencies, public interest groups, and other 
supporting organizations. DOE will be the Federal agency with the 
responsibility of selecting Showcase Demonstration projects, and will 
then develop an Agreement between the government and the respective 
selected companies.
    The MOTOR CHALLENGE program was launched on October 19, 1993 by the 
Federal government (DOE) and industry with the signing of the MOTOR 
CHALLENGE Compact (dated October 13, 1993). As stated within the MOTOR 
CHALLENGE Compact, DOE would issue an appropriate notice to solicit 
participants in the MOTOR CHALLENGE Showcase Demonstrations. This 
notice satisfies such a commitment by DOE. Projects selected as 
Showcase Demonstrations by DOE will be those of greater interest as 
discussed under the Technical Evaluation Criteria and Review Process 
section. Project teams selected to participate will receive a variety 
of technical assistance from DOE, but will not receive financial 
assistance to implement the demonstration projects. Other projects that 
are evaluated and determined to be technically feasible and 
interesting, but are not selected as Showcase Demonstrations, will be 
recognized by DOE for inclusion as MOTOR CHALLENGE Case Study Briefs. 
All Case Study Brief project teams will be encouraged by DOE to 
continue their efficient electric motor system deployment. All Case 
Study Brief teams will be informed of the Showcase Demonstration 
projects' progress and experiences. The achievements and successful 
results from any Case Study Brief project can be recognized through the 
voluntary reporting of the energy savings and the associated greenhouse 
gas emission reductions into the DOE Electric Motor Systems Database by 
the industrial end-user project team.
    As one condition of proposing to be a Showcase Demonstration, DOE 
requires that each company, organization, and/or agency of a proposing 
team, simultaneously join the MOTOR CHALLENGE Partnership by submitting 
an appropriately completed application. (The availability of 
application forms is discussed in For Further Information Contact 
section above).

Benefits of Industry Participation

    Industry will receive many benefits to participating as a MOTOR 
CHALLENGE Showcase Demonstration project team. The principal benefit of 
participation is for an individual company to achieve energy 
efficiency, productivity, and environmental performance goals faster 
than otherwise. This will primarily be accomplished by the adoption of 
a ``systems approach'' in the way electric motor and drives are 
utilized within industrial operations and processes. Participation in 
the Showcase Demonstration projects provides leveraged access to 
technical assistance, and more reliable information. Participants will 
use the experiences of the Showcase Demonstrations to replicate 
opportunities within similar applications. In addition, participants 
will gain national recognition for taking a leadership role in a unique 
industry/government partnership. A secondary benefit of participation 
is to catalyze and to solidify strategic alliances among team members 
that otherwise would be more difficult to initiate and/or to maintain.
    Specifically, the MOTOR CHALLENGE Showcase Demonstration project 
teams will be provided the following technical assistance and special 
access to DOE-funded activities:

(1) Input to Development of Technical Tools and Best Practices

    DOE will support the development of design-decision tools, best 
practices, and guidelines on various electric motor system application 
topics (e.g., motors, adjustable speed drives, pumps, fans, 
compressors, etc.). Teams will provide input to DOE to ensure that the 
tools, materials, and procedures developed, appropriately meet 
industry's design and decision-making, needs and requirements.

(2) Performance Validation

    DOE will pay for appropriate engineering consulting assistance to 
advise Showcase Demonstration teams on performance validation issues. 
Working jointly with individual teams, the consultants will assist and 
advise teams on the development and design of reliable experimental and 
performance measurement techniques so that the demonstration's costs 
and benefits can be validated. At the completion of each project the 
engineering consultants will prepare an independent performance 
validation.

(3) Case Study Documentation and Dissemination

    DOE will pay for the development and documentation of a 
comprehensive case history for each Showcase Demonstration, and will 
disseminate the case study results subject to team member's and 
independent performance validator's review and approval. Likewise, DOE 
will provide a compendium of Case Study Briefs.

(4) Access to Experts Group

    Through Oak Ridge National Lab, DOE will assemble an Experts Group 
of consultants, comprising of experts in, for example, electric motors, 
drives, fluid handling equipment, specific process industries, power 
systems, etc. Reasonable access to the Experts Group will be provided 
to the teams to acquire technical assistance and advice.

(5) Participation in Showcase Demonstration Workshops

    Team members will be invited to DOE-sponsored workshops where all 
Showcase Demonstration teams will be provided the opportunity to 
exchange valuable information and to discuss common implementation 
experiences with industry counterparts. These workshops will also serve 
to inform participants of the latest available technology.

Benefits to the Government

    The knowledge and experiences of the Showcase Demonstrations will 
be used in future DOE efforts to assist industry in replicating and 
implementing efficient electric motor systems. DOE intends that the 
long-term result of highlighting the exemplary and cost-effective 
benefits of the Showcase Demonstrations is the accelerated and 
increased market penetration of efficient electric motor systems within 
U.S. industry. The deployment of efficient industrial electric motor 
systems will contribute significantly to greater energy efficiency, 
reduced primary/source energy consumption, deferred new power 
generation capacity, improved industrial productivity and 
competitiveness, and enhanced environmental protection for the United 
States.

Eligible Project Teams

    Only industrial or municipal electric motor system ``end-users'' 
are eligible to submit project preliminary-proposals, and for those 
preliminarily-selected as Showcase Demonstrations, final proposals. 
``End-users'' are defined as those companies who own and operate the 
facility where the demonstration will occur. In addition to end-user 
participation, a project team may involve other partners including, but 
not limited to, motor and drive manufacturers, original equipment 
manufacturers (OEMs), distributors, utilities, energy service 
companies, state energy offices, research institutions, etc. End-user 
proposers are encouraged to include such participation. Other non-end 
user entities are also encouraged to catalyze and support preliminary-
proposal submission by end-user project teams.

Industry Showcase Demonstration Project Team Obligations

    Each proposing project team will themselves provide all the funding 
to support necessary design, equipment specification, purchase, and 
installation for the efficient electric motor systems to be 
demonstrated, along with all the measurement equipment and 
instrumentation to validate and substantiate all claims of performance 
and benefits achieved. (A limited amount of supplementary measurement 
equipment and instrumentation may be provided by DOE).
    Teams will provide DOE with sufficient data to substantiate and 
document the energy and environmental performance of the project and 
the economic benefit/cost of the result. Additionally, teams will 
provide appropriate information to DOE to allow for DOE contractors to 
document a comprehensive case study and to perform an independent 
performance validation. For activities within the Showcase 
Demonstration, DOE will respect all proprietary interests to which 
selected demonstration hosts are entitled. These activities will be 
addressed in the previously referenced Agreement between DOE and the 
project team.

Showcase Demonstration Team's Intellectual Property Rights

    The Agreements to be signed by DOE and each MOTOR CHALLENGE 
Showcase Demonstration project team does not envision a commitment by 
the Participants to perform research and development. DOE's 
intellectual property policies will not apply to Participant's 
inventions because the work performed by the Participants in developing 
the demonstration projects for the MOTOR CHALLENGE Showcase 
Demonstrations are not wholly or partially funded by DOE. Therefore, 
rights to intellectual property developed by Participants and 
demonstrated at the MOTOR CHALLENGE Showcase Demonstrations will not 
vest in the United States Government. Language to this effect will be 
incorporated into any resulting Agreement.

Industry Sector Demonstrations of Interest

    DOE will only consider proposals within the following industrial 
sectors and standard industrial classifications (SICs):

(1) All manufacturing sectors within SICs 20 through 39;
(2) Agricultural production, crops and livestock (SICs 01 and 02);
(3) Mining operations--metals, coal, and nonmetallic minerals (SICs 10, 
12, and 14);
(4) Oil and gas extraction and exploration (SIC 13);
(5) Gas production and distribution (SIC 492);
(6) Water supply (SIC 494);
(7) Sewage systems (SIC 4952);
(8) Irrigation systems (SIC 4971);

Preliminary-Proposal Submission Format

    Preliminary-proposals are envisioned to be short (about 10 to 20 
pages) narratives that set out the principal features of the intended 
efficient motor system application. Only limited engineering effort is 
anticipated to be expended for these preliminary-proposals. The 
preliminary-proposal should include the following sections at a 
minimum:

Section 1--Project Abstract

    A brief abstract of the project should include:

(a) Project title
(b) Brief narrative describing the project (1 or 2 sentences);
(c) Proposing industrial end-user company;
(d) Management point of contact of end-user company (name, title, 
address, phone, fax);
(e) Supporting team member companies and organizations;
(f) Facility name and location where the demonstration is proposed.

Section 2--Description of the Project

    A description of the industrial application to include the kind of 
efficient electric motor system [drive, motor, and load] the proposed 
project is intended to address. Estimates of the energy, environmental, 
and economic costs and benefits that might reasonably be expected to 
result from an assumed successful demonstration [relative to the 
present or conventional system], should be presented. Also, 
extrapolated costs and benefits of the demonstrated system if it were 
to be replicated in other similar applications, within the proposer's 
corporate facilities should be estimated.

Section 3--Facility Description

    A description of the facility where the demonstration will occur to 
include:

(a) Geographic location;
(b) The type of product produced or service provided (SIC code, if 
known);
(c) The approximate number of people employed at the facility;
(d) Approximate annual electricity costs.
(e) The approximate demographics of the motors and drives at the 
facility (number, range of sizes, types of motors and drives, typical 
driven load, etc.).

Section 4--Technical Approach of Demonstration

    A description of the technical approach of how and where the 
demonstration will be implemented within the facility should be 
explained. The level of complexity of the project should be described. 
Only technical information that supports the technical validity and the 
likelihood of success of the demonstration project should be provided. 
Also, a rough description of the technique and methodology to be 
employed to measure and evaluate the performance of the demonstration 
should be provided.

Section 5--Project Team Qualifications

    The qualifications and role of each participating project team 
member, company or organization should be described. A description of 
key project personnel (project manager, engineering staff, consultants, 
etc.) qualifications including relevant skills, work experience, and 
education should be briefly summarized.

Section 6--Project Overall Estimated Cost and Resources

    The overall project cost should be estimated along with the 
approximate cost-share breakdown by all parties providing resources to 
the project.

Section 7--Letter of Intent

    Appropriate upper management within the industrial end-user company 
must provide a letter of intent to support the demonstration project. 
This letter will show evidence that the company upper management (e.g., 
Vice President, Engineering Director/Manager, Plant Manager, etc.) is 
aware, endorses, and is supportive of the project at the proposed 
facility, and the company will provide some level of resources to the 
project, if selected.

Section 8--MOTOR CHALLENGE Application Forms

    Each participating proposing Showcase Demonstration team member 
company or organization must join the MOTOR CHALLENGE program by 
submitting an appropriately completed application. Applications can be 
obtained by calling the MOTOR CHALLENGE hotline number at 1-800-862-
2086. This section should contain all completed application forms.

Availability of Federal Funds

    Approximately $2 million in FY 1995 of Federal funds is expected to 
be available to support the activities, authorized pursuant to Section 
2101 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, 42 U.S.C 13451, in support of 
the Showcase Demonstrations. These Federal funds will be managed 
through the DOE Office of Industrial Technologies' Electric Motor 
Systems program. Subject to the availability of appropriated funds, up 
to 25 proposals may be selected as Showcase Demonstrations in 
accordance with the evaluation criteria stated below. All selected 
Showcase Demonstration projects will receive no Federal financial 
assistance, but will be provided technical assistance by DOE as 
stipulated above.

Technical Evaluation Criteria and Review Process

    Preliminary-proposals and final proposals will be reviewed and 
technically evaluated by the Review Panel of DOE-selected experts. The 
preliminary-proposal evaluation is to preliminarily accept a 
comprehensive set of projects for which detailed engineering and final 
proposals will be prepared as Showcase Demonstration projects. As 
mentioned above, other technically-interesting preliminary-proposals 
that are not selected as Showcase Demonstrations may be selected as 
Case Study Briefs.

Preliminary-Proposal Technical Evaluation Criteria

    All preliminary-proposals submitted in response to this notice will 
be technically evaluated by four major categories as follows:
    (Category 1) Overall technical merit. The overall technical merit 
will consider such factors as:
    (a) The technical description of the proposed Showcase 
Demonstration project that supports the practicality and likelihood 
that the project will achieve success and the benefits claimed;
    (b) The description provided by the proposer as to how the 
demonstration's performance will be measured. That is, the proposer 
must illustrate that reliable and defendable performance measurement 
techniques will be employed to ascertain the project's costs and 
benefits.
    (Category 2) Economic significance if the project were to be 
successfully replicated within the company and throughout the United 
States. Factors to be evaluated that will influence the ability of the 
Showcase Demonstration to impact the market are:
    (a) The estimated benefit/cost of the demonstration and some 
indication of cost-effectiveness (e.g., life-cycle cost, payback, 
internal return on investment) of the proposed electric motor and drive 
system technologies to be employed. That is, the life-cycle cost 
advantages of the technology to be demonstrated relative to 
conventional technology or systems that would accomplish the same 
process output, function, or duty;
    (b) The qualitative level of productivity gain and non-energy cost 
savings from the application;
    (c) The comparative significance of estimated energy cost savings 
were the demonstration to be replicated more broadly at the facility 
and within the end-user's company. The opportunity for a demonstration 
to be replicated in like processes, operations, and facilities, and the 
order of magnitude of the energy cost savings;
    (Category 3) Energy and environmental impact for the company. The 
magnitude and technical basis of the energy resource conservation and 
environmental benefits of the demonstration should be determined on a 
qualitative basis by considering the impact on primary fuel consumption 
and utilization at the source, even if off-site. (The emission 
reductions should be estimated very roughly by showing the relative 
types and relative amounts of fuels to be saved or used).
    (Category 4) Qualifications of critical personnel on the project 
team. The qualifications of key personnel on the project will be 
evaluated in relation to their skills, work experience, and education 
relative to the required work tasks to accomplish the proposed project.

Preliminary-Proposal Policy and Programmatic Factors and Applications 
of Greater Interest

    DOE will use policy and programmatic factors to select the 
preliminary-proposals of greater interest. To attempt to ensure that a 
broadly representative group of proposals are selected, DOE will seek 
diversity in the Showcase Demonstrations selected by considering: 
geographical location, application type, industry type, and facility 
size (e.g., annual electricity costs) of the Showcase Demonstration.
    DOE prefers proposals for projects that are no further along than 
the engineering design stage. However, if a project is further along, 
DOE will consider the project as a Showcase Demonstration candidate, if 
a reliable and defendable methodology of establishing a performance 
baseline of a conventional system is available. For example, if another 
conventional system is currently operating, and a performance baseline 
of the conventional operating system can be measured and reliably 
compared to the demonstration project, then this would be acceptable to 
DOE.
    DOE has identified the following seven broad technical applications 
as those in which it is most interested in receiving Showcase 
Demonstration proposals:
    (1) Applications where new efficient electric motor and drive 
designs are creatively and cost-effectively integrated within specific 
mechanical component systems (e.g., pumps, fans, compressors, etc.), or 
processes so as to yield improved energy efficiency, productivity 
improvement, and reduced life-cycle cost relative to typical 
conventional operating systems.
    (2) Applications where an efficient electric motor and drive system 
replaces a less efficient heat-engine/mechanical drive system (e.g., 
steam turbine) to yield primary energy savings, productivity 
improvement, and environmental improvement both at the facility and on 
a global basis.
    (3) New manufacturing production lines where state-of-the-art motor 
and drive system utilization results in energy efficiency and 
productivity improvement compared to similar conventional operations.
    (4) Novel electric motor, drive, and mechanical system retrofits 
that are more optimally matched to yield overall improved system energy 
efficiency, reliability, and productivity improvement.
    (5) Demonstration of exemplary electric motor and drive system 
management policies and maintenance practices that result in higher 
process reliability and gradual, but continual, overall energy 
efficiency improvement. Topical areas of interest could be motor repair 
and rewind techniques, electrical distribution improvement, and 
mechanical system maintenance and optimization.
    (6) Demonstrations that identify and implement the solution to 
power quality problems, and by doing so, effectively increases total 
system efficiency and productivity. Specifically, projects addressing 
the impact of power quality on motor drives and other motor system 
components which quantify the true cost/benefits of power quality 
enhancement with respect to total motor system efficiency, reliability 
and productivity.
    (7) Implementation and retrofit of efficient motor and drive 
systems on industrial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) 
equipment or motor-driven industrial process heating or cooling 
systems. These systems should be integrated creatively and cost-
effectively within an entire, or a portion of, an industrial facility 
or process to yield improved energy efficiency, reduced life-cycle cost 
in an environmentally-acceptable manner. [HVAC for industrial or 
manufacturing facilities are only of interest, not HVAC for space 
conditioning of an office or commercial facility].
    Projects could involve a single unit of equipment, a unit 
operation, a series of replicable equipment, an entire process, or an 
entire facility. In general, proposals are desired which could lead to 
demonstrably higher U.S. industrial productivity, energy efficiency, 
environmental enhancement, and improved competitiveness once the 
application is replicated on a widespread basis throughout the United 
States. This listing is meant to be illustrative, not exclusive.

Final Proposal Technical Evaluation Criteria and Review Process

    The final proposers will be encouraged to develop a fuller, 
engineered/technical proposal. The final proposals then submitted will 
reflect more detailed engineering, energy, environmental, and economic 
assessment. While there is no set format for the final proposals as 
yet, emphasis will be upon:
    (1) The technical soundness and concise explanation of the proposal 
and its benefits;
    (2) A clear commitment from the proposing team to provide resources 
for the project;
    (3) The techniques and methodologies envisioned to measure and 
validate the demonstration's performance;
    (4) The quality of the management plan to reach and achieve the 
stated goals of the project;
    (5) The potential impact of the project to reduce market barriers 
and accelerate the deployment of efficient electric motor systems.
    The recommendations of the technical merit review will be provided 
by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Experts Review Panel to 
representatives of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Industrial 
Technologies. Final selection will be made by the Assistant Secretary 
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 3, 1994.
Robert L. San Martin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Utility Technologies.
[FR Doc. 94-24923 Filed 10-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P