Drives, motors + switchgear
the end of their lifespans – a survey will catalogue motors based on their expected lifespans to inform maintenance and replacement timelines. Update procurement policies and procedures Start updating your procurement policies and train procurement sta to support the MEPS transition. Vet motor suppliers to ensure they hold appropriate stock for replacements and can provide information on motor eiciency classes, performance tests, and warranty conditions to ensure quality and compliance. Provide training and update processes for procurement teams to support MEPS requirements and vendor assessments. Focus on TCO With a fit-for-purpose and well-maintained IE3 motor, businesses can recoup their investment costs within one to five years, or in some cases within months for continuously running motors. You are more likely to benefit from a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) when you replace an old motor with an IE3 model instead of repairing or rewiring it. Speak to eiciency experts and motor vendors to determine the best cost strategy. Prioritise high-performance workloads The sheer number of motors you rely on could overwhelm your best transition intentions. Manage this issue from the basis of creating motor inventories and then prioritising high- performance motors for first replacement. These are typically motors that run continuously, such as for HVAC systems, pumps, compressors, and escalators.
cost. If you replace those first, they maximise short-term savings and you gain more mileage from less impactful motors. The combined savings can help fund a steady rollout of replacement motors. The top electric motor vendors have the experience and skills to help with energy audits. Replace motors strategically Apart from a few exceptions, all electric motors will eventually be replaced by IE3 standard or better models. Rather than wait until the last minute to replace motors, which is costly, ineicient, and disruptive, you can strategically retire motors and spread out your capital investments. Selectively redeploy motors While MEPS covers a wide range of motor uses, you can redeploy some IE1 and IE2 motors to less demanding applications. “My advice to electric motor operators is: Don’t procrastinate! You either take advantage of the change, or it will force you to act. MEPS doesn’t mean you must replace everything right now, so you can use this window to revisit your motor inventory and plan for maintenance and replacement. By taking a phased approach, you’ll achieve compliance and proactively improve your overall motor management strategy,” says Steyn. Electric motor vendors like WEG Africa and their networks have the expertise and scope to discuss MEPS-related plans. Contact your trusted motor supplier and start a conversation about what will work best for your business. Reference [1] https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-eiciency-policy-opportunities-for- electric-motor-driven-systems
Use energy audits Energy audits will identify motors with the highest operational
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14 Electricity + Control FEBRUARY 2026
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