Q-Sync High Efficiency 9-12 Watt Fan Motors.
Performer: QM Power Inc. – Lee’s Summit, MO
Partners: Oak Ridge National Labs – Oak Ridge, TN
DOE Funding: $1,004,653
Cost Share: $1,004,653
Project Term: October 1, 2014 - March 31, 2018
Funding Opportunity: DE-FOA-0001084 – Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
QM Power’s Q-Sync™ is an innovative, highly efficient, and cost-effective motor technology. Utilizing DOE SBIR funding, QM Power has developed advanced Q-Sync fan motor technology for 9-12 watt commercial refrigeration fan applications and is launching its first product lines targeting both new and existing commercial refrigeration equipment. For this project, QM Power will team with Oak Ridge National Labs, market leading OEMs, subject matter experts, end users, retrofit contractors, and utilities to install and demonstrate approximately 10,000 high-efficiency Q-Sync fan motors in over 50 grocery sites throughout the U.S.
The Q-Sync technology uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor topology and a simple, patented, low-cost switching method to achieve a higher efficiency than any other commercial refrigeration fan motor currently on the market. Q-Sync is nearly three times more efficient than shaded pole (19% to 75% improvement), and inherently more efficient than other induction, PSC or ECM/BLDC state-of-the-art motor offerings. Q-Sync also has a 50%+ power factor advantage over ECM designs and can be offered at the same cost as ECMs. Utilizing Q-Sync fan motor technology provides the equivalent of taking at least one of every two motors off the grid without a cost premium. Cost savings to project end users will be achieved without upfront costs by leveraging energy efficiency rebates and loan programs with partner utilities eliminating payback periods.
PROJECT IMPACT
The Q-Sync technology also has numerous HVAC motor applications in addition to commercial refrigeration fan motors. If fully commercialized and adopted, QM Power’s technologies have the potential to achieve over 0.6 quads and over $1 billion of energy savings in building applications. This highly visible DOE demonstration project will greatly accelerate market adoption of this important, energy saving technology.
CONTACTS
DOE Technology Manager: Charles Llenza
Lead Performer: PJ Piper, QM Power Inc.