Consumers are not the only ones finding ways to cut back on energy use and reduce their carbon footprints. A growing number of businesses—including some of the largest retailers in the nation—are looking for ways to save energy and save money.

A. O. Smith has responded to this trend with a portfolio of electric motors that save substantial amounts of energy when compared with conventional motor designs. The Green Choice ™ line of energy-saving motors is targeted at commercial refrigeration equipment that can consume large amounts of energy in food stores, convenience stores, and similar applications. One attractive feature of the Green Choice line is that customers don’t have to replace their refrigeration equipment to achieve major energy savings; instead they simply replace the motors with a Green Choice product.

Take, for example, a reach-in freezer case. These large cases that hold frozen pizza or ice cream feature a shaded pole evaporator fan motor than runs 24 hours each day. A typical shaded pole motor is about 25 percent efficient. A. O. Smith’s iMotor™ is a unit-bearing electronically commutated motor designed as a drop-in replacement for the shaded pole product. The big difference, however, is the iMotor uses less wattage to achieve the same air flow, saving the customer up to 65 percent in energy usage.

Another big energy user is the walk-in cooler, used to store milk, dairy products, and other chilled beverages. Many of these units also feature a less efficient shaded pole evaporator fan motor. A. O. Smith’s 3-in-1 ™ motor offers a more efficient alternative. These 3.3-inch permanent split capacitor motors can save the retailer up to 52 percent in energy usage when applied as a direct replacement for a shaded pole motor.

Commercial roof top condensing refrigeration units present another opportunity for the Green Choice line. Retailers across the country have been retrofitting inverters to their existing refrigeration or air conditioning equipment to save energy. Inverters save energy by allowing the user to run the motor at a lower speed, such as during cool autumn weather. Conventional fan motors, however, are not designed for inverter duty and many fail prematurely. A. O. Smith’s unique JuggerNaut ™ is a high-efficiency direct drive air-over inverter duty motor designed to withstand the rigors of a rooftop condenser application.

Green Choice motors go beyond energy efficiency. The entire line is Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant, meaning they do not contain six materials that have been classified as hazardous, such as lead or mercury.

Many retailers have been making the switch to Green Choice, reducing the amount of electricity they need and saving thousands of dollars each year. Find out what they’ve learned, that Green Choice is the right choice for energy savings, by clicking http://www.aosmithmotors.com/products/DistributionHVAC/default.aspx?id=814