VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES COULD FREE UP GRID POWER BY CUTTING MOTOR ENERGY USE 40 TO 60 PERCENT

Summary from the TLDR Hardware newsletter

Variable frequency drives adjust motor speed to match demand, cutting a motor's energy use by about 40 to 60 percent. Toyota saved over $700,000 a year after putting them on 200-plus HVAC motors at its Kentucky plant, in a $1.25 million pilot. Cheaper sensors, machine-learning control, and power chips borrowed from EVs and solar inverters have cut costs. ABB claims drives on every motor could cover up to five years of data center load growth.