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As global green initiatives catch on, designers face mounting pressure to develop maximally efficient motors and motor-control systems to meet the ratings of various energy-efficiency programs. Typically, these are seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER), minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), Energy Star, and Top Runner.

Today, the most energy-eating monsters, in nearly all households, are heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, refrigerators/freezers, and dryers. HVAC alone will consume over half of the household energy budget. Following HVAC are refrigerators, which consume about 4%, and dryers, which consume about 3%. And most of the energy used by these devices comes from their motor and motor-drive circuits. So, naturally, finding ways to reduce the power demanded by these devices is a bar worth setting high.