Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced that it has received certification from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), for performance criteria established in Standard 1210. The Standard 1210 Certification is the first independent nationally recognized performance standard in the industry.  Certified products include the Altivar 212, Altivar 61, S-Flex and E-Flex drives offered by Schneider Electric. 

“Efficiency, coupled with low harmonics and the ability to run a standard motor, is a top priority for our customers, and is a critical benefit provided by the design of our drives,” said Tom Lowery, Drives Marketing Operations Manager at Schneider Electric. “This certification validates the investment we’ve made to serve our customers with the most efficient and high-performing drives solutions in the market. Being recognized in the industry as the first manufacturer that has completed the very rigorous testing and passed all the AHRI certification requirement is certainly a great accomplishment for our company.”

“We are proud to name Schneider Electric as the first manufacturer to be listed in the AHRI VFD Directory and recognize them as a key contributor to establishing this standard within our VFD Engineering Committee, as well as providing all the required resources to complete the certification process,” added Kezhen Shen, Associate Certification Engineer, AHRI.

Achieving the Standard 1210 Certification is a detailed process that requires companies to pass independent testing of three VFD measurements, including: 

1.     Combination Drive/Motor efficiency at defined speed and load points

2.     Total Harmonic Current Distortion at Drive input terminals

3.     Dv/Dt of Drive output waveform measured at motor input terminals with 6, 15 and 30 meter cable lengths

Schneider Electric believes that this certification will allow Consulting Engineers to better specify VFDs based on published performance data.  With regulatory activity by the Department of Energy and many customers demanding increased energy efficiency from their drive/motor/equipment systems, this certification will allow for third party testing verification.  AHRI has completed performance certifications for hundreds of other products; with VFDs now added to The Directory of Certified Product Performance, customers can be assured that listed Schneider Electric products meet the performance ratings.   

AHRI Certified® products go through annual testing to verify they perform as specified by the manufacturer. The globally recognized, industry-respected approach to product certification requires the performance of equipment in the program to be independently measured and verified, allowing for fair product comparisons. Equipment must undergo rigorous testing by independent, third-party laboratories under contract to AHRI. 

For more information about Schneider Electric’s efficient variable speed drives, please visit: http://www.schneider-electric.us/en/product-category/50000-ac-drives-and-soft-starts/?filter=business-1-automation-and-control&back-name=ac-drives-and-soft-starts&back-url=//www.schneider-electric.us/en/products/automation-and-control.jsp