This article investigates the precision of methods for the load and efficiency estimate of electric motors. The error was determined by the estimate of load and efficiency of electric motors using the arithmetic and geometric average of the currents and the arithmetic average of the power factor in each phase. The importance was shown of the determination of the decrease in the electric motors' performance due to the variation of feeder tension, when the motors' load and performance evaluation in the load condition is performed. It was verified that the estimate of the electric motors' load and performance by the arithmetic average power factor, presented results with larger errors, that is, 24.5% and 2%, respectively. These estimates by the arithmetic and geometric average current method presented similar results to each other and with percentage errors significantly inferior to the previous results, that is, 6.2% and 1%, respectively.
energy audit; performance; load and electric motors
