Chiller Plant Optimization Saves Energy

chiller plant

The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research on the University of Maryland campus cut energy use an average of 30 percent by optimizing its chiller plant.

When the University of Maryland committed to reducing its energy consumption 20 percent by 2020, James Johnson, director of facilities and lab services, had to find a way to make the 110,000-square-foot Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) more efficient.

The biggest target was the facility’s environmental stabilization plant, “as big an energy pig as there was out there,” says Johnson. The plant was only five years old and had few operational issues, but a consultation with Optimum Energy engineers revealed that optimizing each piece of HVAC equipment individually, as part of the whole system, could increase efficiency considerably.

Johnson also wanted to improve reliability and redundancy. IBBR connects top scientists in interrelated fields to perform world-class bioscience and biotechnology research that leads to real-world advances, and anything that stabilizes lab environments furthers the mission. Plus, Johnson had to ensure the facility’s two 450-ton, variable-speed electric centrifugal water chillers — which provide 3,800 hours of cooling annually — would work at optimal levels regardless of outside conditions, from icy winters to steamy summers.

To accomplish these goals, IBBR converted to an all-variable flow plant, with Optimum Energy’s OptiCx™ Platform as the optimization and control layer. OptimumLOOP ™ software calculates the most efficient operation of the chilled water system and optimizes plant performance in real time, dynamically adapting to changes in load, weather and occupancy to yield the lowest possible kW/ton while maintaining the optimal temperature.

In the first year, output almost doubled — yet IBBR cut energy use by an average of 30 percent.

“Prior to optimizing, in 2014, the plant baseline was about 0.9 kW/ton. By the end of 2015, it was 0.57–0.65 kW/ton,” Johnson says. “I’ve got a plant that is running at absolute maximum efficiency.”

optimumenergyco.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • dormitory with green roofs, solar panels, balconies, and labeled architectural annotations

    2025 Residence Hall Design Trends Focus on Sustainability, Flexibility, Community, Technology, and Well-Being

    With the most technically advanced Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) at the helm, residence hall design trends for 2025 look to focus on flexible spaces, health and wellness, sustainability, community, and digital technology.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

Digital Edition