Chiller Plant Optimization Saves Money

chiller plant

Baylor saved more than $460,000 (about 24 percent of electricity costs), 5.8 million kilowatt-hours, and 8.6 million pounds of CO2 with Optimum Energy.

Baylor University in Waco, TX, had a typical chiller plant—it ran well, but it was a hodgepodge of equipment and it was managed manually. Operators judged once per shift when to add or shed electricity load based on demand. That imprecise, inconsistent process made the plant inefficient.

Kenneth Haltom, who manages Baylor’s energy services through a partnership with Aramark, and his team suspected that chiller plant optimization would be the best way to increase efficiency and reduce energy costs. There was good savings potential: the eight-chiller plant, which cools 4.9 million square feet of space 365 days a year, was using 32 million kWh of electricity annually.

The team brought in Optimum Energy to assess the opportunity, and found their hypothesis was right. Optimum installed its OptimumLOOP software and OptiCx platform. The closed-loop optimization solution reads data every 30 seconds and dynamically adjusts plant equipment in real time in response to changing conditions. The software determines the best operating conditions across the plant and makes on-the-fly changes to all eight chillers, water pumps and cooling tower equipment.

“OptimumLOOP made everything automatic, from slightly adjusting a single valve to improve water flow, to shedding entire machines from the system when demand decreases,” explains Haltom. “Each chiller operates at a different output and rate, depending on what gives us the greatest efficiency.”

In the first year of operation, plant efficiency went from 0.897 kW/ton to 0.681 kW/ton. Baylor saved more than $460,000 (about 24 percent of electricity costs), 5.8 million kilowatt-hours and 8.6 million pounds of CO2. Also, air-conditioned spaces became more comfortable, and chiller equipment is now easier to maintain.

“Chiller optimization offered us the biggest bang for the buck,” says Haltom. “The product from the chiller plant is better, more consistent, and it’s now based on real-time load rather than operator guesses.”

www.optimumenergyco.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management February 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • MiEN Releases White Paper on Community College Space Innovation

    MiEN Company recently released a new white paper called “Designing New Innovative Spaces for Community Colleges” to address the needs of community colleges post-pandemic, according to a news release. The eight-page guide by Dr. Christina Counts, MiEN Company VP of Education and Marketing, covers topics like the enrollment drop that these schools have seen since COVID-19, the roles they play in higher education and local workforces, and five suggested key changes that can improve students’ experiences.

  • Image courtesy of Armstrong International

    The Modern Hot Water System Approach to Keep Higher Education Buildings Safe and Operational

    Higher education campuses face unique structural and operational demands. With a range of old and new buildings, a variety of facility types, and ambitious sustainability goals, it's essential that no aspect of infrastructural performance is overlooked. Facility managers must be equipped to provide a safe, reliable and efficient space for students, faculty and guests.

  • ProTeam Launches GoFit 6 HEPA Backpack Vacuum

    Technology leader Emerson recently introduced the new ProTeam GoFit 6 HEPA backpack vacuum, according to a news release. The vacuum was designed to capture 99.97% of particulates down to 0.3 microns—including atmospheric hazards like lead dust, mold spores, and other particulates—through an advanced filtration system.

  • Aims Community College to Build Workforce Innovation Center

    Aims Community College in Greeley, Colo., recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Aims Workforce Innovation Center (AWIC), according to a news release. The facility for workforce development, entrepreneurship, and education has a scheduled opening date of fall 2026.

Digital Edition