A recent case study featured in Chiller & Cooling Best Practices Magazine highlights how one Boston hospital achieved significant energy savings through strategic chiller optimization. The article, written by Eddie Rogers of tekWorx, details a comprehensive approach to reducing energy costs while maintaining critical healthcare facility operations. The success shows that well-designed systems often have inefficiencies that, when addressed with optimization technology, can yield significant cost savings and environmental benefits.
Healthcare facilities face enormous energy challenges, with hospitals accounting for nearly 5% of all U.S. energy consumption and spending roughly $680,000 annually on energy costs. Chiller plants represent the single largest energy consumer in most healthcare facilities, making them a prime target for optimization efforts.
This particular case involved a prestigious 800-bed Boston teaching hospital that addressed these challenges and achieved notable results through a systematic approach to chiller plant optimization.
The Challenge
Despite having a well-designed 2,400-ton chilled water plant, the hospital discovered several inefficiencies during a comprehensive energy audit:
- Lack of optimization sequences in their building automation system
- Static temperature setpoints that didn’t respond to actual conditions
- Variable speed pumps operating inefficiently
The Solution
Working with tekWorx, the hospital implemented the Xpress® chilled water plant optimization solution. This innovative system combines adaptive control algorithms with advanced hardware to optimize equipment performance in real-time while integrating seamlessly with existing building automation systems.
The proven Xpress® platform ensures the critical reliability hospitals require while maximizing energy efficiency, with built-in safety features that maintain uninterrupted cooling for patient care areas and operating rooms.
Impressive Results
The tekWorx Xpress® implementation achieved the following outcomes:
- 33% reduction in annual cooling costs
- Simple payback period of just one year
- Substantial utility rebate
- Significant environmental benefits including reduced CO2 emissions and water savings
- Enhanced operational visibility and automated monitoring capabilities
This success confirms that hospitals can achieve both operational excellence and energy efficiency. With proper optimization approaches, healthcare facilities can reduce their environmental footprint while freeing up resources to invest in patient care.
