How Industrial Chillers Can Improve Efficiency
Due to ever increasing regulatory concerns and societal pressures, manufacturing industries are under increased pressure to boost the efficiency of their processes. Despite this pressure, many manufacturers still run chillers that date back 20 years or more in age and provide less than adequate levels of energy efficiency. What’s keeping these companies from upgrading?
The fact is that switching an industrial chiller out for a newer, more efficient model can be an expensive undertaking. Most manufacturers feel that they should not have to replace perfectly good equipment simply because of new regulations or environmental concerns. Today’s smart manufacturers are starting to see beyond the initial cost and value the long-term savings that energy efficient chillers can bring them.
As an example, take a look at this table. This data comes from the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and shows the estimated annual operating cost of several different industrial chillers.
The operating costs are for an average site-built packaged chiller using R-22 refrigerant with three compressors, service valves, indoor and outdoor coils and controls.
As you can see, for all three sizes of chillers, the operating cost is dramatically lower for a high-efficiency chiller compared to a standard model.
Whether you are looking at cooling capacity or tonnage, choosing an energy efficient chiller will provide your company with dramatic yearly savings .
The long-term savings that energy efficient chillers can provide is only the beginning. Many manufacturers are finding that adding new, high-efficiency chillers to their facility or process stream will actually boost production during peak periods.
How can this be? Most of today’s energy efficient chillers have dramatically increased levels of cooling capacity when compared to older chiller models. This means that your factory can run more equipment for longer periods of time, increasing the overall plant output.
Today’s modern chiller models are designed to increase production by utilizing innovative cycle designs and variable-frequency drives to provide almost instant on/off cycling. These types of controls allow manufacturers to vary their production rates according to demand without having to reduce speeds on critical equipment – further increasing the output of their processes.
Additionally, many energy efficient chillers provide users with the ability to easily expand capacity or integrate further chiller units at a later date. This flexibility makes them ideal for multi-process manufacturing companies that expect continued growth over the next few years.
These added features and high-efficiency levels make energy efficient chillers ideal for any type of manufacturing facility. Whether you are looking to upgrade your existing chiller unit, look at a new process stream or install a secondary source; today’s smart manufacturers know that an energy efficient chiller can improve their bottom line .
For more information on how energy-efficient industrial chillers can improve the efficiency of your facility, please contact us at KKT Chillers.
