MILWAUKEE — Johnson Controls Inc. has launched a new program that it says can help owners of York® centrifugal chillers reduce chiller energy use by up to 40 percent. The program encourages facility managers to install variable-speed drive (VSD) technologies and identifies rebates and other financial incentives to assist with the payback.

“The abundance of state and utility rebates available today, plus the impact VSD technologies can have on energy costs, make this the perfect time to upgrade,” said Marty Montagne, vice president, marketing, Global Service, Johnson Controls. “First, we’re making sure our customers are aware of local rebate programs; and when combined with promotional pricing from Johnson Controls, we can help customers meet or exceed their payback requirements and move forward with a project they may not otherwise be able to afford in this economic environment.”

Johnson Controls noted that chillers can account for nearly 30 percent of energy usage in a typical commercial building. Most new chiller installations include variable-speed drives. In past years, however, many did not. Today, these older installations can be retrofitted to achieve significant energy savings.

A taskforce at Johnson Controls has analyzed the energy profile of its installed base of chillers and identified approximately 2,000 customers with the highest potential savings. In addition to reducing energy expenses, upgrades to all of these chillers could collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 600,000 tons annually, equivalent to removing 115,000 cars from the roads.

In one example, said the company, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in Florida recently added two York-branded OptiSpeed variable-speed drives to its existing York YK 600-ton chillers. The addition of these variable-speed drives is projected to save Torrey Pines $100,000 per year. “Thanks to Johnson Controls, we look forward to many years of service and energy savings from these VSD units,” said Stan Hudson, maintenance manager, Torrey Pines Institute.

For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Publication date: 10/19/2009