Did you know that HVAC performance declines over time in almost all buildings? The heating and cooling components in mid-to large-sized commercial buildings are a compilation of components from multiple manufacturers and built by multiple contractors that must be programmed and sequenced to work together seamlessly. Over time, building performance drifts out of tolerance from the original design intent, with energy and operational costs increasing as a result.

Therefore, even a new facility that was commissioned appropriately may not be meeting operational expectations, especially when it comes to energy efficiency.  HVAC energy audits provide plant owners and managers with valuable data and insights that help determine both the overall health and performance as well as concrete means of improvement.

There are four major benefits to a properly conducted HVAC energy audit. 

Equipment Longevity Comprehensive audits will evaluate equipment operating hours and current HVAC control strategies to look for overlooked efficiency improvements. Implementing these measures will improve efficiency of plant equipment and in doing so,  reduce the wear and tear that can shorten equipment life.

Hidden Energy Drains Some operating issues are obvious, such as leaky valves or aging pumps. However, the vast majority of inefficiencies aren’t discoverable by the naked eye. Often, it’s less evident issues like setpoints inconsistent with actual plant conditions that are running up energy consumption. Comprehensive HVAC energy audits work with operators to review control strategies, equipment inventory and mechanical configurations so that energy waste and correctable inefficiencies can be pinpointed.

Overlooked Calibration Building automation systems rely on a network of sensors for proper control and cycling of plant equipment. When left uncalibrated, plant operating data is compromised and energy can be wasted. Proper audits will assess each piece of equipment, from chillers to sensors, to ensure all components are operating in their appropriate range.

Utility Rebates & Incentives Many utility companies will not only cover HVAC energy audit fees but will pay to implement the recommend energy conservation measures (ECMs) identified in the audit, as well.

HVAC Energy Audit Tips

These programs all require a method of measurement and/or verification to confirm the actual savings were achieved so be sure to work with a qualified contractor who can present detailed calculations as to how they will deliver the audit’s energy reduction figures.

A major portion of energy consumption in a building is due to HVAC systems, with up to 30% coming from cooling production alone. Having an plant energy assessment performed by seasoned engineers who are experienced in both HVAC equipment and mechanical systems ensures that all efficiency opportunities are being reviewed.

tekWorx Energy Audits

Interested in an HVAC energy audit of your site? Answer 3 questions to get a high-level savings estimate to determine whether a complimentary on-site assessment of your site would be productive.

Selecting Chilled Water Pumps for Efficiency

First and foremost, properly sizing and selecting pumps is crucial to sustained energy savings. Pumps should be selected to meet the requirements of a system as a whole. Why? The energy consumption required for any system depends on the flow rate of the entire system. By reviewing the entire system, the right pump for the application can be selected and the proper control methodologies can be implemented that best match pump performance to the needs of the system.

Chilled Water Pump Optimization

Chilled water pumps consume significant amounts of electricity when operating. Monitoring pump efficiency therefore requires an accurate assessment of actual consumption including such parameters as system flow, head, pump, motor and/or drive efficiency, and run time. In existing systems, the energy requirements can be measured over time as a benchmark to aid in identifying where energy consumption can be optimized.

Because system pressure varies with flow rate, it is important to understand the control sequence that is maintaining the flow and pressure in a system. Why does this matter? The way the pumps are controlled is a key component of HVAC optimization. Many facilities utilize pumping power that is not needed via inefficient control strategies, such as running chilled water pumps at constant speed. Optimization solutions like tekWorx Xpress® will determine the number of chilled water pumps and condenser water pumps necessary to deliver the required volume of water at the lowest total power per unit of cooling production (kW/ton).  With Xpress®, this algorithm will often operate more pumps at lower speed rather than less pumps at higher speed to minimize pumping energy, per pump affinity laws. 

Chilled Water Pump Optimization and Maintenance

Routine checkups and maintenance are necessary to ensure chilled water pumps are in good working order and functioning efficiently. Best practices include:

• Monitoring pump vibration
• Checking mechanical seals for leaks.
• Monitoring bearing lubrication and temperature
• Checking water pH and clarity
• Monitoring pump and motor shaft alignment to prevent uneven wear of couplings

Proper maintenance of chilled water pumps helps to build immunity against unnecessary wear and tear on a system while routine checkups help to ensure pumps will operate as designed for many years.

HVAC systems are in charge of keeping temperatures comfortable, humidity consistent , and indoor air quality high. Often times, however, airside optimization is not considered in facility controls.

As much of the energy and cost that goes into powering HVAC is lost to waste, these three smart airside optimization strategies can help facilities can realize significant HVAC energy savings.

Airside Optimization and Air Filtration Systems

In order for HVAC system to operate correctly and deliver proper indoor air quality (IAQ), air filter maintenance and monitoring are essential. Most BAS systems monitor for air pressure drops outside of normal ranges. When this occurs, it often means that the air filter is clogged and/or installed improperly and should be changed. Dirty filters overwork HVAC systems by restricting air flow leading to poor indoor air quality, HVAC maintenance issues and increased repair costs.

Airside Optimization: Heating and Cooling Ducts

Commercial heating and cooling systems are connected to points throughout a facility by the ductwork. Consisting of a network of large pipes, this ductwork provides a pathway for conditioned air to travel from heating and cooling equipment to the insides of a commercial building.  Any problems in a facility’s duct system — broken seals, loose or missing sections, detached pipes, or damaged ducts — can cause substantial air leaks that will result in lost energy and wasted operating dollars. Duct sealing and careful inspection and appropriate repair of the ductwork will prevent these problems. Connections between sections of ductwork should be properly sealed with mastic, a specialized rubbery compound designed especially for ducts. Metal tape can also be used. Connections can also be mechanically fastened with sheet metal screws. Standard duct tape should be avoided because the adhesive can dry out and cause the tape to fall away.

Airside Optimization and AHU Monitoring

In commercial buildings, all air handlers are built and installed with an outside air intake and damper.  This outside air intake and damper has a large effect on both the energy use of a building and the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building. By optimizing air handling units (AHUs), significant energy savings can be achieved.

Normally, air handlers cool or heat a mix of return air from the space it is conditioning and outside air that is required for proper IEQ. When the outside air dampers let in more outside air than required by the building code,  the air handler will use more energy than needed.  Conversely, dampers can let in too little air. This often happens when the outside dampers fail in a position where they are completely closed and do not allow any outside air into the air handler.  Advanced airside optimization solutions ensures these conditions are constantly being monitored.

Optimizing AHUs requires real-time monitoring of static pressure and supply air temperature setpoints. Sensors throughout the facility feed temperature and humidity data to a BAS or other control device and algorithms then determine optimal heating and cooling requirements, sending these efficiency setpoints back to the air handlers. Not only does this approach save energy dollars but helps ensure better occupant comfort.

tekWorx real-time airside optimization by continuously and automatically minimizing the power required for air distribution and delivery. These proven adaptive control techniques optimize air pressure, flow and temperature (system and zone) while maximizing economization mode and meeting desired space conditions.

Chilled Water and LEED Certification Projects

Cooling systems can be optimized in several ways to directly contribute to LEED certification. First and foremost, installing water cooled chillers when replacements are necessary is a huge step toward improved efficiency. Air-cooled HVAC systems requiring higher fan power to reduce temperatures are less energy efficient. Some industry experts estimate that a building can save up to 30% percent on HVAC energy consumption when using a water-cooled chillers compared to air-cooled chillers.

Hydronic and Cooling Strategies for LEED Certification Projects

Central plant design has a tremendous impact on annual energy and life cycle costs. Consider converting Primary/Secondary systems to Variable/Primary. P/S systems often suffer from “low ΔT syndrome”, a condition wherein cold water from the chiller and warm water from the load mix before returning to the chillers.  This low ΔT reduces chiller capacity and places the chiller at a less than desirable point on its efficiency curve.  With this reduced chiller capacity, the only way to meet the load is to turn on additional equipment, the net effect of which is that more equipment is operating and at less than design efficiencies. Variable/Primary systems eliminate the inherent mixing and raise the ΔT to design levels.

While the Variable/Primary configuration is known to be the most efficient hydronic design, converting from a Primary/Secondary system is very capital intensive due to the significant mechanical modifications required.  tekWorx Integrated Primary-Secondary® (IPS) solution mimics the functionality of the Variable/Primary system but allows all existing pumps and piping to remain in place, simply adding a few sensors and valves for controllability.

Chilled Water System Power Consumption and LEED Certification Projects

Most components within a chilled water system will benefit from Variable Frequency Drives. With Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), compressor and fan motor speeds can be varied to better meet desired cooling and humidity levels and can significantly reduce annual energy consumption. This makes them ideal for projects focused on energy efficiency and LEED goals.

Variable frequency drives can be applied to condenser fans to reduce short cycling of compressors during lower outside air temperature conditions. This allows systems to isolate a single circuit or stage of the compressor and better maintain the fixed head pressure to avoid short cycling.

Additionally, VFDs can be added to condenser water pumps to control the speed of the cooling tower fans and reset the condenser water temperature. By lowering the condenser water temperature, the lift of the compressor is reduced thus reducing energy use.

Energy-focused Control Strategies for LEED Certification Projects

Chilled water system equipment, like fans and pumps, can benefit from a control scheme that operates more pieces of equipment at lower speeds versus allowing equipment to increase to full capacity before staging on the next unit. Chillers themselves are most efficient somewhere between 40 and 60% of peak capacity so running more equipment maximizes the heat transfer surface area at all operating points, increasing efficiency and reduces pressure drops.

Take the affinity laws, for example, wherein pumping energy is proportional to the cube of the speed pump. There are times when running 2 pumps at a lower speed may consume less power than 1 pump running alone at a higher speed, 3 pumps may be more efficient than 2 pumps, etc.

Cooling Optimization Can Be Key To  LEED Certification Projects

Cooling systems can optimize building performance and contribute to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and other sustainability programs. The LEED rating system rewards environmentally sustainable practices that conserve energy, material and water resources. Reducing water use and/or using chilled water more efficiency can drastically cut energy costs while demonstrating a more sustainable approach to cooling facilities.

tekWorx adaptive algorithms continuously adjust equipment operation and key setpoints based on such parameters as occupancy level and outdoor temperature to maximize the system efficiency in real‐time while maintaining comfort cooling needs.  Xpress® considers the interaction of all chilled water plant equipment and maximizes the system holistically, using less water to meet site needs and positioning it well for LEED points and certifications.

Short Term, No Cost Energy Efficiency Solutions for Reducing Campus Energy Costs

Many facilities have tight facility budgets and can utilize low- or no-cost ways to reduce energy expenditures.

Plug Load: Computers and other electronic equipment are everywhere in campus buildings and dorms, contributing dramatically to energy consumption and cost per square foot. For equipment that enables a low-power sleep mode after a period of inactivity, using these energy-saving modes can produce significant energy savings. Using smart power strips to shut off plugged-in devices such as printers, monitors, and kitchen electronics when not in use can also have a huge impact on reducing campus energy costs.

Student-led Awareness:  Several colleges and universities are successfully using no-cost and low-cost public awareness campaigns to reduce energy use on campus by reminding people to turn off the lights. People tend to take energy for granted and many are unaware of the opportunities they have to reduce energy use. These programs can help students and staff modify their behaviors and in turn see sizable campus energy consumption reductions.

Longer-Term Energy Efficiency Solutions for Reducing Campus Energy Costs

Longer-term energy-saving solutions may require slightly more extensive implementation and greater expenditures than the no-cost solutions above, but they can significantly cut annual energy costs and in a more consistent manner than the manual no- and low-cost solutions.

Lighting Upgrades: Supplemental to supporting improved energy-conscious behavior on campus, lighting systems upgrades can achieve dynamic energy savings. By installing energy-efficient LED lighting technology, campuses can lower energy consumption, decrease maintenance costs, and ultimately lessen wear and tear on heating and cooling systems. With a return on investment of less than two years in many cases, LED lighting also allows universities to implement upgrade projects in phases by building, campus or specialty.

Demand-Controlled Ventilation: Many large campus sites like auditoriums, gyms and lecture classrooms, and cafeterias are ventilated as if they are at full capacity. Ventilating such spaces based on actual occupancy greatly reduces energy consumption. Demand-controlled ventilation systems can be installed that will use carbon dioxide sensors to control the amount of outside air being supplied to a space based on occupancy. Less energy is consumed because the fans only run when outside air is needed.

Commissioning:  Investigating a building to ensure that its systems are operating appropriately and efficiently can yield significant energy savings. Over time, as campuses expand and equipment and systems change, buildings require tune-ups to maintain optimal performance. Studies have shown that continuously monitoring a building’s energy systems can lead to reductions of 25% in annual energy bills.  Savings primarily come from resetting existing controls to reduce HVAC waste while maintaining or even increasing comfort levels for occupants.

Efficient Water Use:  Low-flow faucets and shower heads as well as sink and shower controllers that automatically shut off after a certain length of time can help conserve water and energy used to heat hot water in recreation buildings.

Chilled Water Optimization: Campus cooling systems are notoriously inefficient but often go undetected as a source of savings. Most existing facilities have dialed-in operational setpoints and procedures meant to fulfill worst-case cooling requirements. This wastes significant amounts of energy.  Minimizing energy and water use can make a major contribution to reaching sustainability goals,  reducing campus energy costs and even qualifying for large utility rebates.

One such optimization platform is tekWorx Xpress®. A combination of adaptive control algorithms and Tridium Niagara N4 hardware, Xpress® algorithms continuously adjust chilled water plant equipment operation and key setpoints based on such parameters as occupancy level and outdoor temperature to maximize the system efficiency in real‐time while maintaining campus comfort cooling needs. Xpress® allows campus facilities to use less water to meet cooling and comfort needs.

The most common chiller failures are caused by compressor, electrical, or motor problems.

Compressor Maintenance to Optimize Chiller Performance

Compressor failure can be the result of any number of factors and is often attributable to problems elsewhere in the system. One simple routine task to prevent compressor failure is checking strainers and filters for dirt and debris and ensuring the compressor and pumps are appropriately sized for the load.

Eddy current testing, at a suggested interval of every three years, reduces the risk of chiller failure caused by condenser evaporator tube leaks or failures. Chiller tubes undergo daily stress as part of their normal operation which can allow rust and corrosion to take hold. Additionally, these rust particles can trickle into the evaporator tubes of the chillers, leading to corrosion that damages the compressor itself.  An eddy test determines the wall thickness of the chiller tubes and can detect possible pitting, cracks and bulges that can precipitate tube leaks. Identifying issues before a major problem occurs prevents downtime and expensive replacement costs.

Chiller Electrical Maintenance to Optimize Chiller Performance

Electrical issues in the chiller plant can be caused by a host of issues including wires rubbing equipment frames or condenser fans not working appropriately.  Electrical overload conditions will cause motors to draw in more current to maintain torque and can lead to overheating and damage to winding insulation.  Regular attention to amperage draw, voltage, and contactors can avoid such issues.

Chiller Motor Maintenance to Optimize Chiller Performance

Chillers, pumps and tower fans use motors to move water and air or compress refrigerant. The failure of any of these motors threatens the operation of the entire chiller system. There are many reasons why motors fail, but three fairly simple, non-damaging tests can avoid a world of headaches when performed consistently.

• Oil Analysis: Regularly scheduled analysis of your chiller’s oil is a valuable aid in assessing internal mechanical condition. Oil comes in contact with many important internal components and can therefore hold valuable information about chiller health. An oil analysis will indicate whether there is moisture, acid, corrosion, bearing wear, impeller rubbing, or other equipment problems present. When an oil analysis reveals the presence of wear, a possible bearing or motor failure can be imminent, and a vibration analysis is recommended. The combination of these assessments will typically identify the failing component.
• Vibration Analysis: Every piece of HVAC equipment with rotating components has its own vibration signature. Any change in this signature can be used as an accurate means of identifying developing problems with chiller bearings, impeller imbalance, or open rotor bars in the motor. Vibration analysis should be performed on a regular basis to build a baseline and trend which can significantly aid in avoiding unplanned downtime and replacement costs
• Motor Insulation Resistance: Insulation problems on motors and drives are typically caused by improper installation, environmental contamination, mechanical stress, or age. Insulation tests should be performed on all chilled water system motors to monitor motor health. These assessments measuring the winding resistance. A low resistance indicates that the winding is deteriorating and indicates potential failure. Insulation-resistance trending can ensure that any changes are readily addressed.

Monitoring Chiller Performance

Selecting quality equipment and performing regular maintenance specific to the needs of each unit ensure a long and efficient life cycle. To protect such investments, the remote monitoring of chillers and cooling system can significantly aid maintenance and service efforts.

Chilled water system monitoring, like that of the Xpress® Energy Optimization Dashboard, provides facilities teams with real-time energy data for all chilled water equipment. Understanding how energy is used can help quickly identify energy waste and equipment problems, as well as overcharges and errors on energy bills. Xpress® also acts as an early warning system, sending emails or texts to staff when equipment such as a fan, pump or chiller is operating outside expected parameters.

It is no surprise then that hospital operations teams are continually seeking to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.  Hourly hospital energy consumption data from the Orlando Utilities Commission underscores that cooling, ventilation and lighting represent the largest opportunities for reducing electricity costs in healthcare facilities. Let’s take a look at how to reduce spending in those areas.

Ventilation & Hospital Energy Savings

The large quantity of outside air necessary for proper ventilation requires an increased amount of energy to condition. While ventilation can limit the spread of airborne pathogens throughout a healthcare facility, these higher ventilation rates come at an increased energy cost.

Many hospitals ventilate spaces as if they were occupied at full capacity. For non-critical spaces that have fluctuating capacity like indoor parking garages, lobbies, and cafeterias, energy savings can be realized by reducing ventilation when these spaces are not full. A demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) system senses the amount of carbon dioxide in the space’s return airstream and uses it as an indication of occupancy. It then adjusts how much outside air is brought into the space based on the current occupancy level. By modulating this process, DCV reduces the amount of outside air that must be heated or cooled and the amount the fans must run to move that air.

DCV systems rely on occupancy to reduce the operating speed of the supply and exhaust fans when rooms are unoccupied. When there are issues with this equipment that go undetected, however, energy is used in excess.  Periodical recommissioning can ensure that dampers, actuators, or control cycles aren’t getting  stuck open or failing to operate correctly.

Lighting & Hospital Energy Savings

The lighting demands of hospitals are complex due to their round the-clock nature. Both low-tech and high-tech solutions, however, exist for lighting controls that can greatly reduce energy costs.

One simple, low-tech reduction solution is lighting awareness campaigns that train staff to turn off lights when rooms are not in use. De-lamping is an additional, lower-cost way to reduce energy. As the name suggests, it’s done by removing unnecessary light bulbs and fixtures in areas that are producing greater-than-needed illumination. De-lamping in areas of excessive illumination immediately reduces energy consumption while also decreasing cooling load needs in warmer months. Further, replacing traditional bulbs with LEDs can save upwards of 50% percent of the energy costs of using traditional light bulb.

High-performance lighting systems can significantly reduce energy usage by ensuring electric lighting is used only when necessary. Installing occupancy controls, dimmers, and daylighting controls in offices, break rooms, storage rooms, and restrooms can have a dramatic affect in reducing lighting electrical use.

Space cooling & Hospital Energy Savings

While ventilation and lighting improvements can reduce energy costs, chiller plants are the single largest consumer of energy in most health care facilities.  Hospital cooling, therefore, bears the brunt of utility usage and optimizing the chiller plant is one of the greatest means of short and long-term reduction of energy use.

Optimizing the cooling system ensures that hospital conditioning requirements are being met at the lowest possible cost (or kW/ton). A system, however, must be designed for optimization-new equipment or analytics packages will have an energy impact but fall short of realizing optimization savings.

To assess a hospital’s candidacy for optimization savings, an audit should be performed to assess how the cooling system and equipment is being used, how the hospital’s various systems and machines either do or do not work together, how current operation strategies are impacting energy performance, and what pragmatic solutions could be implemented that will both reduce consumption and pay back quickly.

Xpress® & Hospital Energy Savings

One such solution is tekWorx Xpress®, a combination of adaptive control algorithms and Tridium Niagara N4 hardware that optimize a hospital’s chilled water plant equipment (air-handling units, fan coils, chillers, cooling towers, etc.) in real-time. These optimization algorithms continuously adjust equipment sequences and key setpoints based on such parameters as occupancy level and outdoor temperature to continually maximize the system efficiency while maintaining space cooling conditions throughout the hospital, including operating rooms. An integrated dashboard allows facilities staff to monitor the overall efficiency of the chilled water system from anywhere at any time.

Did you know that if your chiller plant features a primary/secondary (P/S) design, you are likely not operating at maximum efficiency?

With the introduction of variable speed drives in the 1970s, the P/S design was created to take advantage of the newfound ability to modulate flow with load and the added flexibility for chiller staging. At the same time, the system met the requirement for constant evaporator flow.

Quickly becoming the standard, the primary/secondary design continued to be used in new plant construction, even after microprocessor chiller controls unlocked previously unreachable efficiency gains in the 1990s. The main shortcoming of the P/S layout is that its cooling strategy is solely focused on the hottest day of year, creating inadequate energy efficiency for the remaining 364.

P/S bypass blending represents one of the biggest energy efficiency drawbacks of the P/S system because:

1. Chilled water not used by the load flows through the bypass and blends with warm return water
2. Blending decreases the temperature of the return water into the chiller, thereby lowering ΔT
3. Chillers must work much harder than necessary to maintain the designated temperature setpoint

Find the simple, effective solution

Fortunately, these existing systems do not need to remain inefficient thanks to the tekWorx Integrated Primary/Secondary (IPS^®) retrofit design. The IPS^® retrofit requires only minor mechanical and control system modifications, a short installation time and minimal system disruption. The result? Major energy savings and utility rebates.

Key aspects of the IPS^® retrofit include:

• Minimizing bypass flow and associated return water blending that degrades system ΔT either by insertion of bypass valve or by controlling loop flow
• Adding variable speed controls for pumps, fans and chillers, as needed
• Adding new instruments to measure process variables affecting operation and efficiency (usually flow and kW) as needed
• Using adaptive control algorithms for continuous online equipment adjustment

How the IPS^® retrofit design provides maximum energy savings

tekWorx offers a unique blend of Approachable Expertise,^® increasing operational efficiency and reducing energy costs while designing pragmatic solutions to meet unique client needs. As a result, the IPS^® can be implemented in one of two ways:

1. The most common application of the IPS^® is via the addition of a valve that eliminates bypass flow and improves system control.

2. In instances where inserting a bypass valve is not an option – because it requires plant shutdown or other circumstances make this modification impractical – there is an alternative. Instead, tekWorx matches the primary and secondary loop flow to minimize bypass flow.

Pharma facilities are energy intensive operations and the HVAC system (chilled water, steam and hot water plant and air distribution) typically consumes up to 65% of the energy used, according to research by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Pharma facility directors can reduce energy costs even in the most demanding environments by making a few key decisions.

Because optimizing the efficiency of dynamic systems, such as a chilled water plant, requires continuous oversight and action, the trick is to implement solutions that automatically optimize equipment interaction. Not only does this automated optimization take the guesswork out of efficiently running HVAC systems, this eliminates manual adjustments that can waste untold amounts of energy.

Secondly, having the equipment ‘correctly’ sequenced once is simply not enough to meet ongoing operational demands. Static chilled water temperature setpoints are a huge waste of energy, not to mention place undue wear and tear on plant equipment. Automated optimization solutions will vary the chilled water temperature, cooling towers, condenser pumps, chiller staging, and chilled water pump operation to maximize efficiency without compromising space conditions, temperature or humidity requirements.

Lastly, to be considered an optimized system, the equipment must run and respond holistically and to real-time, live operating conditions. This optimization requirement is impractical to expect with any solution that requires the manual review of collected data.

Automated Optimization Solutions

At tekWorx, pragmatic solutions and proven chilled water plant optimization technology help companies minimize plant kW/ton while maximizing the use of existing equipment and limiting implementation downtime. Our Xpress® solution, which utilizes the Niagara 4® platform, uses adaptive algorithms to continuously analyze real-time process variables and then automatically adjusts key parameter values for real optimization.

Easily integrated with any BAS, any mechanical configuration and any equipment make/model, Xpress® is the leading choice for effective, operator-free optimization.[/et_pb_text]

Allergan chilled water plant optimization results

tekWorx recently worked with the Allergan Global Energy team to optimize their Irvine, CA, manufacturing site’s chilled water plant. While producing popular products such as BOTOX®, JUVEDERM® and LATISSE®, the company struggled to meet an installed capacity of 6,300 tons due to hydronic issues and the load shedding required on high temperature days.

After an initial assessment, the tekWorx engineering team devised a customized adaptive control strategy enabling the site to:

• Maximize capacity using minimal kW/ton
• Improve equipment utilization, which in turn improves redundancy
• Decrease manual intervention
• Reduce equipment wear and tear

The team integrated the Xpress® solution with Allergan’s BAS to improve utilization and performance – all with minimal downtime. This pragmatic solution yielded tremendous bottom-line savings: