Products & Solutions
Waldo County Hospital

Maine Hospital Finds Relief, Energy Efficiency and Savings with New Chillers

Utility savings and incentive allow community hospital to achieve an amazing four-year return on investment

When Maine’s Waldo County General Hospital found its chiller was ailing, they sought a cure that would bring them reliable comfort for patients and staff, improved energy efficiency and a level of redundancy that would maintain a healthy environment at all times. The not-for-profit community hospital also needed a cost-effective replacement that would continue to contribute to a vigorous bottom line. Johnson Controls proposed a double chiller replacement that will save an estimated $47,785 annually in electricity costs, provide reliable cooling and achieve a four-year return on investment.

After conducting a study of the hospital’s cooling needs, the Johnson Controls service team proposed a solution that would not only meet the hospital’s requirements, but also reduce future costs and eliminate the environmentally unfriendly refrigerant used in the existing chiller. In addition, Johnson Controls leveraged available funding to offset the cost of the project itself.

Solution includes hardware, software and financial incentives

Johnson Controls replaced the aging 270-ton chiller with two 150-ton chillers equipped with variable speed drives, which operate far more efficiently. The two chillers ensure that critical patient care areas will remain cool if a problem occurs with one of the chillers. Johnson Controls also expanded the hospital’s Metasys building management system, allowing the system to easily switch the cooling load from one chiller to the other, saving energy and maximizing the life of the chillers. The old unit ran around the clock for up to 10 months of the year, an excessive amount that meant costly repairs each year on the unit’s compressors.

Not only do the new chillers use a more environmentally friendly R134a refrigerant, they also run much more efficiently. The hospital is expected to save about $47,785 a year in electricity costs. In addition, Johnson Controls worked with Efficiency Maine – a program that provides incentives and grants to help residents and businesses reduce energy costs – to secure a custom incentive of $142,000. Johnson Controls used YORKcalcTM modeling software to build a performance profile and project savings to help in determining the amount of the incentive.

Thanks to reduced electricity costs, the incentive, and the maintenance savings, the new chillers are expected to pay for themselves in less than four years. After that point, the new chillers will continue to generate significant savings that will offset future utility and other operational costs. The two chillers’ additional 30 tons of capacity will allow for future hospital growth as well.

Critical care maintains comfort and smooth operations

Replacing a chiller is a delicate procedure in a 24/7 care environment like a hospital. To minimize downtime and disruption to the facility, Johnson Controls performed a two-stage operation. With the old unit still in service, one new chiller was lifted to the hospital roof, installed and started. At a later date, the old unit was removed and the second chiller was lifted to the roof and installed, and the new unit brought online. Because of careful planning and efficient service – including a 4 a.m. start time – the building temperature rose only a few degrees during the four-hour cutover period to the new system.
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Waldo County General Hospital
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