TWU Central Utility Plant

The Situation

Ron Tarbutton, Director of Physical Plant at TWU, was concerned that the CUP was operating in a sub-optimized mode. He knew that dramatic improvements could be made in its efficiency. However, he did not know the cost of installation, monitoring or the estimated ROI for implementing the process variables necessary to achieve peak operating efficiency. TWU’s goals were to:

• reduce energy consumption and operating costs,
• identify design aspects that could be improved through operational / physical changes, and
• train existing TWU staff on how to maintain peak operating efficiency.

The Success

Ken Scheepers, TD Solutions Group Account Executive, prepared a presentation for TWU’s CUP management to demonstrate the advantages of TD’s UtiliVisor®, a time-shared data collection and analysis tool that uses the Internet to measure, present and analyze key facility indicators. Following the demonstration, TWU asked TD to complete a detailed survey of the central chiller plant and submit a proposal. TD team members worked with TWU staff to:

• understand current operating practices, plant layout and configuration,
• identify the tangible financial and operational benefits of using TD’s UtiliVisor®, and
• create value on a long-term basis.

The Solution

TDIndustries’ proposal to implement its UtiliVisor® system involved a total cost of $75,000 with a one-month installation period. TD projected an annual energy savings to TWU of $96,000. TWU immediately approved funding because of the short payback period. Results to date include:

• Energy consumption has been reduced $16,000 during the coldest three months of the plant’s operating season.
• The online Energy Dashboard shows ‘real time’ impact on costs and provides 24/7 monitoring of the chilled water plant to maximize performance.
• TWU and TD have identified several potential changes / retrofits to further increase savings and smooth operation.
• TWU has decided to install UtiliVisor® in the central plant for the eight-story T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences – Dallas Center, currently under construction.

The UtiliVisor® is the most recent innovation in a diverse mix of utility management and lifecycle services offered by THE FACE OF TDIndustries and a key component of the Solutions Group’s approach to continuous building oversight.