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Episode Description:
Undersized chilled water plants aren’t just inconvenient—they’re a daily operational headache for many facilities teams. If you’ve ever battled poor tenant comfort, rising energy bills, or emergency equipment failures, this episode is for you.
This week, we’re diving deep into how to recognize and respond to chilled water systems that can’t keep up with building load. Whether you're managing an aging plant, dealing with building expansions, or planning long-term upgrades, this episode lays out a layered strategy roadmap.
We explore:
- What really causes chilled water plants to underperform
- Immediate control tweaks that make a measurable difference
- Tactical load management for temporary relief
- Medium-term retrofit and supplemental cooling solutions
- Capital planning strategies to future-proof system capacity
These aren’t just ideas—they’re battle-tested solutions for real-world HVAC challenges.
Click here to download or listen to this episode now.Podcast Video
How to Handle Undersized Chilled Water Plants: A Strategic Approach
Undersized chilled water plants can lead to a cascade of problems: tenant discomfort, rising energy use, stressed equipment, and damaged credibility. This episode of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast breaks down practical strategies for dealing with systems that can’t meet building demand.
What Does “Undersized” Really Mean?
An undersized plant simply can’t keep up with the building’s cooling load. This can show up seasonally, during heat waves, or when occupancy surges. Whether the root is design flaws, building changes, deferred upgrades, or poor maintenance, the impact is the same: a system that fails under pressure.
The Consequences of Doing Nothing
Failure to address undersized conditions can lead to:
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Tenant complaints
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Accelerated equipment wear
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Inefficient energy use
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Loss of credibility with building occupants and leadership
Short-Term Strategies
1. Optimize Controls:
Use control strategies like chilled water supply temp reset, demand-based chiller staging, and pump differential pressure resets to ease system load without major changes.
2. Prioritize Loads:
Identify critical spaces and shift cooling away from non-essential areas during peak times. Communicate clearly with stakeholders about expected impacts.
3. Thermal Pre-Cooling:
Cool the building overnight when conditions are favorable to prepare for daytime heat.
4. Balance Flow:
Ensure water is moving where it’s needed. Check for bypass valves and revisit system balancing to eliminate inefficiencies.
Medium-Term Tactics
1. Retrofit Equipment and Controls:
Upgrades like VFDs and improved condenser sequences can unlock hidden capacity and extend equipment life.
2. Supplemental Cooling:
Temporary rental chillers, portable DX units, or localized systems like VRFs can relieve strain in hot zones.
3. Energy Storage:
Ice storage or chilled water tanks shift cooling to off-peak times, reducing peak load and utility costs.
4. Load Reduction:
Envelope upgrades, better lighting systems, and occupant education can cut the internal heat gain and ease demand on the plant.
Long-Term Solutions
1. Expand Plant Capacity:
Plan for scalable chiller systems with redundancy. Evaluate lifecycle cost and ensure a strong ROI through energy savings and improved tenant retention.
2. Hybrid Plant Design:
Combine chilled water with VRF, DX, or rooftop units to spread loads and improve resilience.
3. Future-Proofing:
Design with growth in mind. Build in capacity and redundancy before it’s needed, not after it fails.
Undersized chilled water systems are common but manageable. With the right mix of control strategies, system upgrades, and long-term planning, building teams can restore comfort, reduce energy waste, and protect equipment life.
For a deeper discussion and insights from the field, listen to this episode on the Smart Buildings Academy podcast.
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