Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are energy intensive, and the HVAC system — the chilled water plant, the steam and hot water plant, and air distribution — typically consumes a full 65 percent of the energy used, according to research by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
This is a strong case for HVAC optimization, which can cut a facility’s energy use, reduce costs by 20-50% site wide, and decrease water use as well. However, misconceptions about what HVAC optimization is and what it requires often make facilities managers hesitant to pursue it. They may fear that product quality or production capacity will be compromised. They may also have concerns about IT security or believe their HVAC system is already optimized, even though it isn’t being controlled for optimum performance.