Energy-Efficient Chiller System Finances Pharma Giant’s Research Growth
Merck’s ambitious laboratory expansion presented an opportunity to revolutionize their cooling infrastructure, transforming an unreliable system into a sustainable funding source for future research initiatives.
30%
annual energy expense reduction
1,250,000+
kWh saved annually
location
Summit, NJ
size
7,800 tons capacity
industry
Pharma
the problem
Outdated Cooling Infrastructure Threatens Laboratory Expansion
Merck’s S-6 Plant in Summit, NJ faced significant cooling challenges while planning an 800,000 ft² R&D lab expansion. Their existing cooling system suffered from unreliable cooling production requiring frequent manual intervention, low ΔT, high system pressure, reverse decoupler flow, and needed to accommodate new laboratory load requirements. These issues threatened the 24/7 critical operations essential to their research activities.
the solution
Advanced Hydronic Redesign with Intelligent Control Systems
tekWorx implemented a comprehensive optimization strategy that maintained production during implementation while transforming the infrastructure:
- Leveraging specialized hydronic expertise, tekWorx converted the chilled water configuration from a traditional primary-secondary to full variable flow with modulating valves and VFDs on pumps and cooling towers. This advanced hydronic redesign eliminated the energy waste of constant-speed pumps and allowed the system to precisely match cooling to actual demand, a critical improvement for a facility with widely varying research loads.
- Strategically placed V-ball valves on Air Handling Units (AHUs) improved distribution flow control, solving the reverse decoupler flow problem that had plagued the system and ensuring optimal water temperature differentials (ΔT) across the large research facility.
- tekWorx proven Xpress® optimization solution was deployed on the client’s chosen PLC platform, seamlessly integrating with the existing Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) system. This flexible platform-agnostic solution provided sophisticated algorithms that continuously analyze and adjust equipment operation based on real-time conditions while maintaining the familiar operator interface.
By transforming our cooling systems, we not only solved reliability issues but created a sustainable funding mechanism for future innovation. The tekWorx team’s approach ensured zero disruption to operations while delivering exceptional financial and performance results.
Associate Director, Global Energy & Sustainability Team
the results
Seamless Integration + Significant Energy Reduction
This optimization project delivered impressive financial and operational benefits that directly supported Merck’s research expansion:
- A $115,000 utility rebate and $150,000 annual energy savings created both immediate capital and sustainable funding for research initiatives
- Project paid back quickly in 2 years
- Efficiency improvements reached 0.36 kW/ton while saving 1,250,000 kWh annually, significantly reducing energy consumption and supporting corporate sustainability goals
The fully automated Xpress® system significantly increased cooling reliability for temperature-sensitive research operations, lowering system pressure, and eliminating the reverse flow issues, This successful transformation enabled Merck to reallocate substantial resources toward their core research mission while simultaneously improving operational reliability and reducing environmental impact.