Casino Slashes Energy Use 32% Through Intelligent System Upgrade
A major Northeast casino converted its manual cooling operations to an intelligent, adaptive control system, achieving major efficiency gains while freeing staff resources for preventive maintenance.
1,460
staff hours freed up each year
0.35
kW/ton improvement
location
Wilkes-Barre, PA
size
255,000 ft2
industry
Casinos & Gaming
the problem
Manual Operations Limiting System Potential
A prominent Northeast gaming facility, spanning 255,000 square feet of gaming, meeting, and event space with attached hotels and dining venues, struggled with an inefficient chilled water system. The manually operated cooling infrastructure demanded constant operator attention while delivering suboptimal performance at 1.1 kW/ton. This approach not only consumed excessive energy but also placed unnecessary strain on both equipment and personnel.
the solution
Integrated Design with Adaptive Control
The facility partnered with tekWorx, a leader in chilled water system optimization, to develop and implement a comprehensive solution. Leveraging their expertise in both mechanical system design and adaptive control technology, tekWorx delivered a customized approach that addressed both the infrastructure inefficiencies and operational challenges. This collaboration resulted in a complete transformation of the facility’s cooling operations.
The site underwent comprehensive system modifications with two key components:
- Infrastructure Redesign: The conversion to tekWorx patented Integrated Primary/Secondary® (IPS) design marked a significant advancement in system efficiency. This innovative approach eliminates the need for primary pumps and their associated energy consumption, while providing more precise control over water flow rates. The IPS® design can respond more dynamically to varying load conditions while maintaining stable operation.
- Intelligent Control Implementation: Integration of the Xpress® adaptive control algorithms that ensure the entire system operates at maximum efficiency without requiring constant operator intervention. Xpress® algorithms optimize:
- Chiller loading for maximum efficiency
- Chilled water pump performance
- Cooling tower and chiller balance
- Real-time system response to varying conditions
“Xpress® is like moving from a flip phone to a smartphone – you wonder how you ever managed without it.”
Lead Facilities Engineer
the results
Major Improvements Across Operations
Xpress® transformed the facility’s cooling operations, delivering improvements across multiple performance metrics:
- System Intelligence: Xpress® energy and operations dashboards provide comprehensive system visibility, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and troubleshooting efficiency
- Energy Efficiency: System performance improved from 1.1 kW/ton to 0.75 kW/ton, representing a 32% efficiency gain
- Equipment Preservation: Significant reduction in system wear and tear through optimized operations
By combining infrastructure improvements with intelligent controls, the casino achieved significant energy savings while enhancing system reliability and staff productivity.