Cooling Contingency Plans - Johnson Controls Inc.

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS

Temporary HVAC may also prove helpful when taking equipment offline for scheduled maintenance,
tackling seasonal loads, or adding redundancy to existing systems. Just as important, though, is the need
to consider your needs ahead of time to properly select the plans and partners that can help you steer
clear of avoidable problems.
In today’s challenging business environment, organizations of all sizes
are under increasing pressure to defer or eliminate capital expenses
not directly related to core competencies. As a result, substantial
investments such as central plant upgrades or expansions are often
put on hold. Many organizations, therefore, are forced to run aging
equipment for as long as possible in what’s commonly referred to as “run
to fail” mode.
Sound familiar? The uncertainty of today’s economy tempts many to
test fate. And although the strategy may be understandable, it is not without
risk. In the event of equipment failures, contingency plans must be in
place if businesses are to recover without significant impact on operations.
Cooling contingency plans, however, are not just for emergencies
anymore.
WHY RENT COOLING EQUIPMENT?
As part of a proactively developed strategy, rental cooling provides a solution
that benefits businesses in many ways, allowing companies to preserve
capital, increase efficiency, minimize risk, and maximize peace of mind.
Capital constraints. When capital budgets are threatened, renting cooling
equipment provides access to the newest, most-efficient HVAC technologies
without making a long-term financial commitment to purchase.
Temporary cooling can bridge the gap until the economic climate stabilizes
and budgeting issues can be resolved. It can also reveal opportunities to
further improve the bottom line:
BY MICHAEL MCGRAW
Energy-efficiency improvements. Replacing aging equipment or converting
from a low-efficiency air cooled plant to a high-efficiency water
cooled system requires substantial investment and capital. Temporary or
rental equipment is often based on the latest technology and offers the
same energy-savings opportunities without the capital investment.
Eliminate maintenance and repair expenses. Temporary equipment
contracts typically include all repairs and may also be structured to
include necessary maintenance.
Guaranteed uptime. Companies that can’t afford to purchase a redundant
machine may wish to establish a contingency plan or require a
rental-insurance agreement with their service provider.
Maintain control and flexibility. Investment in a chilled water plant is
often based a 20-plus year economic life. Significant changes are expected
in the economy, in technology, and in energy consumption in the coming
years, and temporary equipment ensures operations while maintaining
flexibility for the future.
In addition to addressing potential capital constraints, a cooling contingency
plan can provide value in a number of other situations — whether the
business need is planned or unplanned, short or long term.
Additional cooling capacity. When additional capacity is required temporarily,
perhaps as the result of seasonal heat waves, natural disasters, peaks
in business, or equipment degradation, a rental chiller supplies cost-effective
additional cooling. A rental chiller allows businesses to conserve capital

instead of purchasing equipment, which may be used only at certain times
of the year and sit idle when not in use.
Routine maintenance. When taking a chiller offline for routine maintenance,
temporary equipment allows operations to continue while those procedures
are performed. Because there is no need to rush getting the unit back
online, planners can have peace of mind knowing maintenance is being done
thoroughly and correctly the first time.
Chiller replacement / System testing and proving. Installing a rental
unit gives businesses an opportunity to validate system requirements
before purchasing new chiller equipment. In this “try before you buy”
scenario, companies may be able to rent the exact equipment slated for
purchase. In addition, once a permanent replacement is specified, having a
rental chiller in place allows operations to continue undisturbed while new
equipment is ordered and installed.
Redundancy. When a primary or backup system fails, portable equipment
can provide cooling during restoration or in a “standby” mode.
Redundancy cooling provides peace of mind in mission-critical environments
such as hospitals, where patient care must continue uninterrupted,
and data centers, where the integrity and availability of information must
be preserved 24/7.
Clearly, temporary cooling is not just for emergencies anymore. Chillers
can be rented on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. As part of a proactively
developed contingency plan, rental units provide peace of mind in a number of
different situations, allowing businesses to minimize risk and downtime while
channeling capital to core competencies.
COMPREHENSIVE CONTINGENCY PLANNING INVOLVES
MORE THAN HARDWARE
The development of a contingency plan — whether designed to meet
planned or unplanned or short- or long-term needs — must involve
more than specifying temporary cooling equipment. A comprehensive
plan must also include a strategy for the successful implementation of
a temporary solution. What good is backup equipment if it cannot be
installed seamlessly and maintained reliably?
Site preparation. Site preparation is vital to the seamless installation
of a temporary cooling solution. Long before a need arises, companies
should identify a location for the rental equipment that will not only
accommodate the chiller(s) but also provide access to required electrical
and mechanical connections. By mapping the details of the installation in
advance, businesses can avoid the panic and overtime costs often associated
with the implementation of temporary cooling — especially in an
emergency situation. Top tier suppliers of temporary cooling systems will
offer site preparation as part of a comprehensive contingency strategy.
Service and support. A comprehensive contingency plan should also
include provisions for the commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning
of temporary cooling equipment. Again, top-tier suppliers
will likely include a plan for service and support within a contingency
strategy. Additionally, through local service offices, suppliers can make
factory-trained service technicians available 24/7 to respond to their
customers’ needs. A plan that can be put into action immediately keeps
service disruptions to a minimum.
SELECTING A SUPPLIER FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING
Once a decision is made to proactively draft a contingency plan, a supplier
must be selected to develop and implement the plan. When making
the selection, businesses should consider three factors: expertise, availability,
and flexibility.
Companies should identify potential suppliers that have in-depth
knowledge of temporary equipment and installations and partner with
those who also have resources and experience in application engineer-
FIGURE 1. Four 440-ton air cooled screw chillers were used for temporary
cooling during the complete demolition and reconstruction of a church’s
utility plant.
ing, project management, and service. By selecting a partner with a wide
range of capabilities, businesses can rest assured the contingency plan
will be comprehensive and include a needs assessment, site preparation,
installation, setup, commissioning, controls integration, and ongoing
maintenance of rented HVAC equipment. Some suppliers also offer a
complete line of chillers, power generators, and air conditioners/AHUs,
and can configure equipment to specific applications.
Depending on the client’s geographic particulars, partners should also
have a large rental fleet strategically distributed throughout North America.
When there’s a need for temporary cooling, companies can’t afford
to be delayed by long delivery times. Top-tier suppliers typically have tens
of thousands of tons of newer model, energy-efficient units available in
inventory and are poised to deliver needed equipment immediately.
Finally, businesses should select a rental partner that is flexible enough
to consider various financial situations. Even if cash flow is limited or there
is no budget for a major capital expenditure, customized rental agreements
can be drafted to meet specific needs, including rent-to-own programs.
CONCLUSION: DEVELOPING A CONTINGENCY PLAN
Contingency planning is not just for emergencies anymore. In many
cases, temporary equipment should be considered as part of the overall
capital review plan. Rental solutions allow businesses to preserve capital,
increase efficiency, minimize risk, and maximize peace of mind. Contingency
plans can be developed to cover:
Lack of available capital to purchase new chillers
Emergency cooling in the wake of equipment breakdown
Taking a chiller offline for routine maintenance but need operations to
continue
Standby cooling when a primary or back-up system fails
Delays while waiting for new chiller equipment to be installed
Seasonal heat waves, natural disasters, or peaks in business
Whether planned or unplanned or short- or long-term, temporary
cooling provides peace of mind when cooling is critical to maintaining
business operations, providing comfort, or protecting temperaturesensitive
manufacturing processes, and mission-critical facilities.
Well-advised companies explore the potential of temporary cooling

Cooling Contingency Plans
FIGURE 2. A 60-ton A/C unit ducted for temporary cooling at a military
facility.
proactively. They work with an OEM to develop a contingency plan and
insist that it include provisions to specify equipment accurately, install
the backup seamlessly, and maintain temporary cooling reliably. A comprehensive
contingency strategy puts planned responsibility for chiller
uptime and performance squarely on the shoulders of an expert supplier,
allowing businesses to concentrate on their business. ES
McGraw is director of Johnson Controls Rental and
Modular Solutions. He has been with York and Johnson
Controls for nine years.
Johnson Controls is an OEM supplier with over 125
years of experience in the HVAC industry. Their rental
inventory of new model, energy efficient chillers is
located in rental depots throughout North America
and serviced is provided by more than 150 branch
locations across the United States. For additional
information on Johnson Controls Rental Solutions visit
www.johnsoncontrols.com/rental or call 888-JCI-RNTL
(888-524-7685).
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to
the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies,
products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the
relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of 130,000
employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through
our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million
homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability
drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in
our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide
Reprinted from Engineered Systems Magazine © March 2010 P.O. Box 4270 Troy, MI 48099
ARRP-10-014