Chiller Performance Monitoring for Increased Efficiency
Chiller performance monitoring reveals: in many facilities, chillers account for up to 40% of total electricity consumption.
Even modest inefficiencies can translate into tens — or even hundreds — of thousands of dollars in unnecessary energy cost each year.
Gaining real insight into chiller performance allows you to:,
- Detect performance loss before it drives up energy cost
- Understand chiller efficiency under real operating conditions
- Identify fouling, control issues, and load mismatches
- Take action based on measurable performance data
Invisible Problems:
MBS/SCADA show top-line performance. No insights.
Most cooling systems today are monitored.
Your BMS or SCADA likely shows COP, temperatures, etc in real-time.
That provides visibility — but not necessarily understanding.
- COP shows performance — but not whether it is optimal
- Changes are visible — but not explained
- The underlying causes of inefficiency remain unclear
- Data is available — but NOT ACTIONABLE
Without actionable insight, even your largest energy consumer
continues to operate as a black box.
Continuous Chiller Performance Monitoring let’s you adopt a Predictive Maintenance strategy for Chillers.
This guide is published by our partners ClimaCheck, specialist in performance monitoring and diagnostics for HVAC systems.
From Data to Insight:
Understand how your chillers actually perform
Eqocheck uses operational chiller data to analyze how your system is performing — not just overall, but within the key parts of the process.
The Chiller Performance Monitoring system looks inside the chiller and evaluates four core subsystems:
- Evaporator performance
- Compressor efficiency
- Condenser performance
- Refrigerant cycle behavior
Performance Drift can be traced back its root cause — making the underlying issues visible and Actionable.
At the system level, performance is expressed as a System Efficiency Index (SEI):
- Measures actual performance relative to the theoretical maximum
- Provides a consistent benchmark across different chillers
Send us your chiller log data — we’ll take a first look.
From COP to real performance insight:
SEI — A new metric in Chiller Performance Monitoring
Most systems report COP, but COP alone doesn’t tell you how well your chiller is actually performing.
COP changes with operating conditions — making it difficult to compare performance over time or between systems.
That’s why the Eqocheck chiller performance monitoring system uses the System Efficiency Index (SEI).
SEI expresses the actual COP as a percentage of the theoretical maximum — the Carnot COP, thus creating a consistent, comparable benchmark across all operating conditions.
- Benchmark performance independent of load and conditions
- Compare different chillers using a consistent metric
- Track efficiency over time with a stable reference
- Detect performance drift that COP does not reveal
The SEI — combined with subsystem efficiencies — is a reliable foundation for performance monitoring, and a powerful tool to pinpoint exactly where efficiency is lost inside the chiller.
Methodology developed by ClimaCheck in cooperation with SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden
From data to insight:
Flexible data. Reliable insight.
Eqocheck data acquisition adapts to your requirements:
- Using existing PLC/BMS data
- External sensors (can be installed within a few hours)
- Hybrid setups combining both approaches
Deployment options::
- Fully on-site (all data remains within your facility)
- Cloud-based (secure remote access and multi-site analysis)
- Portable version for spot measurements and diagnostics
Unique features:
- No reliance on flow measurements (often unreliable in practice)
- Internal method based on power input to determine heat load
- SEI and sub-efficiency analysis for benchmarking across assets
- Energy signature baseline to detect performance drift and verify IPLV
Beyond the chiller:
From chiller performance to system performance
Poor heat rejection is the clogged drain of any cooling system.
Chiller efficiency does not exist in isolation.
Heat rejection — including cooling towers, condenser water systems, and water quality — has a direct and often dominant impact on overall performance of your HVAC system.
Eqocheck extends beyond the chiller, providing insight into the complete heat rejection system and how its condition affects efficiency.
This creates a more realistic view of performance — and reveals improvement potential that remains invisible when focusing on the chiller alone.
From insight to control:
Monitoring where it matters most
Critical components in the heat rejection system — such as cooling tower drives and rotating equipment — are often overlooked, yet directly impact system reliability and efficiency.
Eqocheck extends monitoring to these components, enabling early detection of mechanical issues and performance degradation.
This not only protects system performance, but also reduces the risk of unplanned downtime.
From insight to impact:
Where the real investment lies
Compared to the potential savings on your energy and maintenance budget, the financial investment in a chiller performance monitoring system is relatively small.
The real challenge — and opportunity — lies in turning insights into action and securing alignment across the organization.
When performance data becomes part of daily decision-making, improvements are not only identified — they are realized.
LET’S EVALUATE YOUR COOLING SYSTEM
Based on your system layout and operating conditions, we identify where performance is lost — and where it can be recovered.
No generic advice. Just a clear, practical assessment of your system.
In most cases, the opportunity is larger than expected.
Typical response within 1–2 working days. No obligation.