Johnson Controls says it has launched a new program to help owners of York centrifugal chillers reduce chiller energy use by up to 40 percent.

The program encourages facility managers to install variable-speed drive technologies and identifies rebates and other financial incentives to reduce energy consumption.

“The abundance of state and utility rebates available today, plus the impact VSD technologies can have on energy costs, make this the perfect time to upgrade,” said Marty Montagne, vice president of marketing and global service for Johnson Controls. “First, we’re making sure our customers are aware of local rebate programs; and when combined with promotional pricing from Johnson Controls, we can help customers meet or exceed their payback requirements and move forward with a project they may not otherwise be able to afford in this economic environment.”

Chillers can account for nearly 30 percent of energy usage in a typical commercial building. Most new chiller installations include variable-speed drives, but Johnson Controls officials said that many installed in the past years have not. Today, these older installations can be retrofitted to achieve savings, they added.

A task force at Johnson Controls has analyzed the energy profile of its entire installed base of chillers and identified approximately 2,000 customers with the highest potential savings.  In addition to reducing energy expenses, officials said that upgrades to all of these chillers could collectively reduce greenhouse gases by approximately 600,000 tons annually - equivalent to removing 115,000 cars from U.S. roads.