Why does refrigerant loss go undetected in building HVAC-R systems?

Chillers lose charge gradually. Efficiency drops and compressors work harder while CO₂ impact accumulates. Standard detection methods catch the leak far too late — often after 80% charge loss. ClimaWISE detects refrigerant loss at 3% deviation through continuous thermodynamic analysis.

What happens when chillers in a building are not coordinated?

Multiple chillers running independently instead of in an optimised sequence each do their own thing, resulting in combined efficiency far below potential. ClimaWISE identifies sequencing inefficiencies and provides the data needed to coordinate chiller operation correctly.

How does cooling tower fouling affect building chiller performance?

Fouling, scaling, or airflow issues reduce heat rejection capacity. The chiller compensates by working harder, consuming more energy and accelerating wear. Standard monitoring systems fail to connect the cooling tower degradation to chiller overload. ClimaWISE tracks the full chain from heat rejection to compressor load.

What are legacy setpoints and why do they waste energy in HVAC-R systems?

Control setpoints were defined at commissioning years ago for conditions that no longer exist. They are never updated, so the system operates on assumptions that no longer reflect current requirements. ClimaWISE compares actual system behavior to thermodynamic reality to identify where setpoints have drifted from optimal.

What is delta-T collapse in a chilled water system?

Delta-T collapse occurs when the temperature differential across a chilled water circuit drops below design value. Pumps run at full speed while delivering less cooling than the system expects, wasting energy and reducing available capacity. ClimaWISE detects delta-T collapse through continuous flow and temperature analysis.

ClimaWISE for Land-based

Running is not the same as performing.

Your BMS says the system is running. Your energy bill says something else. Your ESG report needs numbers you can defend. ClimaWISE builds the thermodynamic fingerprint of your installation, measured continuously and supplemented by AI where it adds certainty. We show you exactly what it is doing and what it is costing you.

Request a demo See how it works

Hospitals·Data centres·Government·Offices·Industry

ClimaWISE Live · Land-based

Helix Hospital · 5,500 kW

Chiller 1

DRIFT DETECTED

Load

2,045kW

Efficiency

71%

Chiller 2

RUNNING

Load

1,709kW

Efficiency

88%

Chiller 3

RUNNING

Load

1,821kW

Efficiency

90%

Refrigerant loss detected

Circuit 1 · 6.2% below fingerprint baseline

CRITICAL

Three chillers running. One losing refrigerant.Updated just now · UTC

The land-based challenge

Your system has two monitoring systems.
Neither caught the leak.

Buildings rely on periodic maintenance intervals by a service engineer or facility staff without deep technical visibility. This gap allows leaks to persist for months. In a hospital case, the BMS and the supplier failed to see the drift. ClimaWISE identified the anomaly at 3%.

Real case · Large hospital

Refrigerant loss in one chiller before detection. Two monitoring systems active. Neither caught it early.

Resulting emission

0 ton

CO₂-equivalent from the undetected leak. More than most buildings emit in total energy use per year.

Detection threshold

0% vs 0%

ClimaWISE detects refrigerant anomalies at 3% loss. This building's systems detected at 80%.

This is not an isolated incident. Refrigerant leakage is endemic in large HVAC-R systems. The problem is not the equipment. It is the absence of a system that understands the thermodynamic fingerprint well enough to detect what the sensors cannot see.

The monitoring gap

A BMS reads status. ClimaWISE reads performance.

Your building management system confirms the installation is running and presents the associated sensor data. It cannot determine if that operation is correct based on your real time load, outdoor conditions, or the actual refrigerant charge. ClimaWISE validates the physics behind the data.

BMS · Site overviewAll systems running

0 alarms24/24 zones nominal

ClimaWISE · Fingerprint scan2 anomalies detected

Refrigerant leak detectedChiller 2 (C2) · charge below fingerprint

Ventilation efficiency lowAHU 2 · operating off expected performance

Same system. Same moment. Different story.

What a BMS does

Reads sensor values: temperatures, pressures, flow rates
Triggers alarms when values exceed thresholds
Shows you the system is "running"
Compares to fixed setpoints set at commissioning
Accepts performance drift as a normal state
Fails to compensate for changing thermodynamic conditions

What ClimaWISE does

Calculates the thermodynamic fingerprint of your system
Detects performance drift before an alarm ever goes off
Shows if the system delivers the performance it was designed for
Shows the real impact of operator changes instead of guessing
Detects refrigerant leaks at 3% loss before they become a problem
Provides the data to make sustainability and ESG goals real

Where the pressure is highest

Every large building faces the same problem. The stakes differ.

Data centres

PUE under pressure

Cooling accounts for 30% to 40% of total data centre energy consumption. Growing AI workloads drive demand higher every year. Every point of PUE improvement is measurable in millions. ClimaWISE monitors cooling plant efficiency continuously and identifies exactly where PUE is being lost.

Cooling = 30–40% of total DC energy use

Hospitals

CO₂ targets. 24/7 reliability.

Hospitals cannot afford downtime. They face Paris Proof obligations and increasingly strict CO2 reporting requirements. ClimaWISE delivers both continuous reliability monitoring and the evidence trail needed for CO2 reduction reporting.

1,300 ton CO₂, one undetected leak, one hospital

Government buildings

Leading by example

Government facilities are the frontrunners in energy regulation. This includes Paris Proof 2030, CSRD reporting, and energy label obligations. ClimaWISE provides the continuous measurement and provable savings data that makes compliance real instead of just claimed.

CSRD requires provable data, not estimates

Industry & large facilities

Scale multiplies the problem

Large cooling plants with multiple chillers and complex distribution networks accumulate drift faster than anyone can manually track. ClimaWISE monitors all circuits simultaneously and prioritizes findings by energy impact.

5–35% energy savings. Measurable. Traceable.

What we find in every building

Every installation we connect to shows the same pattern.

The systems are different. The findings are consistent.

01Hidden CO₂

Refrigerant loss undetected

Chillers lose charge gradually. Efficiency drops and compressors work harder while CO2 impact accumulates. Standard detection methods catch the leak far too late.

02Coordination

Chillers not coordinated

Multiple chillers running independently instead of in optimised sequence. Each doing its own thing. Combined efficiency far below potential.

03Heat rejection

Cooling tower performance degraded

Fouling, scaling, or airflow issues reducing heat rejection capacity. The chiller compensates by working harder. Standard systems fail to connect these two.

0410 → 95%

Air handling units out of control

Fresh air ratios fluctuate between 10% and 95% when they should stay stable and better based on CO₂. This causes enormous energy waste by conditioning outdoor air that is not needed.

05Legacy setpoints

Controls not adapted to the site

Setpoints were defined at commissioning years ago for different conditions. These are never updated. The system operates on assumptions that no longer reflect what is required today.

06ΔT collapse

Flow rates mismatch

Delta T collapse occurs in chilled water systems. Pumps work at full speed while delivering less cooling than the system thinks. Energy is wasted and capacity is lost.

These are not exceptions. These are standard findings in buildings that passed their last energy audit, in systems with active BMS monitoring, and in facilities where the installer says everything is fine based on the data they have.

For installers and service partners

ClimaWISE is not a replacement. It's a superpower.

Installers are experts at installing and servicing. They are not designed for continuous performance monitoring between visits. This is not a criticism, it is a structural gap. ClimaWISE fills that gap and works alongside installers instead of against them.

For the installer

Know exactly what to fix before you arrive on site
Prove the impact of your work with before/after data
Offer performance contracts backed by real measurement
Differentiate from competitors with data-driven service

For the building owner

Independent performance monitoring between service visits
Evidence that the work of your installer delivered results
One platform across all your sites and systems

For both

No conflict of interest, ClimaWISE monitors, installers fix
Shared dashboard, both parties see the same data
Findings prioritised by energy impact and urgency

Interested in becoming a ClimaWISE partner?Contact us

The ClimaWISE offering

Scalable Intelligence. Expert Oversight.

ClimaWISE is delivered through a Customer Agreement, combining an intelligence Stage with a Co-Pilot level. The Stage determines your visibility into the installation. The Co-Pilot determines how much ClimaWISE does for you.

StagesOne-time fee

Each Stage expands our visibility into your system. Scale up whenever you are ready.

Stage I

Primary Fingerprint

Full visibility into the primary side. The thermodynamic profile of your chillers typically reveals 5 to 10% in system savings.

Stage II

Primary Optimization

Active optimization with fast ROI. LeakShield AI and dynamic optimization realize up to 25% in total system savings.

Full HVAC Fingerprint

Full insight into the interaction between primary and secondary side. Identifies an additional 7 to 12% in system savings.

Stage IV

Full HVAC Optimization

Full synchronization of the entire installation. Up to 35% in total system savings under real operating conditions.

HVAC-R Co-PilotSubscription

Every Agreement includes a Co-Pilot. The level determines how intensively we are involved, from monitoring to full operational relief.

Standard

Continuous monitoring and alerts. Includes reporting and predefined support hours for your team. You act, we inform.

Extended

Active optimization partnership. We set shared goals, conduct periodic performance reviews, and provide priority support. We optimize alongside you.

Recommended for CSRD

Enterprise

Full tailored operational relief. Includes newbuild and construction phase guidance, independent review of quotations and installations, and support during FAT, SAT, and commissioning. We are involved from day one.

Every Stage gives us more visibility. Every Co-Pilot level determines what we do with that visibility for you.

In practice