Should You Air Condition a Pilot Plant Space?

Unless you live in Hawaii or parts of California, the question always arises should you air condition your pilot plant space. While whole generations of pilot plant operators have always given a resounding yes answer, few organizations have been willing to spend the capital and operating costs just for just personal comfort. Capital costs to install air conditioning runs about $15-25/SF as you need to add a coil, chiller, pump, piping, and insulation. For a 3,000 SF pilot plant bay – a not uncommon size – that suggests a $45,000 to $75,000 capital outlay. Worse depending on your exhaust rate, climate, cooling season, and power costs you can spend $35,000-$75,000 annually to operate the system. These figures are large enough to give any organization a reason to pause.