Benchmark, Nashua, New Hampshire -USA

Benchmark Electronics is the solutions provider for High Technology OEM customers, providing innovative design engineering services and manufacturing capabilities. The facility in New Hampshire is one of many world-class Benchmark Electronics manufacturing facilities. In this building, Benchmark requires that the environment is held at a consistent temperature and humidity in order to provide reliable finished components to their customers. The facility consists of over 120,000 square feet of electronics manufacturing, storage and testing, with plans to expand an additional 10,000 square feet in the near future. In order to maintain a 40% relative humidity in the space, Benchmark had been using electrode-type humidifiers with blowerpacks to distribute steam directly into the space. In total, there was 875 pounds per hour of electrode-steam units in the space. With the expansion, an additional 300 pounds an hour was going to be needed to ensure that the space maintained the proper level of humidity year round. The Benchmark Facilities Supervisor suggested that an evaporative system be considered to replace all of the electric steam units, hoping for significant energy savings in the process.

With the installation of Condair’s evaporative system, Benchmark Electronics is controlling their humidity levels in space better than ever, with significantly less maintenance time and in a significantly more energy efficient manner. By replacing electric steam with an evaporative system, Benchmark has removed approximately 400,000 Watts of peak electric demand, as well as more than 1 million kWh of annual electrical usage. At average electrical demand and usage rates in New Hampshire, that equates to approximately $140,000 dollars per year of electrical costs saved, resulting in a payback period well short of two years on the initial investment. Additionally, the evaporative effect potentially saves more than 10% of the electrical cooling costs for the facility.