What a CryogenX4 Pilot Measures

Key takeaways

• CryogenX4 describes minute-level monitoring of indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, chilled-water or air flow, and energy use.
• Testing usually runs 3 to 9 months: a baseline before treatment, then a post-treatment period.
• Results are compared only under like conditions (similar weather and building load), following an IPMVP-style approach.
• The treatment itself is a one-time application installed while the system runs; most installs take one day, according to the company.
• Your team's role: repair known faults first, keep a change log, and share BAS and utility data.

A pilot is the most direct way to answer the only question that matters to a buyer: what does this do on my equipment? This page sets out what CryogenX4 says it measures during field verification, why each data point matters, how the comparison works, and what your facility team should prepare. It describes the method only. It does not predict a result, because results vary by equipment condition. For the commercial side of a pilot (number of units, timeline, what you receive), see the pilot program page.

The method in brief

CryogenX4 describes its field verification as rigorous, real-time monitoring designed to validate HVAC performance improvement in line with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP). According to the company:

• Industry-standard sensors capture key indoor and outdoor metrics: temperature, humidity, chilled-water or air flow, and energy consumption.
• Data are recorded every minute over an extended testing period, usually 3 to 9 months.
• A baseline period is captured before treatment, followed by a post-treatment data set.
• The analysis gathers statistically significant numbers of data points under like conditions (similar outdoor weather and similar internal building heat loads) in both periods, then compares average results to quantify any improvement.

In IPMVP terms, this is a retrofit-isolation approach. The measurement boundary is drawn around the treated equipment rather than the whole building, which matches IPMVP Option B in structure (see IPMVP options explained). Weather and load differences are handled by comparing matched conditions, an approach explained in baselines and weather normalization.

What gets measured and why

Measuring both the cooling delivered and the energy used is the key point. Energy alone can fall simply because a unit is doing less work. Efficiency is energy per unit of cooling, and it has to be compared at the same outdoor and indoor conditions.

How the numbers become efficiency

Chillers: kW per ton

FEMP's M&V Guidelines describe the standard approach for chiller projects: cooling capacity in tons comes from measured water flow and the temperature difference across the chiller, and power in kW comes from an electrical meter. Divide one by the other for kW per ton. A common field form of the capacity calculation is:

Tons ≈ gallons per minute × temperature difference (°F) ÷ 24

Hypothetical illustration: 1,000 gpm with a 10°F chilled-water temperature difference is about 417 tons. If the chiller draws 270 kW at that moment, it is running at about 0.65 kW per ton. With minute-level data there are thousands of such points, which can be grouped by outdoor conditions and load and compared between the baseline and post-treatment periods. Lower kW per ton at matched conditions indicates better efficiency. See kW/ton, EER and COP explained for background on these metrics.

FEMP also warns that at small temperature differences, sensor error has a large effect on kW per ton. That is a good reason to confirm sensor accuracy and placement before the baseline starts.

Rooftop units, splits and refrigeration: air-side capacity

For direct-expansion equipment, cooling delivered is estimated from airflow and the change in air temperature and humidity across the coil, which accounts for both sensible (temperature) and latent (moisture) cooling. Divide that by measured power to get a field efficiency figure for comparing baseline and post-treatment periods under matched conditions.

Typical sequence of a pilot

1. Select units. Choose equipment that represents your fleet, runs regularly, and is not scheduled for replacement. Avoid units with known faults unless they are repaired first.
2. Agree the plan. Boundary, data points, sensor locations, baseline and post-treatment periods, the matching method, and what goes in the report. EVO's guidance is that an M&V plan should be agreed before installation.
3. Install and check instruments. Confirm every sensor is reading plausibly and that time stamps align.
4. Collect the baseline across as wide a range of outdoor conditions and loads as the schedule allows.
5. Treat the equipment. According to the company, CryogenX4 is a one-time application installed by trained, certified technicians while the system runs, with no downtime and no modifications to the system. Most installs take one day.
6. Collect post-treatment data with the same instruments.
7. Analyze and report. Compare matched conditions, document adjustments and exclusions, and present results in energy units before dollars.

The total testing period is usually 3 to 9 months, according to the company. The right length for your site depends on how quickly outdoor conditions change and how much overlap the baseline and post-treatment periods need.

What your team should prepare

• Repair known faults before the baseline. EVO notes that baselines may be adjusted to reflect operation after needed repairs. Fixing problems first keeps the result clean.
• Hold set points and schedules steady on the test units where possible.
• Keep a change log. Record maintenance (including coil cleaning and refrigerant work), control changes, occupancy changes and outages, with dates. These are the static factors that IPMVP expects to be tracked and, if they change, handled through non-routine adjustments.
• Share existing data. BAS trends, chiller logs and utility interval data help confirm that the baseline is typical.
• Name a contact who can grant access to equipment and answer questions about operations.

Why a pilot result can come back inconclusive

Being honest about failure modes up front makes for a better test. The most common reasons a pilot cannot give a clear answer have nothing to do with the treatment itself:

• Too little overlap in conditions. If the baseline ran only in mild weather and the post-treatment period only in peak summer, few intervals can be matched fairly.
• Undocumented changes. A set-point change, a new schedule or a mid-test repair can shift energy use by more than the effect being measured.
• Sensor problems. A drifting temperature probe or a misread flow meter can distort kW per ton, especially when the temperature difference is small.
• Unrepresentative units. Equipment that barely runs, or that cycles on and off at light load, produces few useful data points.

Each of these can be prevented with planning, which is why the plan should be agreed in writing before the baseline starts.

What a pilot can and cannot tell you

CryogenX4 reports energy savings of up to 30% and typical payback on the treatment of 12 to 36 months. Those are company-stated figures. Savings are not guaranteed, and results vary by equipment condition, which is why a measured pilot on representative units is the sensible first step before a wider rollout. To turn pilot results into a budget case, see building the business case.

What you should receive

A pilot report should follow the contents EVO lists for M&V reports: project background, a description of the treatment, the approach and boundary, baseline and reporting dates, energy data, weather and load data, a description of inspections, the analysis method, assumptions, any adjustments, and verified energy and cost results compared with what was expected. Ask for the matched-condition counts behind each comparison and access to the interval data. How to read an M&V report gives a checklist.

Where lab testing fits

CryogenX4 states that Intertek tested and certified its compatibility with all refrigerants and refrigerant oils, and that its technology has been tested under AHRI, ASHRAE, ASTM, API, ANSI and EPA standards. Those tests address safety and compatibility. A pilot addresses savings on your equipment. The two types of evidence complement each other, and neither substitutes for the other. See laboratory testing standards and the company's laboratory and industry testing page.

Next step

Make a short list of two or three candidate units, with nameplate data, approximate age, any existing metering and recent service history. Send it with your questions, or call 713-396-6425, and the CryogenX4 team can outline a measurement plan for those units.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a CryogenX4 pilot take?

The company describes testing periods of usually 3 to 9 months in total, including a baseline before treatment and a post-treatment period. The treatment itself is a one-time application, and most installs take one day, according to the company.

Does the equipment have to be shut down?

According to CryogenX4, the treatment is installed while the system is running, with no downtime and no modifications to the system. Monitoring sensors are installed separately and should be checked before the baseline starts.

Why measure humidity and flow, not just kWh?

Energy alone does not show efficiency. Flow and temperature or humidity measurements show how much cooling was delivered, so performance can be compared as energy per unit of cooling under matched weather and load conditions.

Will pilot results apply to all my other units?

Not automatically. Results vary by equipment condition, so a pilot should use representative units. Results from those units can inform estimates for similar equipment, but they are not a guarantee for the whole portfolio.

Sources

1. M&V Guidelines: Measurement and Verification for Performance-Based Contracts, Version 5.0 (September 2024) — U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program
2. M&V Guidelines: Measurement and Verification for Performance-Based Contracts, Version 4.0 (November 2015) — U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program
3. IPMVP Generally Accepted M&V Principles (October 2018) — Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO)
4. International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) — Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO)