Case Study: Aqua Palms Waikiki achieves $75K/year utility savings and 45% central-plant energy reduction with Ameresco

New Upgraded Chiller System Bringing Boutique Honolulu Resort Upgrades for Property Efficiency

Aqua Palms Waikiki, a boutique resort in Waikiki, partnered with Ameresco to address operational inefficiencies from prior upgrades and aging equipment that left the property’s cold air system underperforming. Ameresco was brought in to replace the outdated system and improve overall building efficiency, leveraging its central plant and chiller expertise to design-build a solution.

Ameresco assessed the site, designed and installed a new water-cooled chiller with a dual compressor, tied it into the existing cooling tower, and added chilled and condensing water infrastructure while retaining old equipment for redundancy. The project delivered about 310,808 kWh of annual energy savings (~$75,000 per year), a ~17% reduction in annual utility costs, a $50,000+ rebate, and a 45% cut in central plant energy consumption, improving guest comfort and supporting Hawaii’s 2045 carbon neutrality goals.

Aqua Palms Waikiki

Rick Fields

Chief Engineer