When this Chicagoland Data Center, a global data center leader, needed to modernize its Aurora, IL facility, they trusted F.E. Moran Mechanical Services to deliver. Between March and August 2025, our team successfully retrofitted six (6) Smardt water-cooled chillers with advanced Micro Control Systems (MCS) controls.
The objective: upgrade reliability, optimize staging, and increase energy efficiency, without compromising the around-the-clock performance that data centers demand.
This retrofit project required precision at every step. F.E. Moran’s expert technicians integrated new MCS panels into each Smardt chiller, carefully running wiring from the new panels to existing control architecture. Once the installation was complete, our team performed detailed start-up and commissioning, ensuring each chiller transitioned seamlessly back into service.
Key areas of focus included:
The MCS retrofit program is more than a controls upgrade, it’s a performance transformation. By moving away from aging OEM control systems, this Chicagoland Data Center gained a flexible, modern platform designed to meet the demands of mission-critical environments.
Benefits include:
No two retrofits are the same. This project’s complexity centered on tailoring the custom logic to the client’s specific requirements while ensuring zero downtime. By working closely with this Chicagoland Data Center's operations team, the partnership of F.E. Moran and MCS were able to create a controls strategy that met the site’s stringent expectations.
Clients like this Chicagoland Data Center turn to F.E. Moran because we consistently deliver reliability, trust, and quality of work. In their words:
“F.E. Moran Mechanical Services turned an unreliable chiller plant into an efficient machine.”
F.E. Moran Mechanical Services is built on a simple promise: we do what we say we’ll do. As part of the family-owned F.E. Moran, our team brings more than six decades of expertise in HVAC, plumbing, refrigeration, fire protection, and industrial piping. Backed by a culture of safety and a commitment to client partnerships, we provide 24/7/365 support for mission-critical facilities throughout Chicagoland and beyond.
Modernizing control systems is about more than replacing hardware—it’s about ensuring long-term efficiency and reliability. Whether it’s chillers, BAS, or mission-critical infrastructure, F.E. Moran has the expertise to keep your systems running at peak performance.
