How Intuitive Surgical Discovered Hidden HVAC Waste in Clean Room Operations

This NexusCon 2025 presentation digs into one of the hardest places to touch HVAC: medical manufacturing clean rooms. Brian Larsen, FM and Engineering Manager at Intuitive Surgical, and Tom Arnold, CEO and Cofounder of Gridium, walk through how they uncovered major energy opportunity inside Class 8 clean environments without touching the production line.

The core problem was familiar but sensitive—clean rooms ventilated at full tilt 24/7 with almost no real-time visibility into actual conditions. The case spans a fast-growing global portfolio where uptime, quality, and regulatory confidence matter more than simple savings.

Behind the paywall, you’ll see what changed once analytics revealed where baseload energy was really coming from—and how particle counter data challenged long-held assumptions about air change requirements during low-occupancy periods. Brian and Tom share what surprised the team, why skepticism from EHS and manufacturing leaders was expected, and how an intern-led pilot helped build trust with real data.

They also unpack how this work started with interval data, evolved into sensor validation, and is now shaping a multi-year roadmap for critical environments. If you manage labs, clean rooms, or other “untouchable” spaces, this recording shows how to start the conversation without breaking operations.

Watch the full recording inside Nexus Pro →