Building Operating Management September 2011 - FacilitiesNet

92
buildingoperatingmanagement
SEPTEMBER 2011
SHOWCASE: HVAC
Know What to Look for
When Upgrading HVAC
by casey laughman, managing editor
Upgrading an HVAC system represents
a major investment of time
and money, so it’s not something to enter
into without proper planning. What
that plan involves isn’t always clear at
the beginning. Just as every building is
different, so is every HVAC system. And
while replacing one piece may work out
just fine, it also could simply be the first
in a series of dominoes.
“It may be that you replace a component
and it will make it even more
inefficient than it was before. You have
to look at the whole system and look
at what really needs to be done for the
money to give you the best return on
your investment,” says Jon Cogdill, senior
property manager, Hines.
Cogdill, and other experts agree on
one point: While there’s no such thing
as a standard HVAC upgrade, there
are some aspects of the process that
always apply.
Begin at the Beginning
If you’re looking into upgrading
your HVAC system because equipment
is reaching the end of its life or because
the building needs better service, it can
be an easier sell than simply looking to
become more energy efficient.
“Are you trying to solve a problem?
Or are you trying to make it more efficient?”
says Clayton Ulrich, senior
vice president, engineering services,
Hines. “It’s clearly very hard to justify
what we would loosely call an HVAC
upgrade in an existing building if there
isn’t a problem.”
If you can combine efficiency with
another compelling reason to replace
part or all of an HVAC system, it becomes
a much easier sell. A big part of
that sell, however, is knowing exactly
what you need.
Say you’re replacing a chiller. Because
chillers can easily last 30 years or
more, the odds are good that the needs
of the building and its occupants have
changed since it was installed.
“The first thing is to consider the
asset you’re talking about,” says Tony
Bamonte, vice president and regional
property manager, Liberty Property
Trust. “I don’t suggest you just replace
units with a like kind.”
Cogdill says he can attest to that
from personal experience. Hines has
been working on an HVAC upgrade
of Two Shell Plaza in Houston, a more
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