Old buildings are sturdy, inflexible structures; hard to retrofit. Some of the most common challenges that retrofitters face are:
Missing and/or incomplete documentation:
It’s very common for old building owners to not have proper documentation of how the building operates. Incomplete blueprints, torn documents, and missing manuals make it extremely difficult to get a holistic idea of how the various machines and sensors are working together. The only solution to this challenge is to send someone on-site to regenerate the entire documentation.
Dated system and protocols:
Old buildings are usually running obsolete systems that have reached end-of-life. This makes integration a nightmare. Quite often a flexible software and platform needs to be implemented for the new system to integrate with the existing one.
Old/barely-functioning equipment:
It’s very difficult to interface with old equipment like fans and heaters, using modern protocols and technologies. Even if you somehow manage to do it (after adding an extra integration layer), the performance is often compromised. Deciding whether you will replace old equipment or somehow integrate with it, is tricky (especially when you are on a budget).
Surprises:
Old buildings always come with a lot of surprises. We often discover that parts of the appliances, pipes, valves, or software are not functioning as expected. Remedies sometimes require on-site visits and more expenses.
Retrofitting old buildings for energy efficiency can be a game changer in terms of cost reduction and carbon footprint benchmarking. As a building owner, it’s an opportunity as much as a social responsibility to retrofit your building such that it doesn’t consume too much energy.
Continue reading on How and Why Retrofitting Old Buildings is Both Necessary and Profitable
Originally published at https://clevair.io on February 10, 2020.
