Determine Your HVAC Upgrade Plan With These Few Questions

March 6, 2019

You might be at odds between choosing to retrofit or replace your building’s HVAC equipment because of aging. We can verify this because the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that almost half of every commercial building was constructed prior to 1980. While these buildings grow old, the HVAC equipment does as well. If certain equipment becomes worn out or stops working, you’re left with a simple choice — to replace or retrofit it.

HVAC Upgrade Plan

To determine the best approach for your building and its immediate needs in the Chicagoland Area, think about the following questions:

What’s the ROI of replacing vs. retrofitting?

Your return on investment (ROI) for a replacement or retrofit improvement will likely have a significant influence on your choice. The ROI is going to help reveal potential money gains and losses in each option. As a starter, make sure to estimate the cumulative cost of ownership. It’s critical to think about every cost involved — like operating and installation costs and service requirements — as you’re weighing your prospects.

Electrical expenses, for instance, absorb the majority of lifetime equipment costs, so upgrading to a retrofit that’s energy-efficient can help to lower the overall price of ownership. If retrofitting does not offer any savings in electrical costs, then think about a replacement. After you know what cost of ownership is in total, see if energy incentive opportunities or special rebates are available near you.

We at VP Mechanical offer a host of different financing options. and you might be qualified for energy rebates. These can serve to offset the up-front expenses of updated equipment.

Where’s the equipment positioned in the building or facility?

HVAC systems left in regulated or hard-to-reach spaces like a highly-electrical, sound-sensitive location or a basement utility room can come with severe limitations. When your system is easily accessible from the inside or outside the facility, then removing or replacing it with new equipment without additional installation requirements is straightforward enough. VP Mechanical provides a variety of services that are intended specifically for replacing or upgrading problematic equipment.