Revitalising ageing buildings for a net-zero future

Many of these buildings are operating with plant, systems and equipment designed and installed 20 years ago or more, which are now nearing the end of their operational life

While we all treasure heritage buildings, we have a looming problem with buildings that were designed in the late 20th century and are now losing their appeal in the age of smart buildings and net-zero.

Many of these buildings are operating with plant, systems and equipment designed and installed 20 years ago or more, which are now nearing the end of their operational life. Plants start to break down or malfunction, systems may not be operating as per their design set points and energy costs are high and not likely to reduce unless something changes.

Simply replacing end-of-life equipment with the same systems is not the ideal solution. For one thing, many of these mechanical and electrical systems are from the era before energy-efficiency regulations when designers often oversized equipment imagining continuous peak load operation. There was also little consideration for optimising building design to minimise energy use requirements and optimise performance.

However, there is an upside. There is now a huge opportunity for owners of older buildings to take a major leap forward in their asset’s performance by undertaking an effective, smart retrofit programme for their property. This is not only important from an operational cost perspective, it also needs to be considered in the context of broader changes, including the global commitment to the 2050 net-zero target of the Paris Accord .The cities and economies, everywhere, aim to reduce individual energy consumption while maintaining ongoing economic growth for its growing population.