Major plant replacement in occupied buildings

Chillers, boilers, cooling towers, heat pumps and air handling plant reach the end of their life while the building is full of people who need it to keep working. We assess what you have, set out the options with real numbers, and design and stage the replacement so the building never notices.

when plant reaches end of life.

A chiller or boiler that is 20 to 25 years old is costing you three ways. In energy, because it was sized and selected for a building that has since changed. In maintenance, because parts and refrigerant get harder to find every year. And in risk, because a failure in February or July is an emergency with no good options.

Replacing it like-for-like is rarely the right answer. The load has changed, the technology has changed, and in most cases the gas plant should not be gas any more. The best time to right-size, consolidate or electrify a building's plant is when the old plant is coming out anyway.

what we do.

Condition and lifecycle assessment. What is wearing out, what it costs to keep running, when it is likely to fail, and what to do first. For a single plant room or prioritised across a site or portfolio.

Options analysis. Like-for-like, right-sized, electrified or consolidated, each with capex, running cost, carbon and NABERS impact, so the decision is made on numbers.

Design and documentation. Specifications, drawings, schedules, controls and electrical design for the selected option, written for competitive tender.

Staging and continuity. Sequencing across seasons, temporary plant where needed, and keeping existing plant as backup through commissioning so heating and cooling are never lost.

Tender and construction phase. Tender assessment, site inspections, factory acceptance testing, commissioning witnessing and defects.

plant we replace.

Water-cooled and air-cooled chillers · Gas boilers and calorifiers · Cooling towers · Air handling units and fans · Heat pump plant · Pumps, variable speed drives and hydronic systems · Building management systems and controls.

questions we get asked.

Should we just replace it like-for-like?

Usually not. The building's load has almost always changed since the original plant was selected, and a right-sized replacement is cheaper to run and often cheaper to buy. If the old plant is gas, an electrified replacement is nearly always worth pricing alongside it.

Can the building keep operating during the replacement?

Yes. Staging the works across seasons, bringing in temporary plant where needed, and keeping the old plant available as backup until the new plant is proven are standard parts of our design. Our 200 Miller Street project replaced a chiller and a boiler in an occupied heritage building without a day of lost heating or cooling.

How far ahead should we plan?

Two to three years before the expected end of life. That turns the replacement into planned capital expenditure with a competitive tender, instead of an emergency purchase of whatever is in stock.

Should we electrify at the same time?

Almost always worth assessing. With the plant out anyway, the marginal cost of electrifying is at its lowest, and a gas boiler installed today will be a stranded asset well before the end of its life.

What about refrigerants?

The phase-down of high-GWP refrigerants is already affecting availability and price. New plant should be selected on low-GWP refrigerants so it is not caught by the next step of the phase-down.

related services.

Building electrification · Energy efficiency upgrades and BMS optimisation · Portfolio decarbonisation strategy · NABERS ratings