One of our main goals at Tolin Mechanical is to do everything we can to help our customers succeed. For owners of commercial buildings and facility managers, one of the key indicators of success is positive ROI.

It’s true that maintaining, repairing, and replacing commercial HVAC system components can carry a high price tag. Our focus on maintaining that positive return means we’re always going to be looking for the very best long-term solution for each unique building and budget.

We’ve had the privilege to work with commercial building owners and managers throughout Colorado, Arizona, and Virginia area for years, and we understand the importance of making recommendations that help buildings run well now and look good on the bottom line later.

To support that commitment, our service offerings have evolved over the years to include tools and procedures that allow us to improve and communicate ROI as we maintain, inspect, install, retrofit, and repair our clients’ HVAC systems.

Here are three tools you can take advantage of to improve ROI:

1. The operational assessment

The operational assessment is the foundation of most large-scale projects, and we strongly recommend our existing clients receive one at least every two years.

Basically, the assessment allows trained and experienced technicians and energy engineers to review your building’s historical performance, taking into consideration energy usage, energy efficiency, tenant comfort, air quality, and the condition of the equipment. By doing so, your commercial HVAC company can determine where and how improvements can be made to maintain the system while controlling operating costs over the long term.

When the operational assessment is completed, you’ll receive what amounts to a prioritized to-do list of actions you can take to ensure the highest return on your commercial HVAC investment. This list will include simple but impactful improvements that require little or no investment, as well as higher-cost items to consider when doing your capex planning for the next year.

2. Planned maintenance

Another important way we help our clients boost ROI is by implementing a planned maintenance program for the HVAC system.

Like any other machine, a commercial HVAC unit and the systems connected to it require a number of routine maintenance tasks, performed on schedule, to keep it running right. These can include cleaning leaves and debris out from between exposed coils on the roof, replacing dirty air filters, and periodically lubricating fan motors, among other tasks.

By investing in a planned maintenance program, you can be sure:

• All required routine maintenance tasks will be completed on schedule by a trained and experienced technician familiar with your system
• With routine access, the technician will be able to visually inspect system components, allowing them to identify potential issues that could arise in the future
• The technician can recommend proactive upgrades or replacements before they turn into emergency repair issues, which reduces costly downtime and allows for more effective budgeting

Considering the extended lifespan of well-maintained equipment and protection from costly emergency repairs or unexpected replacements, you can see why a planned maintenance program can positively impact your facility’s ROI.

3. Building automation and controls

A third tool that has proven highly effective in improving ROI is the installation of building automation and analytics systems, including “smart” sensors, as part of a building control system. Implementing these systems allows for 24/7 remote monitoring, rich data analysis, and continuous, real-time optimization, among other benefits.

These powerful digital tools allow us to help you keep your facility running as efficiently as possible, which saves money on energy. And, if there are any issues, we can have a technician dispatched to address it immediately. Even tiny changes in usage or output can be flagged by a quality analytics system. Then, depending on the situation, it can self-adjust to resolve the issue, or generate a work order to have the problem resolved professionally.

If you’d like to discuss how Tolin Mechanical can help improve your Virginia, Arizona, or Denver, CO commercial HVAC system's ROI, we’d love to talk with you about the options for your company.