How can I use building performance service firms to integrate retrofit work with existing building controls?

To integrate retrofit work with existing building controls, the key is to use a building performance service firm as the bridge between the design/construction team and the controls/BMS/EMS environment. These firms can help you make sure retrofit measures actually perform as intended in the real building, not just on paper.

What these firms can do

A good building performance service firm can help with:

• Controls assessment

  • Review the existing BMS/BAS/EMS
  • Identify what equipment is already controlled
  • Find limitations, overrides, faults, and points that are poorly mapped or unused

• Retrofit integration planning

  • Make sure new HVAC, lighting, envelope, or electrification measures are compatible with existing sequences of operation
  • Define what control changes are needed before installation

• Sequence of operations development

  • Write or revise control sequences so retrofit measures operate efficiently
  • Align equipment staging, scheduling, setpoints, alarms, and interlocks

• Point list and graphics review

  • Confirm sensor and actuator points needed for the retrofit
  • Update graphics, trend logs, and alarms so operators can manage the system

• Commissioning and functional testing

  • Test that the retrofit and controls work together under real operating conditions
  • Verify economizers, VAV reset, demand control ventilation, heat pumps, etc.

• Ongoing optimization

  • Monitor performance after turnover
  • Identify tuning opportunities and persistent faults

How to use them effectively

1. Bring them in early

The biggest value comes when they are engaged during:

• project scoping
• feasibility analysis
• design development

That way, they can identify control conflicts before equipment is ordered.

2. Give them access to the existing controls data

Provide:

• trend logs
• BAS point lists
• sequences of operation
• as-built drawings
• maintenance logs
• utility data
• fault tickets and operator complaints

This helps them understand how the building actually performs.

3. Ask for a controls integration plan

Their scope should explicitly include:

• existing controls evaluation
• retrofit-to-controls interface requirements
• revised sequences of operation
• trend and alarm strategy
• commissioning tests
• post-retrofit optimization plan

4. Make controls part of retrofit scope, not an add-on

Retrofits often fail to deliver savings because controls are treated as separate from the physical work. Require the firm to coordinate with:

• mechanical/electrical engineers
• controls contractors
• commissioning providers
• facilities staff

5. Use performance metrics

Have them define success measures such as:

• energy use intensity reduction
• runtime reduction
• improved temperature/humidity compliance
• fewer simultaneous heating/cooling events
• reduced overrides
• improved fault detection resolution time

Typical retrofit/control integration examples

• Heat pump retrofit: modify sequences for staging, lockouts, and changeover logic
• HVAC economizer upgrade: ensure sensors, dampers, and alarms are calibrated and trended
• Lighting retrofit: integrate occupancy/daylight controls with schedules and overrides
• Envelope improvements: reset ventilation, supply air temperature, and static pressure strategies
• VFD installation: tune pump/fan control loops and minimum speed settings

What to look for in a firm

Choose a firm with experience in:

• BAS/BMS programming and analytics
• commissioning and retro-commissioning
• MEP engineering
• fault detection and diagnostics
• energy management
• controls integration for existing buildings

Ask whether they can work with your actual controls platform and whether they have experience with your building type.

Simple way to frame the engagement

You can ask for a scope like:

“Assess the existing control system, identify retrofit integration requirements, revise sequences of operation, support implementation, and verify post-retrofit performance.”

If you want, I can also help you draft:

1. a scope of work for a building performance service firm, or
2. a request for proposal (RFP) checklist for retrofit-controls integration.