HVAC SYSTEM PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
Is your building performing the way it was designed to?
Over time, even well-designed HVAC systems drift out of spec. Controls age, components fail, retrofits introduce unintended consequences, and the system that was commissioned five or fifteen years ago may bear little resemblance to what is actually running today. The result is uncomfortable spaces, poor indoor air quality, rising energy bills, and tenant complaints that never quite seem to go away.
Our Approach
We bring the same design expertise we apply to new systems to the review of existing ones. Every engagement is tailored to the building, but the methodology is consistent.
Desktop review. We start with a thorough study of all available documentation; drawings, controls sequences, commissioning reports, service records, and BAS trend data. This tells us what the system was designed to do.
On-site investigation. Where documentation is incomplete or missing entirely, we shift our focus to the field. Our engineers walk the building, inspect equipment, and use calibrated measurement tools to capture how the system is actually operating: airflows, water temperatures, control response, sensor accuracy, and zone-level performance.
Gap identification. We compare measured performance against design intent and industry standards, isolating the specific points of failure or drift that are degrading building performance.
What You Receive
Immediate, low-cost wins. Many issues can be corrected on the spot or with a quick adjustment. Where we identify items that need immediate attention, we provide on-site direction during the review and follow up with written guidance by email so your team can act right away.
A formal Gap Analysis Report. For the broader picture, we deliver a clear, prioritized report that outlines the necessary expenditures to restore and improve HVAC system functionality. The report is written to be useful to ownership, property management, and the contractors who will execute the work — no jargon walls, no vague recommendations.
Common Issues We Find
Building performance problems rarely come from one dramatic failure. They come from an accumulation of smaller issues that compound over time. Frequent culprits include aging pneumatic controls systems that no longer hold calibration, VAV systems running out of spec, failed VAV boxes, hydronic control and temperature issues, and surprisingly often, a single damper left in the wrong position after a retrofit. Any one of these can quietly undermine the performance of an entire floor or building.
Why EME
Reviewing an existing system well requires the same depth of knowledge as designing one from scratch — arguably more, because you are reverse-engineering decisions made by others, sometimes decades ago. Our senior engineers have spent careers on both the design and implementation sides of HVAC, which means we recognize the patterns quickly and know which corrections will actually move the needle on comfort, air quality, and operating cost.
Our clients include contractors, building owners, and tenants. Our expertise includes office buildings, medical clinics, general commerical, retail, multi-residential, etc