Case Study: Improved Efficiency with Strategic Planning for HVAC Replacement
About Our Client
Our client is a publicly traded financial services company with a strong commercial banking presence and additional fee-based businesses including mortgage origination and municipal investment banking. With a national footprint spanning 48 states and the District of Columbia, this organization required strategic planning for HVAC replacement across its 68 locations.
The Problem: Managing Aging HVAC Infrastructure Across a National Footprint
Before implementing strategic planning for HVAC replacement through CLS Facility Services, the financial services company faced several challenges managing its extensive HVAC infrastructure:
- The organization was dealing with unexpected HVAC failures that disrupted operations at branch locations and corporate offices.
- Emergency replacements were causing significant budget overruns, with unplanned expenditures for both temporary cooling solutions and rushed equipment procurement.
- Many locations still operated with older units using R-22 refrigerant, which faced a production phaseout due to environmental regulations and presented increasing maintenance costs.
- Without a structured replacement program, the facilities team struggled to forecast capital expenditure needs accurately, leading to reactive rather than strategic budget allocation.
The Solution: A Comprehensive HVAC Replacement Planning Program
The financial services company partnered with CLS Facility Services to develop and implement a strategic approach to HVAC asset management across its national footprint.
- We conducted a comprehensive inventory and assessment of all 450 HVAC units across the client’s 68 locations, documenting unit age, condition, repair history, and refrigerant type.
- Our team established a prioritization matrix that considered multiple factors: equipment age, repair frequency, critical nature of the location, lease terms, and potential energy efficiency improvements.
- We identified units still using R-22 refrigerant for priority replacement, addressing both environmental compliance and long-term maintenance cost concerns.
- Together with the client, we developed an annual CapEx replacement program that planned replacements before failures occurred, allowing for strategic scheduling during shoulder seasons.
- We implemented a work order management system to track all maintenance activities, providing data-driven insights for future replacement planning.
The Result: Significant Cost Avoidance and Improved Operational Reliability
By planning for HVAC replacement with the client, CLS delivered measurable beneficial results for the financial services company:
- By replacing units proactively rather than reactively, the client avoided an estimated $25,000 in temporary cooling costs that would have been incurred during emergency replacements.
- The strategic replacement approach prevented approximately $50,000 in major repairs on aging equipment that would have ultimately required replacement.
- The program successfully eliminated R-22 refrigerant from 11 critical units, reducing environmental impact while avoiding escalating maintenance costs as this refrigerant becomes increasingly scarce and expensive.
- The facilities team now has comprehensive visibility into HVAC assets across all locations, enabling more accurate forecasting and budgeting for future capital expenditures.
- Through strategic timing of replacements and improved specification processes, the client realized energy efficiency gains that will continue to reduce operational costs year over year.
Embrace Planning for HVAC Replacement with CLS
CLS Facility Services provides complete HVAC asset management solutions for organizations across multiple industries with anywhere from 50 to 400 locations. Our strategic approach to HVAC replacement planning, nationwide vendor network, proven team, and technology and management strategy deliver both immediate cost savings and long-term operational benefits through better reliability, energy efficiency, and budget predictability.
We ensure all of your most critical assets — from lighting and HVAC/R systems to signage, FLS, and plumbing — are covered 24/7/365.