High-efficiency HVAC upgrades
When equipment is due for replacement, it’s the cheapest moment to upgrade. We help you choose higher-efficiency systems that cut energy use, emissions and operating costs.
When you need it
- A boiler, furnace, chiller or rooftop unit is near the end of its life.
- You have emissions or electrification targets.
- Energy costs are high and the equipment is old or oversized.
- Incentives are available for high-efficiency equipment.
What we do
Assess what you have
We review the existing equipment, its condition and how the building actually uses it, including whether it’s oversized.
Compare options
We compare replacements, from like-for-like to heat pumps and heat recovery, on cost, savings, emissions and incentives.
Design
We size the new equipment to the real load, not the nameplate of the old unit.
Install and verify
We manage installation and confirm performance with balancing and commissioning.
What you receive
- An options comparison with cost, savings, payback and emissions
- A recommended system and design
- Installed, balanced and verified equipment
Questions
Do heat pumps work in a Canadian winter?
Cold-climate air-source heat pumps now operate at very low outdoor temperatures, though most designs include backup heat for the coldest days. Ground-source heat pumps aren’t affected by outdoor temperature at all.
Why not replace the old unit with the same size?
Many existing units are oversized. Oversized equipment cycles on and off, wastes energy and controls humidity poorly. Sizing to a proper load calculation often means smaller, cheaper equipment.
Are there incentives?
Often. Utility and government programs fund many high-efficiency upgrades. Programs change frequently, so we check what’s current for your project.
Further reading
- Commercial cooling load calculations explained
Understand what goes into a commercial cooling load, how the ASHRAE methods handle time lag and storage, and how to review a load report before equipment is selected.
- Heating load calculations for Canadian climates
Learn the components of a heating load, where Canadian design temperatures come from, and how to avoid the errors that leave buildings cold or with oversized boilers and heat pumps.
- Part-load performance: why buildings rarely run at design
Learn why design conditions occur only a few hours a year, how part-load efficiency differs from full-load ratings, and how to select equipment and controls that perform well across the whole year.
- Refrigeration cycle basics for commercial HVAC
Learn how the vapour compression cycle moves heat, what superheat, subcooling and lift mean, how efficiency is measured, and why refrigerant choice and safety codes matter.
- Sensible and latent heat: why the ratio matters
Learn the difference between sensible and latent heat, how to calculate the sensible heat ratio, and why matching equipment to that ratio is the key to humidity control.
- Fan arrays and fan wall technology
Learn how fan arrays replace a single large fan with multiple smaller direct-drive fans, the benefits and trade-offs, and what to consider when designing or retrofitting.
Related services
Also in HVAC design and design-build: New HVAC design, HVAC design-build, Building automation and BACnet integration, Healthcare HVAC, Restaurant and commercial kitchen HVAC, Data center cooling design, Cleanroom HVAC design, Critical airflow control and air valves.
Get a quote for high-efficiency HVAC upgrades
Tell us about the building and what you need. We’ll be in touch within one hour.