Older building controls can consume more energy, require specialist maintenance or create failures that are difficult to diagnose. Replacing them may help, but the decision needs more than an age label or a supplier’s savings estimate. Owners should establish what the system controls, how it performs today, what risks come with keeping it and what a replacement would require across the building. For the wider operating context, see hotel owners | hotel operations | the Feathers Hospitality approach.
See the Feathers Hospitality approach and adapt these checks to the property.
At a glance
- Identify the controls, equipment and current condition.
- Measure energy, maintenance and service impacts before estimating savings.
- Include integration, security, installation and lifecycle costs.
Map what the controls operate
List control panels, sensors, software, connected equipment and areas served. Note manufacturer, age, support status, access arrangements and any known single points of failure. Confirm whether the system controls heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water or another critical service. A room thermostat and central plant controller have different consequences.
Ask maintenance staff and the service provider to document dependencies and known workarounds. Do not share passwords in the asset register. If a supplier owns the configuration, clarify what data and access the property can obtain before a contract ends.
Establish a baseline for operating cost
Collect energy use, bills, maintenance calls, parts, emergency visits and time lost to faults over a representative period. Separate this system’s effect from occupancy, weather, tariffs and other equipment. If metering is shared, describe the allocation method and its uncertainty.
Use comparable periods and note missing data. A high bill does not prove that controls are the cause; equipment condition, settings, building envelope and use patterns may contribute. A qualified energy or building professional can help design measurement where the system cannot be isolated.
Assess risk of continuing to operate
Check parts availability, vendor support, failure frequency, recovery time and the ability to control the building safely if the system stops. Identify whether an outage could affect guest comfort, food storage, water, ventilation or another essential service. Ask a competent technician to assess condition and safety.
Do not assume age alone means imminent failure. Conversely, a rarely failing system may still be difficult to recover if a specialist is unavailable. Document both likelihood and consequence, plus any temporary method the team has tested.
Build a replacement case with full costs
Include hardware, software, installation, commissioning, training, integration, network work, licences, maintenance and eventual replacement. Ask vendors to state what equipment and rooms are excluded. Model energy savings as a range based on measured baseline and explain assumptions rather than repeating an unsupported percentage.
Compare a repair or staged upgrade with full replacement. Consider disruption, room closures and access to controls during work. Check whether the new system can operate with existing plant and whether the property can export data or change supplier later.
Include security, ownership and future access
Inventory network connections, user roles, remote support and data flows. Ask how updates, vulnerabilities and access revocation are managed. Confirm who owns configuration files and credentials, how the hotel receives incident support and what happens if the vendor changes or exits.
Involve the property’s IT or security adviser before connecting control equipment to business networks. A modern interface is not automatically safer. Keep operational continuity and cyber risk in the same decision record, and do not expose system details publicly.
Pilot, commission and verify results
Where practical, test the proposed controls in a representative area before wider installation. Agree acceptance criteria for comfort, schedules, alarms, manual override, data access and response to faults. Train the team to identify problems and know who can safely change settings.
After installation, compare energy and service against the baseline with similar occupancy and weather where possible. Record defects and corrective work. Tourism and building-efficiency guidance can inform questions about energy, but actual savings and operating suitability must be verified at the property.
Frequently asked questions
How old is too old for building controls?
Age alone does not determine replacement. Consider condition, support, risk, cost, performance and the ability to recover from failure.
Can I use a supplier’s projected energy savings as the business case?
Treat it as a hypothesis. Ask for assumptions and verify performance against a measured baseline after installation.