Ensuring that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) standards are enhanced through building condition assessments (BCAs) is a key focus for built environment advisory company Afroteq Advisory Services – on which it collaborates with sister company FM Solutions.

Afroteq advisory head Sanett Uys says that the company conducts BCAs for property owners, for the purpose of improving and maintaining building conditions. This includes a detailed audit to identify root causes of problems in a building’s HVAC system.

She says that Afroteq advises the client on which corrective actions and/or improvements it would be best to implement, in line with the client’s budget and strategy.

Issues such as declining health and safety, reduced comfort and productivity, and increased operation costs, are all factors that could affect a business’s employees and the organisation’s operationality.

For example, building HVAC problems, such as poor air quality, carbon monoxide poisoning, inconsistent temperatures and excessive humidity, can have negative health effects on occupants. Afroteq and FM Solutions can “assist clients in understanding and assessing the building condition to enable them to remediate any shortcomings”.

Additionally, Uys says that a dysfunctional HVAC system, or a lack of maintenance thereof, can also lead to operational and cost problems, including premature equipment failure, higher repair costs and increased energy consumption – which would, then, lead to lost revenue and productivity.

Therefore, she believes that it is important to conduct frequent BCAs, predictive maintenance practices, and regular visual checks to ensure that a building’s HVAC system is in good, working order.

“A fully functional HVAC system contributes to a healthy, comfortable, productive and safe environment for occupants while promoting energy efficiency, regulatory compliance and business continuity,” Uys stresses.

She says that, to achieve a fully-functional HVAC system, clients must implement the solutions highlighted in the BCA that best suits their respective operations – whether it be for a commercial, corporate, industrial, retail or residential buildings.

Some of the assessments that ought to be conducted include energy efficiency assessments, indoor air quality assessments, visual inspections, maintenance assessments, system capacity assessments, and retro- commissioning assessments – all of which are conducted to analyse and improve the building’s HVAC condition to ensure it complies with building codes and standards.

In addition to the advisory and consultation services on offer from Afroteq, its HVAC product and service division FM Solutions can also contribute to the enhancement of a building’s HVAC systems. This is achieved through FM Solutions’ technical team’s computerised maintenance management system (CMMS), which allows building owners to reduce energy costs and repair expenses, as well as ensure the longevity of the HVAC system.

“Our sister company, FM Solutions’ technical department uses a CMMS to track work orders, schedule maintenance tasks, draft the maintenance schedule and monitor the performance of HVAC systems,” she says.

Overall, ensuring timely and proper HVAC system maintenance and enhancement will contribute to the state of the building and the health of its occupants.

“The proactive management of HVAC systems is an investment that pays dividends in occupant well-being, operational efficiency, and long-term cost savings,” she concludes.