Longer-payback Energy Upgrades Maximize Building Efficiency

It's a conundrum that many facility managers are familiar with. Energy upgrade projects that can produce long-term benefits for the organization also have payback periods longer than many organizations are willing to accept. The result, in many cases, is that economically sound retrofits don't get funded.

Upgrade projects involving big-ticket technologies — such as boilers and chillers for heating and cooling, window, door and rooftop replacements, and modified ductwork — can require five to 10 years or more to pay themselves back based on their up-front cost and the time and labor required for their installation.