Smarter Carbon Outcomes

Enhancing Refurbishments Through Data & Integration

By Jon Hubbard

Introduction

As the built environment accelerates towards net zero, refurbishment projects face a dual challenge. They must not only work within financial budgets but also increasingly adhere to embodied carbon budgets. This shift means building owners, consultants, and design teams are tasked with balancing cost, sustainability, and long-term performance in every decision about whether to retain, upgrade, or replace systems and equipment.

Embodied carbon budgets encourage reuse wherever possible, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. Yet, reusing legacy systems can sometimes lock in inefficiencies, create security risks, or limit future integration opportunities. On the other hand, replacing systems introduces new embodied carbon, even if the equipment offers operational improvements.

Traditionally, the Master Systems Integrator (MSI) is engaged at different stages of a project and often focused on new developments or fit-out works. However, the skills and tools they possess, from technical assessments and cybersecurity knowledge to advanced analytics and Smart Building Platforms, make them ideally placed to support the early stages of refurbishment projects as well. The MSI does not replace the work already being done but enhances these processes by providing clarity and assurance. With their involvement, refurbishment decisions are strengthened by detailed analysis of functionality, data integrity, and operational performance before any action is taken.

Challenges In Refurbishment Projects

Balancing Embodied & Operational Carbon

Refurbishment projects must weigh the benefits of reusing existing equipment against the carbon costs of replacement. Reuse helps limit embodied carbon but may also lock in inefficiencies or reduce long-term resilience. Replacement can improve operational efficiency but introduces new embodied carbon, making the trade-off complex.

Functional & Cyber Security Limitations

Legacy systems such as BMS, lighting controls, and EMS often struggle to meet modern integration requirements. While they may still operate, their control strategies are often outdated and inefficient, lacking the optimisation needed to minimise energy use and align with current best practices. These limitations can restrict interoperability with newer systems and prevent buildings from achieving the full efficiency benefits of refurbishment.

At the same time, older systems frequently fall short of modern cybersecurity standards, lacking encryption, secure authentication, or regular patching capabilities. If reused without upgrades, they can expose buildings to unnecessary vulnerabilities and undermine long-term resilience.

Network & Data Gaps

Older network infrastructures are often not designed for today’s integrated, secure environments. At the same time, legacy systems may produce inconsistent or unreliable data, making it harder to validate performance and accurately measure outcomes. Without trusted data and a secure backbone, refurbishment projects risk making decisions on incomplete information.

Enhancing Better Decisions with The MSI & Smart Platform

Assessing Systems for Functionality, Cybersecurity & Data Validation

The MSI supports owners and consultants by carrying out comprehensive assessments of existing systems, including:

• Cybersecurity: Identifying vulnerabilities in legacy devices, protocols, and controllers, and confirming compliance with modern security standards.

• Network Capabilities: Assessing whether current network infrastructure supports segmentation, resilience, and secure integration of future systems.

• Data Validation: Reviewing the quality, granularity, and accuracy of system data to ensure it can be trusted for operational analysis, certification, and reporting.

By strengthening these aspects, they ensure that reuse decisions are not just environmentally aligned but also technically and digitally futureproof.

Evaluating Equipment Performance via Smart Platform

For HVAC plant such as AHUs, FCUs, chillers, boilers, etc, Smart Building Platforms provide a powerful means of assessing whether equipment should be retained, upgraded, or replaced. They enable:

• Fault Detection & Diagnostics (FDD): Identifying inefficiencies or hidden faults that compromise performance.

• Equipment Efficiency Calculations: Comparing actual operating efficiency against manufacturer benchmarks.

• Energy Monitoring: Tracking equipment-level consumption and trends to pinpoint waste or optimisation opportunities.

This level of insight helps determine whether underperformance is due to the equipment itself or simply the way it is being controlled by the BMS, a crucial distinction when balancing embodied and operational carbon.

While HVAC systems carry the largest carbon impact, other systems also play a role. Lighting controls can be reviewed for their ability to integrate occupancy or daylight data into control strategies, while Energy Management Systems (EMS) can be assessed for their capacity to provide accurate reporting that supports carbon budgeting and certification requirements.

By combining these assessments, Smart Building Platforms provide a holistic view of building performance, ensuring decisions around reuse or replacement are based on both carbon and operational outcomes.

Shared Benefits of MSI Enhanced Processes

For building owners, consultants, and design teams, the involvement of the MSI and Smart Building Platform brings a number of shared benefits during refurbishment projects. This includes;

• Evidence Based Decisions: Decisions on reuse vs. replacement are backed by verified data, technical assessments, and cybersecurity validation.

• Reduced Carbon and Cost Risk: Owners avoid premature replacement and unnecessary embodied carbon, while also preventing operational inefficiencies from persisting.

• Improved Resilience: Cybersecure, validated systems provide confidence in the long-term reliability and adaptability of reused assets.

• Optimised Integration Opportunities: Enhancements such as integrating lighting PIR data with the BMS unlock efficiency gains without requiring full system replacement.

• Certification Alignment: Reliable operational data supports industry certifications such as NABERS UK, LEED, SmartScore, and net zero strategies.

• Futureproofed Infrastructure: Decisions are not just about today’s refurbishment but about ensuring systems remain fit for future tenant needs and digital expectations.

Conclusion

Refurbishment projects are now governed as much by embodied carbon budgets as by financial ones. Owners must therefore consider not just cost and efficiency, but also long-term sustainability.

Consultants and building owners lead on feasibility and design assessments, while the MSI strengthens these efforts by providing technical assurance. This includes verifying cybersecurity, validating system data, assessing network capabilities, and using Smart Building Platforms to deliver clear operational insights. The result is a refurbishment strategy that is both sustainable and technically robust.

By applying circular economy principles alongside digital tools for operational verification, refurbishment projects can achieve better outcomes. They can lower embodied carbon, enhance performance, build resilience, and meet the requirements of leading certifications. Most importantly, this approach enables owners to make confident choices that address immediate needs while supporting long-term sustainability ambitions.