Case Studies
The Forensic Files
Across these seven engagements, a combined $577,000 in unnecessary capital spend and billing errors was identified and prevented. In no case did the cost of our engagement exceed 3% of the capital preserved.
The Compressor That Wasn't Bad.
Sacramento, CA
37,000 sqft commercial building
Trane boxcars
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $18,000​​
WHAT HAPPENED
A client asked HVAC Asset Management to review an $18,000 compressor replacement proposal that had no supporting documentation — no voltage readings, no amp draw, no pressures. The technician had condemned the compressor based on symptoms alone.
The Refrigerant Billing Error
Milpitas, CA
42,000sqft commercial building
Carrier package units
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $50,400
WHAT HAPPENED
A vendor billed 35 canisters (~360 lbs) of R-22 refrigerant instead of the 35 pounds that was actually used. The unit-of-measure error was entered in the ERP system, and the invoice was processed and paid before anyone flagged the anomaly.
The New Unit That Wasn't Needed
San Jose, CA
94,000 sqft commercial building
Built up system: corporate cafeteria
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $138,900
WHAT HAPPENED
The cafeteria ran warm during peak occupancy on hot days. The contractor proposed a new 20-ton unit citing insufficient cooling capacity. HVAC Asset Management was brought in to verify whether the cost was reasonable before approval.
The Incomplete Scope
San Rafael, CA
2 – 14,000 sqft industrial buildings
Lennox Package units
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $80,000
WHAT HAPPENED
HVAC Asset Management identified a significant disconnect between the contractor's $80,000 proposal and the requirements for a turnkey, code-compliant installation. The current contract covered only 'box-and-labor,' leaving the client exposed to significant code violations, safety risks, and future financial liabilities.
The Nine-Building PM Audit — Generic Checklists
Mountain View, CA
Corporate facility
9 - 2 story commercial buildings
Trane Boxcars Carrier Package units
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $147,000
WHAT HAPPENED
A client engaged HVAC Asset Management to review preventive maintenance inspections across nine commercial office buildings. Equipment lists were incomplete portfolio-wide, and the checklists in use were generic placeholders — not tailored to the specific type, tonnage, or configuration of the equipment actually installed. Energy usage was running 15% above industry standard for commercial office buildings, with no documented explanation.
The System Audit
90,000 sqft multi-tenant commercial building
Carrier Boxcars
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $66,000 Plus multi-tenant retention
WHAT HAPPENED
A client engaged HVAC Asset Management to investigate a 90,000 square-foot commercial building with two chronic problems: comfort complaints that never resolved despite constant service calls, and energy bills that seemed excessive for the building's size and occupancy. The incumbent service company had inspected the rooftop equipment thoroughly. Their conclusion was correct — every rooftop unit was operating as designed. The equipment was not the problem.
The Fire Damper Nobody Checked:
Sunnyvale, CA
68,000 sqft commercial building
3 story complex, multi-tenant
Boxcars
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $76,700
WHAT HAPPENED
HVAC Asset Management was engaged to validate a contractor's proposal to replace 12 VAV boxes in a commercial tenant suite experiencing persistent overheating. The contractor attributed the comfort failure to end-of-life VAV boxes no longer producing design cooling capacity — a conclusion drawn after nine service calls for the same complaint. A review of service records confirmed that each call was billed under slightly different language but addressed the identical condition.
Mechanical Fiduciary Audit.
Walnut Creek, CA
194,000 sqft commercial building
Trane 80-ton boxcars
HVAC-AM Recovered Cost Savings: $32,000
WHAT HAPPENED
A client engaged HVAC Asset Management to audit their building's HVAC maintenance agreement — reviewing cost, on-site hours, energy usage, repairs to date, and contract language. What we found is not uncommon — but it was no less significant: a substantial gap between what the client was paying for and what they were actually receiving.