Property Manager Michael is responsible for a 30-year-old downtown office tower in Toronto. During a routine inspection, he notices several key components of the building's automated HVAC system are nearing their end-of-life, specifically the chillers. He also notes a significant increase in energy bills. What proactive step should Michael recommend to the building owner?

Question: Property Manager Michael is responsible for a 30-year-old downtown office tower in Toronto. During a routine inspection, he notices several key components of the building's automated HVAC system are nearing their end-of-life, specifically the chillers. He also notes a significant increase in energy bills. What proactive step should Michael recommend to the building owner?

Answer options: ✅ Initiate a detailed energy audit and feasibility study for HVAC system upgrades or replacement to optimize energy efficiency and pre-empt costly failures.

• Wait for the chillers to fail completely before considering any action, to avoid unnecessary costs.
• Suggest that the building's in-house maintenance team attempt ad-hoc repairs on their own.
• Propose switching to a manual HVAC system to reduce reliance on complex machinery.

Correct answer: Initiate a detailed energy audit and feasibility study for HVAC system upgrades or replacement to optimize energy efficiency and pre-empt costly failures.

Explanation: For aging building systems like HVAC, a proactive approach involves conducting energy audits and feasibility studies to assess the cost-benefit of upgrades or replacement. This helps in capital planning, reducing future operational costs, and preventing disruptive failures, aligning with best practices in preventive maintenance and asset management.