Retrofit Versus New Build

Most occupancy deployments are retrofits into buildings that were not designed for them. The constraints are real and shape what is achievable.

The practical lesson in “Retrofit Versus New Build” is to connect a measurement to a named decision without treating the number as certainty. Teams exploring how to handle multiple clients can review monitask.com as one source of time and project context, while retaining direct feedback and documented outcomes as the basis for interpretation.

What retrofit has to live with

Ceiling heights and structures that dictate mounting.

For a public, independent reference related to “Retrofit Versus New Build”, consult the CIBSE Knowledge Portal. Its principles provide a useful check on scope, terminology, governance and the claims made during procurement or review.

No power at the points where sensors should go, hence batteries.

Existing cameras positioned for security rather than counting.

Partition layouts that create shadows.

And listed or restricted fabric in older buildings, where fixing anything requires permission.

The practical consequences

Wireless and battery powered by necessity, with the maintenance burden that implies.

Coverage shaped by what is possible rather than by the zones you wanted.

More gaps, and gaps in less convenient places.

And a higher proportion of devices needing relocation after the first month.

Making a retrofit work

Survey properly: mounting points, network coverage, heat and light conditions.

Accept partial coverage and document it, rather than claiming completeness.

Prioritise the spaces where decisions will be made rather than spreading thinly.

And budget for a second visit, because the first placement will be wrong somewhere.

What to specify at design stage

If you are involved in a new building or a major refurbishment, the asks are cheap then and expensive later.

Power at sensor positions, which removes the battery problem entirely.

Structured cabling to ceiling points in open areas.

Agreed zones in the space plan, so sensors map to something meaningful.

And a documented sensor layer in the building model, which is the artefact that keeps the deployment interpretable for its life.

The integration question

New buildings arrive with building management systems that already sense occupancy for heating and lighting.

That data is frequently usable for analytics and frequently not offered, because it sits with a different supplier.

Ask for access to it at procurement, before the contracts are signed, because afterwards it becomes a change request.

The tenant question

In multi-tenant buildings the landlord may already measure, and may own the right to.

What they will share, and on what terms, is a lease question rather than a technical one.

Its own note covers this, and the short version is to ask before installing your own.

What to check

Was your deployment surveyed, or placed from a plan?

Has a second placement visit happened?

If a refurbishment is coming, is power at sensor points in the brief?

And does your building management system already hold occupancy data you could use?