BUFFALO, N.Y. — Part of the charm of visiting cities and towns in upstate New York is the old architecture. That is why engineers like John Daly, vice president of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and engineering at Trautman Associates, take their time assessing old structures for updated systems.

“You have to be really careful in understanding the science behind that building and how you’re going to change that little bit and as long as you do it right it all still lasts forever,” said Daly. 

He used the recent blizzard as an example of structures losing power, pipes freezing and causing serious damage. He said those situations can be prevented if the building has the right energy efficient systems in place.

“One of the things that’s tricky when you inspect an older building, you have to worry a lot about how older buildings used to breathe well,” Daly said. “And you don’t want to trap moisture in a wall and have that freeze…so you have to be really careful of really analyzing that whole structure to make sure that what you add to it really protects it and helps it and doesn’t hurt it.”

Daly said most buildings lose about one degree per hour when they lose power, but with energy efficient technology, it can trap heat in longer, preventing substantial damages.