A Building Commissioning Overview

Presented by:

Goetting & Associates Commissioning

www.goettingcx.com

Building Commissioning is a Quality Assurance Process of documentation, testing, adjusting, verification, and training performed specifically to ensure that the finished facility operates in accordance with the owner‟s documented project requirements and the construction documents.

Building Commissioning is a scope driven Quality Assurance Process. Commissioning begins in predesign and continues through design, construction, and occupancy of the facility. Commissioning is not a single event placed at the end of the contractor‟s schedule

What is the Definition of

Commissioning?

Commissioning Groups

BCA-Building Commissioning Assc.

NEBB-National Environmental Balancing Bureau

ASHRAE

PECI-Portland Energy Conservative

The following industry leaders promote

training, publish procedural Standards,

offer certification programs and all agree

on a process approach

Types of Commissioning

Commissioning

Recommissioning

Retrocommissioning

Continuous Commissioning

Commissioning Documents

Commissioning Specifications

Commissioning Plan

Deficiency Log - Commissioning Issues Log - Resolution Log

Commissioning

The Building Commissioning process has five major phases for new or renovated projects:

Pre-Design

Design

Construction

Acceptance

Post Acceptance

Commissioning Pre-Design Phase

Document Owner‟s Project Requirements

Set scope of Commissioning Services

Set a budget for commissioning

Select Commissioning Authority

Create draft Commissioning Plan

Document Basis of Design

Refine and detail scope of Commissioning

Perform Design Review 30%-50%-95%

Update Commissioning Plan

Include Commissioning requirements in specifications

Assist in preparation of construction documents

Assist in preventing overlaps and scope gaps on the project manual

Commissioning Design Phase

Final Commissioning Plan & schedule

Review Construction submittals

Review building control sequences

Write Pre-Functional Checklists

Write Functional Test procedures

Document construction observation

Help reconcile „discovered‟ issues

Commissioning Construction Phase

Training of O&M Personnel

Functional Performance Testing

Documentation of deficiencies found

during FPT

Deficiency correction and retesting

Final Report

Commissioning Acceptance Phase

Assist with Maintenance management program

Adjust for occupancy/warranty period

Off-season tests

Possible Lessons-Learned meeting

Continuing Commissioning

Commissioning Post Acceptance

(Warranty) Phase

Recommissioning

The Recommissioning process is a program that is intended to retest the facility periodically in order to return the building and systems to the original commissioned conditions.

Recommissioning

Use the same Functional test procedures and documents as used in the original commissioning

Prepare a final report

Could be an Owner supplied service

Retrocommissioning

The Retrocommissioning program is designed to commission an existing building that was never initially commissioned. It is a systematic process for investigating, analyzing, and optimizing the performance of building systems by improving the operation and maintenance to ensure the continued performance over time. Retrocommissioning helps make the building systems perform interactively to meet the owner‟s current facility requirements.

The Retrocommissioning process has five major phases:

Contract

Discovery

Corrective Action

Construction

Acceptance

Retrocommissioning

Retrocommissioning

Contract Phase

Commissioning Agent Selection

Commissioning project contract

Retro Cx Plan

Document-Discovery and Review

Maintenance Staff Interview

Occupant Interview

Site Investigation

Controls System Investigation

Problem Analysis

Discovery Phase Report

Report Presentation

Remedial Design (internal)

Retrocommissioning

Discovery Phase

o Corrective Action

o Construction Procurement

o Construction Cx Scoping Meeting

o Prepare Schedule for Cx activities

o Submittal and shop drawing review

o Finalize Construction Plan

o Initiate Prefunctional checks

o Meetings as necessary

Retrocommissioning

Corrective Action Phase

Complete all Prefunctional checks

Perform all operational checks, point to point tests and TAB

Functional Performance Testing

Prepare final Commissioning Report

Retrocommissioning

Acceptance Phase

All too often building performance declines over time due to unintended side effects of control engineering, operator decisions and equipment wear and tear.

Continuous Commissioning is an ongoing process to resolve operating problems, improve comfort, optimize energy use and identify retrofits for existing commercial and institutional buildings and central plant facilities.

Continuous Commissioning*

*As defined by Texas A&M / ESL for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

Continuous Commissioning

has 2 Major Phases

Phase 1-Project Development

Step 1 – Identify building or facility

Step 2 – Audit and Project Scope

Phase 2-Implementation and Verification

Step 1 - Develop CC plan and team Step 2 - Develop performance base Step 3 - Conduct System Measurements and

Proposed CC measures Step 4 - Implement CC Measures Step 5 - Document comfort improvements and

energy savings Step 6 - Don‟t stop, keep on doing it!

Continuous Commissioning

has 2 Major Phases

Increased demand for quality assurance – Commissioning is a pre-requisite.

Commissioning complements Green Design

Means to achieve environmental, economic and health-safety goals resides in the commissioning process

Commissioning is an integral component of LEED certification.

Commissioning & LEED Certification

Commissioning & LEED Certification

Commissioning requirements are specific to each LEED Rating System

Cx is a prerequisite in: LEED New Construction NC v2.2

LEED for Schools 2007

LEED Commercial Interiors v2.0

LEED Core and Shell v2.0

LEED Retail New construction Pilot v2.0

Commercial Interiors Pilot v1.0

Commissioning & LEED Certification

Four systems are required to meet minimum prerequisites:

HVAC and controls

Daylighting and lighting and controls

Domestic hot water system

Renewables

LEED Prereq and Enhanced Timeline

LEED for EB: O&M (Site Selection)

Site Selection (SS)

SS Credit 8: Light Pollution Reduction

Electrical Design or Lighting Consultant

LEED for EB: O&M

Water Efficiency (WE)

Water Efficiency (WE) WE Prerequisite 1: Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture and Fitting

Efficiency

Reduce indoor potable water

Demonstrate fixture performance (calcs)

Policy for upgrades to higher efficient devices

WE Credit 1.1: Permanently installed meter for total use

WE Credit 1.2: and at least one other systems…

WE Credit 2.1: 10% potable water reduction (indoor)

WE Credit 2.2: 20% potable water reduction (indoor)

WE Credit 2.3: 30% potable water reduction (indoor)

WE Credit 3.1: 50% landscaping water reduction

WE Credit 3.2: 75% landscaping water reduction

WE Credit 3.3: 100% landscaping water reduction

WE Credit 4.1: Cooling Tower Chemical Management

WE Credit 4.2: Cooling Tower Nonpotable Water Source Use

LEED for EB: O&M

(Energy & Atmosphere)

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

EA Prerequisite 1: Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices – Planning, documentation and Opportunity Assessment

Document SOO

Building operation and maintenance plan

Create narrative for mechanical and electrical systems

Create narrative for preventative maintenance plan

ASHRAE Level 1 Energy Audit

EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance

Establish min level of operating efficiency-In conjunction with Credit 1.

EA Prerequisite 3: Refrigerant management – Ozone Protection

Verify non use of CFCs

EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Efficiency Performance

Option A: verify Energy Star Rating

Option B: Demonstrate 19% energy efficiency over average building

Option C: Use alternate method

LEED for EB: O&M

(Energy & Atmosphere) cont’d

EA Credit 2.1: Existing Building Commissioning: Investigation and Analysis

Option A: Commissioning Process (plan for RetroCx, ReCx or CCx)

Option B: ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit

EA Credit 2.2: Existing Building Commissioning: Implementation

Low cost improvements and capital plan for major retrofits and upgrades

Provide training for sustainable building operations

Anticipated financial costs and benefits

Update the building operating plan

EA Credit 2.3: Existing Building Commissioning: Implementation

Implement ongoing commissioning program

Create a written plan summarizing the overall commissioning cycle

Complete 50% of work in the first commissioning cycle

Update the building operating plan

LEED for EB: O&M

(Energy & Atmosphere) cont’d

EA Credit 3.1: Performance Measurement

Have in place Building Automation System

EA Credit 3.2: Performance Measurement: System Level Meter

Metering in place for at least 40% of annual energy consumption

EA Credit 3.3: Performance Measurement: System Level Meter

Metering in place for at least 80% of annual energy consumption

EA Credit 4.1-4.4: Renewable Energy

1 to 4 available for on/off site renewable energy

EA Credit 5: Refrigerant Management

Option A: No refrigerant use

Option B: Minimize or eliminate Refrigerants that contribute to ozone depletion

EA Credit 6: Emissions Reduction Reporting

Identify and report on building performance that reduces energy and emissions.

LEED for EB: O&M

(Indoor Environmental Quality)

EQ Prerequisite 1: Outdoor Air Introduction & Exhaust Systems

Option A: Comply with ASHRAE 62.1-2007

Option B: or maintain at least 10 cfm per person

EQ Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control

Option A: Prohibit smoking

Option B: Establish smoking areas under negative pressure

Option C: Residential

EQ Credit 1.1: IAQ Best Management Practices: IAQ Management Program

Develop management program based on EPA I-BEAM

LEED for EB: O&M

(Indoor Environmental Quality)

EQ Credit 1.2: IAQ Best Management Practices: Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring Provide OA measurement devices CO2 sensors for densely populated areas.

EQ Credit 1.3: IAQ Best Management Practices: Increased Ventilation Increase OA at least 30% above ASHRAE 62.1-2007 EQ Credit 1.3: IAQ Best Management Practices

EQ Credit 1.5: IAQ Best Management Practices: Management for Facility Alterations and Additions Implement IAQ management plan for construction and occupancy Filtration for construction and occupancy HVAC and lighting returned to designed SOO

EQ 2.1: Occupant Comfort: Occupant Survey Comfort and complaint survey for thermal, acoustics, IAQ, and other issues

EQ 2.2: Occupant Comfort: Lighting controls for at least 50% of people EQ 2.2: Occupant Comfort: Thermal Comfort Monitoring

Monitor as stated in ASHRAE 55-2004

.EQ 2.4: Occupant Comfort: Daylight and Views Achieve 2% daylight factor in 50% of spaces for critical visual tasks

.EQ 2.5: Occupant Comfort: Daylight and Views . Achieve 2% daylight factor in 75% of spaces for critical visual tasks

LEED for EB: O&M

(Innovation in Operations)

IO Credit 1: Innovation in Operations Credits 1.1 to 1.4 for exemplary or significant

performance

IO Credit 2: LEED Accredited

Professional

IO Credit 3: Documenting Sustainable

Cost Impacts Document overall building costs for previous 5 years

Costs of Commissioning

Whole Building –from design to acceptance .75 to 1.5% of Construction Cost (average is 1% of

Construction cost)

HVAC/Automated Controls/Plumbing 2.5 to 4.5% of Mechanical, Controls and Plumbing

contracts

Electrical Systems ONLY 1.0 to 1.5% of Electrical Contract

Origin - USGBC – Owner slide show PECI – Portland Energy

Costs of Commissioning

Commissioning Cost as % of total construction cost by project size and type Total Construction cost less than $5 million Cx cost ~ 2%-4% Total Construction cost between $5 - $10 million Cx cost ~ 1%-3% Total Construction cost between $10 - $50 million

Cx cost ~ 0.8%-2.0% Total Construction cost greater than $50 million Cx cost ~ 0.5%-1.0% Laboratories and “complex” buildings Add 0.25% to 1.0% to Cx cost

Questions, Comments & Ideas?