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?