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What is building commissioning? Building commissioning is a systematic process to ensure that building systems work as intended. It is a quality assurance program which begins with the creation or review of the design criteria and ends with the delivery of a fully tested and operational building to the owner. In addition to traditional testing, adjusting and balance (TAB) activities, commissioning involves detailed performance tests to determine how all of a building's systems work together, and whether they work together in a manner which maximizes the efficiency and performance of the overall systems. What are the benefits of building commissioning? Building commissioning maximizes the operational efficiency of facility systems. The commissioning process:
What is a Commissioning Authority? The Commissioning Authority is the firm (or the individual within the firm) hired to provide building commissioning services. The Commissioning Authority is responsible for overseeing and executing the entire commissioning process. The Commissioning Authority should be an independent third party, knowledgeable in the design, construction and operation of engineered systems. A qualified Commissioning Authority will provide added value to the project by applying systems expertise, experience and common sense to resolve system problems. What are the differences between commissioning, re-commissioning and retro-commissioning? "Commissioning" generally refers to the commissioning of new facilities. As owners have recognized the benefits of commissioning, many are now applying the commissioning process to existing facilities. "Re-commissioning" refers to the commissioning of a facility which has been previously commissioned. Re-testing the facility systems at a later date provides current system performance measurements, which are then compared to prior commissioning test results (now benchmarks). By comparing the test results from the initial and subsequent commissioning processes, the Commissioning Authority can identify problematic areas before they turn into major system malfunctions. "Retro-commissioning" is the application of the commissioning process to an existing facility which has never been commissioned. The objective is to optimize the performance of building systems within their current configurations. The Commissioning Authority begins by establishing the minimum design criteria, based on the existing systems, current facility/user needs and industry benchmarks for such systems. The Authority then tests the existing systems and compares the results to the established design criteria to identify system deficiencies. With this knowledge, the facility owner can plan, design and implement solutions to remedy system performance issues. What qualifications should I look for in a Commissioning Authority? The Commissioning Authority should have extensive commissioning experience working with facility types and systems similar to those being commissioned. The Authority should also have experience working on projects of similar size and be able to demonstrate adequate resources (staffing) to see the project through to completion. The Commissioning Authority's firm should have both registered professional engineers and controls technicians with extensive (20+ years) building systems experience. Test and balance contractors provide commissioning services but typically provide commissioning only on a "pass/fail" basis. The true value of the Commissioning Authority is not only to test the system, but identify problems before construction (through peer review), analyze system failures to help identify the cause, work with design/construction teams in resolving these issues and train operations/maintenance personnel on system operations and maintenance activities. These services require professionals with extensive system design knowledge and field experience. Who should hire the Commissioning Authority? Ideally, the Commissioning Authority is an independent and objective owner's representative who ensures the project is fully functional from design, installation and end use viewpoints. For this reason, we believe the Commissioning Authority should be hired by and report to the facility owner. Some owners have chosen instead to have the Commissioning Authority work for the general contractor or project architect. While we believe this is less than ideal, this approach can be successfully implemented through the use of detailed specification sections, which outline responsibilities among the various project team members. In no case should the Commissioning Authority be hired by any subcontractor or have any conflict of interest that may diminish the objectivity of the process. When should the Commissioning Authority be hired? While commissioning services can be added at any time during a project, we suggest that the owner hire the Commissioning Authority as early in the process as possible. Many owners see the value of incorporating the extensive field knowledge of the Commissioning Authority into the design process. An experienced Authority has insight into which system types truly work and which systems do not. Some designs look good on paper, but may not deliver the performance expected. By having the Commissioning Authority involved early in the process, the owner can tap this extensive experience by having the Authority help establish design criteria and perform design peer reviews proactively, rather than test and report reactively. What services are included in building commissioning? Building commissioning services are generally customized to fit specific client goals and project details. The following is a list of services available to clients through a full-service Commissioning Authority. Predesign/Programming Existing facility M/E/P evaluations Design criteria development M/E/P systems master planning/budgeting Design M/E/P peer review M/E/P value engineering Quality assurance specifications Site visits/factory visits/mock-up evaluations Design criteria refinement M/E/P alternatives life cycle costing Commissioning Planning Commissioning plan Start-up/prefunctional test checklists Functional test procedures Construction Services -Basic commissioning Shop drawing/submittal review Site inspections Commissioning schedule assistance Factory equipment tests O&M staff orientation -Enhanced commissioning Subcontractor bid evaluations RFI/change order/scope/budget review Construction meetings Start-up/Functional Testing Commissioning meetings Start-up/prefunctional test observation Test and balance review Functional testing - perform or observe Test result analysis & recommendations Contract Close-Out/System Acceptance Punch list review/resolution Record drawing review O&M manual review or compilation O&M training "As-built" one-line diagrams Final commissioning report System manuals Preventative maintenance plans What does building commissioning cost? The cost of building commissioning depends upon the complexity of the building systems and the scope of the services being requested. Owners typically budget M/E/P building commissioning at 0.5% to 1.0% of the overall construction cost. Some choose instead to budget commissioning costs at 3% to 4% of mechanical construction cost and 1.0% to 2.0% of electrical construction cost. The value of building ommissioning far outweighs its financial cost. Case studies on building commissioning projects have shown that building commissioning generally pays for itself in 1 to 2 years through increased energy efficiency (reduced utility bills) and decreased operating costs (reduced maintenance and troubleshooting costs). |
