HO ME
D ELIVER Y T EAMS
Building Commissioning
BUILDING COMMISSIONING
by the WBDG Project Management Committee Last updated: 06-21-2010
D o cume nt C o mp liance & Acce p t ance Plan t he C o mmissio ning Pro ce ss D ELIVER Y & C O N T R O LS
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D e t e rmine Pro je ct Pe rf o rmance R e q uire me nt s
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INT RODUCT ION Building Co mmissio ning is a rapidly gro wing A-E-C Pro ject Management practice that is being embraced by public and private o rganizatio ns because o f its benefits in impro ved pro ject delivery results.
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CO MMENT O N T HIS PAGE BO O KMARK AND SHARE RELAT ED RESO URCE PAGES
Balancing Security/Safety and Sustainability Objectives Within This Page Introduction Application Relevant Codes and Standards
Additional Resources This sectio n o f WBDG o rganizes co mmissio ning info rmatio n, guidance, and reso urces under three bro ad principles, including Determine Pro ject Perfo rmance Requirements , Plan the Co mmissio ning Pro cess, and Do cument Co mpliance and Acceptance . It is impo rtant to no te that all three principles are applied o ver the life-span o f a capital design and co nstructio n pro ject, and that it takes a multi-disciplined effo rt invo lving o wners, design pro fessio nals, co nstructio n managers, and co mmissio ning pro viders to achieve o ptimal results fro m the co mmissio ning pro cess. This will pro vide an o verview o f co mmissio ning drivers, benefits, go als, and principles and general co mmissio ning guides, standards, and reso urces.
Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBIE) Construction Phase Cost Management Facility Performance Evaluation (FPE) Indoor Air Quality and Mold Prevention of the Building Envelope VIEW ALL RELAT ED (9 ) VIEW RESO URCE PAG E INDEX
Def init ion ASHRAE Guideline 0, The Commissioning Process , defines co mmissio ning as "a quality-o riented pro cess fo r achieving, verifying, and do cumenting that the perfo rmance o f facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined o bjectives and criteria". Co mmissio ning is an all inclusive pro cess fo r all the planning, delivery, verificatio n, and managing risks to critical functio ns perfo rmed in, o r by, facilities. Co mmissio ning ensures building quality using peer review and in-field o r o n-site verificatio n. Co mmissio ning also acco mplishes higher energy efficiency, enviro nmental health, and o ccupant safety and impro ves indo o r air quality by making sure the building co mpo nents are wo rking co rrectly and that the plans are implemented with the greatest efficiency. Co mmissio ning is a quality assurance-based pro cess that delivers preventive and predictive maintenance plans, tailo red o perating manuals and training pro cedures fo r all users to fo llo w. Essentially, the co mmissio ning pro cess fo rmalizes review and integratio n o f all pro ject expectatio ns during PDFmyURL.com
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planning, design, co nstructio n, and o ccupancy phases by inspectio n and functio nal perfo rmance testing, and o versight o f o perato r training and reco rd do cumentatio n. Co m m issio ning De f init io ns (PDF 26 KB, 3 p g s )
Benef it s Co mmissio ning assists in the delivery o f a pro ject that pro vides a safe and healthful facility; o ptimizes energy use; reduces o perating co sts; ensures adequate O&M staff o rientatio n and training; and impro ves installed building systems do cumentatio n. Co mmissio ning benefits o wners' thro ugh impro ved energy efficiency, impro ved wo rkplace perfo rmance due to higher quality enviro nments, reduced risk fro m threats, and preventio n o f business lo sses. Organizatio ns that have researched co mmissio ning claim that o wners can achieve savings in o peratio ns o f $4 o ver the first five years o f o ccupancy as a direct result o f every $1 invested in co mmissio ning—an excellent return o n investment. Meanwhile, the co st o f no t co mmissio ning is equal to the co sts o f co rrecting deficiencies plus the co sts o f inefficient o peratio ns. Fo r missio n-critical facilities, the co st o f no t co mmissio ning can be measured by the co st o f do wntime and lack o f appro priate facility use.
Drivers Go vernmental pro jects co mmo nly emplo y co mmissio ning because missio n critical facilities suppo rt essential public infrastructures. Co rpo ratio ns use co mmissio ning o n pro jects to ensure peak perfo rmance to po sitively impact bo tto m lines and business co ntinuity. Manufacturers use co mmissio ning because o f the high levels o f enviro nmental co ntro ls needed in their pro cesses and to ensure o ccupatio nal safety in hazardo us settings. While pro jects with special perfo rmance needs require co mmissio ning, all pro jects need so me level o f co mmissio ning to perfo rm at their best. In additio n to the perfo rmance needs o f missio n-critical facilities, ano ther facto r driving demand fo r co mmissio ning is the desire to o btain certificatio n thro ugh the U.S. Green Building Co uncil (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Enviro nmental Design (LEED) pro gram and the Green Building Initiative's Green Glo bes pro gram. These rating systems have been develo ped to impro ve energy efficiency and enviro nmental perfo rmance in buildings—and co mmissio ning is a prerequisite fo r LEED certificatio n and a requirement in Green Glo bes. A building certified to these rating systems might include highly efficient po wer and lighting systems, pho to vo ltaic and active/passive so lar techno lo gies. Fro m an o wner's perspective, investment in such so phisticated building techno lo gies must be acco mpanied by rigo ro us co nstructio n quality assurance and perfo rmance verificatio n measurement, which are best pro vided by the co mmissio ning pro cess. Co mmissio ning beyo nd the basic prerequisite requirement can earn an additio nal LEED po int. Green design helps reduce building co sts while pro viding fo r a mo re co mfo rtable indo o r enviro nment, research indicates. Investing in green co nstructio n pays fo r itself 10 times o ver, acco rding to an Octo ber 20 0 3 study prepared fo r a gro up o f mo re than 40 Califo rnia go vernment PDFmyURL.com
acco rding to an Octo ber 20 0 3 study prepared fo r a gro up o f mo re than 40 Califo rnia go vernment agencies. The study, co nducted by the Capital E Gro up at Lawrence Berkeley Natio nal Labo rato ry with input fro m a number o f state agencies, reflects the mo st definitive co st-benefit analysis o f green building to date.
Commissioning Goals Co mmissio ning is o ften misinterpreted to fo cus so lely o n testing during the end o f the co nstructio n phase. But co mmissio ning is actually a co llabo rative pro cess fo r planning, delivering, and o perating buildings that wo rk as intended. ASHRAE (The American So ciety o f Heating, Refrigeratio n and Air-Co nditio ning Engineers) defines co mmissio ning as "‌the pro cess o f ensuring that systems are designed, installed, functio nally tested, and capable o f being o perated and maintained to perfo rm in co nfo rmity with the design intent‌ Co mmissio ning begins with planning and includes design, co nstructio n, start-up, acceptance and training, and can be applied thro ugho ut the life o f the building." This definitio n accurately depicts co mmissio ning as a ho listic pro cess that spans fro m pre-design planning to po st-co nstructio n o peratio n and can be tho ught o f as a checks-and-balances system. Acco rdingly, the go als o f co mmissio ning are to : 1. Define and do cument requirements clearly at the o utset o f each phase and update thro ugh the pro cess 2. Verify and do cument co mpliance at each co mpletio n level 3. Establish and do cument co mmissio ning pro cess tasks fo r subsequent phase delivery team members 4. Deliver buildings and co nstructio n pro jects that meet the o wner's needs, at the time o f co mpletio n 5. Verify that o peratio n and maintenance perso nnel and o ccupants are pro perly trained 6 . Maintain facility perfo rmance acro ss its life cycle
Commissioning Principles Regardless o f the extent o f co mmissio ning that is determined as appro priate fo r a pro ject (Number o r co mplexity o f systems co mmissio ned) and the appro ach utilized (Independent Co mmissio ning Autho rity (CA), A-E/CA, CM/CA o r Owner/CA), there are three o verarching principles in the Co mmissio ning Pro cess that begin at pro ject inceptio n and co ntinue thro ugh Occupancy and Operatio ns. De t e rm ine Pro je ct Pe rf o rm ance Re quire m e nt s Every pro ject go es thro ugh Pre-Design and Design Stages that establish an o wner's needs, go als, sco pe, and design so lutio ns fo r a pro po sed pro ject. Pro po sed designs and co nstructed wo rk can o nly be evaluated against o bjective criteria and measures that are embo died in welldo cumented pro ject requirements. Pro ject develo pment is a learning pro cess where building perfo rmance decisio ns are refined to successive levels o f detail o ver the co urse a o f pro ject's life cycle. Key co mmissio ning activities suppo rting this principle include: Understand Needs o f Special Building Types PDFmyURL.com
Define Threats, Risks, and Co nsequences Determine Key Pro gram Go als and Objectives Reco gnize Systems Criticality to Achieving Go als Co nduct Key Co mmissio ning Pro gramming Activities Plan t he Co m m issio ning Pro ce ss Co mmissio ning invo lves the systematic pro cess o f planning delivery team member ro les and respo nsibilities and tasks fo r all pro ject phases and activities, including review and acceptance pro cedures, do cumentatio n requirements, develo pment and appro val o f Co mmissio ning Plans, Co mmissio ning Schedules, and Testing and Inspectio n plans. Planning the Co mmissio ning Pro cess includes identificatio n o f special testing needs fo r unique o r inno vative assemblies and measures that will assure adequate O&M Training. Key co mmissio ning activities suppo rting this principle include: Establish Go als fo r Quality, Efficiency, and Functio nality Establish a Co mmissio ning Appro ach and Sco pe Establish Co mmissio ning Budgets Establish Co mmissio ning Plans Establish Co mmissio ning Schedules Establish Testing and Inspectio n Plans Develo p Co mmissio ning Specificatio ns Determine Special Testing Needs Establish Re-Co mmissio ning Plans Do cum e nt Co m pliance and Acce pt ance Co mmissio ning serves as the histo rical reco rd o f an o wner's expectatio ns fo r pro ject perfo rmance thro ugho ut the pro ject delivery pro cess. The purpo se o f co mmissio ning do cumenting is to reco rd the "Why, Ho w, and What" o f key delivery team decisio ns thro ugho ut the planning and delivery pro cess. Co mmissio ning do cuments the establishment o f standards o f perfo rmance fo r building systems, and verifies that designed and co nstructed wo rk meets tho se standards. Key co mmissio ning activities suppo rting Do cument Co mpliance and Acceptance include: Do cument all Levels o f Pro ject Develo pment and Acceptance Emphasize Inspectio n, Testing, and Training o n Co mmissio ned Systems Co mpile Key Co mmissio ning Do cumentatio n BACK TO TO P
APPLICAT ION Currently, no building co de requirements exist at a natio nal level fo r Building Co mmissio ning. Ho wever, all new o r reno vatio n building pro grams can benefit fro m so me level o f co mmissio ning. Recent case studies co nducted in private secto r facilities have sho wn that the Building Co mmissio ning Pro cess can impro ve new building energy perfo rmance by 8 % to 30 %. PDFmyURL.com
Similar results can be expected in o ther facilities. Fo r co mplex building types with highly integrated building systems, fo rmal Building Co mmissio ning Pro cesses will pro vide co mpo unding benefits. Missio n Critical Facilities have special needs fo r pro tecting their missio n co ntinuity and their o ccupants o r building users. So me go vernmental agencies, including GSA, NAVFAC, and USACE have ado pted fo rmal requirements, standards o r criteria fo r co mmissio ning o f their capital co nstructio n pro jects. Ho wever, the extent o f co mmissio ning utilized will depend o n pro ject funds available.
Indust ry Guidelines This sectio n o f the Who le Building Design Guide is based primarily o n the Co mmissio ning Pro cess reco mmended in ASHRAE Guideline 0 - 2005 . It is highly reco mmended that pro ject teams who emplo y the Building Co mmissio ning Pro cess sho uld fo llo w the pro cess o utlined in ASHRAE Guideline 0 . Guideline 0 has been ado pted by bo th ASHRAE and NIBS and do es no t fo cus upo n specific systems o r assemblies, but presents a standard pro cess that can be fo llo wed to co mmissio n any building system that may be critical to the functio n o f a pro ject. The NIBS To tal Building Co mmissio ning Pro gram is currently wo rking with industry o rganizatio ns to develo p co mmissio ning guidelines fo r vario us systems and assemblies.
NIBS Guideline 3 (Draft Version)—Total Building Commissioning (TBC) Process
Conclusion The co mmissio ning pro cess can be applied in a variety o f appro aches fo cusing o n building systems/assemblies and can be custo mized to suit pro ject needs. But regardless o f co mmissio ning appro ach and system fo cus, it always requires clear definitio n o f perfo rmance expectatio ns, rigo r in planning and executio n, and tho ro ugh pro ject testing, o peratio nal training, PDFmyURL.com
and do cumentatio n. BACK TO TO P
RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005: The Commissioning Process —the industry-accepted Co mmissio ning Guideline. NIBS Guideline 3-2006: Exterior Enclosure Technical Requirements for the Commissioning Process, Natio nal Institute o f Building Sciences, 20 0 6 . The Building Commissioning Guide, U.S. General Services Administratio n, 20 0 5. BACK TO TO P
ADDIT IONAL RESOURCES Agencies Califo rnia Co mmissio ning Co llabo rative—a gro up o f go vernment, utility, and buildingservices pro fessio nals co mmitted to develo ping and pro mo ting co mmissio ning practices in Califo rnia Co mmissio ning Fo r Better Buildings in Orego n by Orego n Office o f Energy / PECI, 19 9 7. New co nstructio n o verview, benefits, pro cess and case studies. 44 pp. Energy Design Reso urces—Spo nso red by Pacific Gas and Electric Co mpany, San Diego Gas & Electric, So uthern Califo rnia Ediso n, and So uthern Califo rnia Gas. Federal Energy Management Pro gram —Offers pro grams and reso urces fo r energy efficiency in o peratio n o f federal facilities. Orego n Office o f Energy—Benefits o f Co mmissio ning, case study, to o l kit o f new and existing co mmissio ning applicatio n materials, and the full text o f Co mmissio ning fo r Better Buildings in Orego n Po rtland Energy Co nservatio n, Inc.
Depart ment of Energy Publicat ions Co ntinuo us Co mmissio ning Guidebo o k fo r Federal Managers , Octo ber 20 0 2 Co mmissio ning co mmercial buildings Co mmissio ning R & D
Organiz at ions ASHRAE—A leading o rganizatio n in the develo pment o f standardized co mmissio ning guidelines Building Co mmissio ning Asso ciatio n —A leading pro fessio nal asso ciatio n fo r membership and certificatio n o f building co mmissio ning practitio ners Co mmissio ning Specialist's Asso ciatio n (UK) DQI—The Design Quality Indicato r, an o nline survey to o l that helps set the pro ject go als and PDFmyURL.com
o bjectives and measures quality against specific o utco mes. Natio nal Institute o f Building Sciences (NIBS)—To tal Building Co mmissio ning The Green Building Initiative U.S. Green Building Co uncil
Publicat ions Building Commissioning: The Key to Quality Assurance (PDF 1 MB) U.S. Department o f Energy Rebuild America Guide Series, 19 9 8 . Co mmissio ning retro fits and existing buildings: o verview, pro cess, and case studies. 77 pp, PECI. The Building Commissioning Handbook 2nd Editio n, by Jo hn A. Heinz, PE and Richard B. Casault, PE. Commissioning Four New Science Laboratory Buildings (U. of WA) by Bo nneville Po wer Admin. / Pho ebe Caner, Po rtland Energy Co nservatio n Inc., 19 9 7. Co mmissio ning case studies with detailed "lesso ns learned" info rmatio n. ~70 pp. Pho ne: (50 3) 230 -7334. Commissioning Guide by Public Wo rks Canada, Western Regio n. 19 9 3. Pho ne: (40 3) 49 73770 . Commissioning Guidelines, Instructions for Architects and Engineers by State o f Washingto n, Dept. o f General Administratio n, Divisio n o f Engineering & Architectural Services, 19 9 5. Pho ne: (36 0 ) 9 0 2-7272. The Cost-Effectiveness of Commercial-Buildings Commissioning: A Meta-Analysis of Energy and Non-Energy Impacts in Existing Buildings and New Construction in the United States by Evan Mills, No rman Bo urassa and Mary Ann Piette o f Lawrence Berkeley Natio nal Labo rato ry, Hannah Friedman and Tudi Haasl o f Po rtland Energy Co nservatio n Inc., Tehesia Po well and David Claridge o f Energy Systems Labo rato ry, Texas A&M University. December 20 0 4. Guidelines for Incorporating Commissioning into Energy Savings Performance Contracts (PDF 26 0 KB) PECI, Octo ber 20 0 0 . A Practical Guide for Commissioning Existing Buildings by Tudi Haasl o f Po rtland Energy Co nservatio n Inc. and Terry Sharp o f Oak Ridge Natio nal Labo rato ry. April 19 9 9 . Natio nal Clearingho use fo r Educatio nal Facilities (NCEF)—publicatio ns o n co mmissio ning What Can Commissioning Do For Your Building? (PDF 10 MB) PECI, 19 9 7. Derived fro m a database o f 175 case studies o f co mmissio ning o f new co nstructio n, equipment replacements, and upgrades in existing facilities. 12 pp. Pho ne: (50 3) 248 -46 36 .
Training and Ot her Resources ASHRAE Learning Institute—o ffers an o ngo ing series o f co mmissio ning wo rksho ps Building Co mmissio ning Asso ciatio n NCBC—a natio nal co nference o n building co mmissio ning inco rpo rating integrated research, develo pment, initial deplo yment, and info rmatio n o n building co mmissio ning Po rtland Energy Co nservatio n, Inc. (PECI)—Pro vides wo rksho p anno uncements and co nference info rmatio n, E-mail: peci@peci.o rg PDFmyURL.com
University o f Wisco nsin-Madiso n – Department o f Engineering Pro fessio nal Develo pment —Offers several co mmissio ning co urses and Co mmissio ning Pro cess Certificatio ns. BACK TO TO P
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