Commissioning of a building is a process of optimizing energy performance in an existing building or in a new development. Commissioning in many ways is a detailed and meticulous analysis of buildings energy usage and system efficiency. Commissioning process is designed to find out the issues which lead to wastage of energy.

Benefits of commissioning

Saves energy, Extend equipment’s life, improves return on equity and also it helps in understanding whether retrofits are needed for further improvements in your building or not. Commissioning is performed for electro mechanical systems as well as for building envelope.  Commissioning process also leads to improve indoor air quality.

Commissioning Process

   Commissioning of a building is performed by a commissioning agent who is trained to do system analyses and have a good understanding of processes in the building. Commissioning of the building is done to ensure that the installed system performance meets it’s designed intend. Commissioning process of the building is done for all major as well as minor system in a systematic way covering

HVAC System, Lighting Systems, Water Systems, Security Systems, Fire Fighting System as well as Safety Systems. Information is collected from the building owner to incorporate energy efficient equipment and policies in the building maintenance protocol. Before start of commissioning the owner’s expectation from the building is also recorded as a part of commissioning process.

LEED Certification involves following credits as part of its commissioning requirements. The intent of these credits are listed below.

• Fundamental Commissioning
• Enhanced Commissioning

FUNDAMENTAL COMMISSIONING

This prerequisite applies to

New Construction, Core & Shell, Schools, Retail, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, Hospitality & Healthcare.

Requirements

Commissioning Process Scope

Complete the following commissioning (Cx) process activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies, in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1–2007 for HVAC&R Systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

• Develop the OPR.
• Develop a BOD.

The commissioning authority (CxA) must do the following:

• Review the OPR, BOD, and project design.
• Develop and implement a Cx plan.
• Confirm incorporation of Cx requirements into the construction documents.
• Develop construction checklists.
• Develop a system test procedure.
• Verify system test execution.
• Maintain an issues and benefits log throughout the Cx process.
• Prepare a final Cx process report.
• Document all findings and recommendations and report directly to the owner throughout the process.

Requirements for exterior enclosures are limited to inclusion in the owner’s project requirements (OPR) and basis of design (BOD), as well as the review of the OPR, BOD and project design. ASTM E2947-16: Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning provides additional guidance.

Current Facilities Requirements and Operations and Maintenance Plan

Prepare and maintain a current facilities requirements and operations and maintenance plan that contains the information necessary to operate the building efficiently. The plan must include the following:

• A sequence of operations for the building;
• the building occupancy schedule;
• equipment run-time schedules;
• setpoints for all HVAC equipment;
• set lighting levels throughout the building;
• minimum outside air requirements;
• any changes in schedules or setpoints for different seasons, days of the week, and times of day;
• a systems narrative describing the mechanical and electrical systems and equipment;
• a preventive maintenance plan for building equipment described in the systems narrative; and
• a commissioning program that includes periodic commissioning requirements, ongoing commissioning tasks, and continuous tasks for critical facilities.

Enhanced Commissioning

The Intent of this credit is to further support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

• points

This credit applies to

• New Construction (2-6 points)
• Core & Shell (2-6 points)
• Schools (2-6 points)
• Retail (2-6 points)
• Data Centers (2-6 points)
• Warehouses & Distribution Centers (2-6 points)
• Hospitality (2-6 points)
• Healthcare (2-6 points)

Requirements

NC, CS, SCHOOLS, RETAIL, DATA CENTERS, WAREHOUSES & DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, HOSPITALITY, HEALTHCARE

Implement, or have in place a contract to implement, the following commissioning process activities in addition to those required under EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification.

Commissioning Authority Qualifications:

• The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy;
• The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design team.

Option 1. Enhanced Systems Commissioning (3-4 points) Path 1: Enhanced Commissioning (3 points)

Complete the following commissioning process (CxP) activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1–2007 for HVAC&R systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

• The commissioning authority must do the following:
• Review contractor submittals.
• Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents.
• Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
• Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
• Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
• Verify seasonal testing.
• Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
• Develop an on-going commissioning plan.

Include all enhanced commissioning tasks in the OPR and BOD. OR

Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning (4 points)

Achieve Path 1. AND

Develop monitoring-based procedures and identify points to be measured and evaluated to assess performance of energy- and water-consuming systems.

Include the procedures and measurement points in the commissioning plan. Address the following:

• roles and responsibilities;
• measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access);
• the points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring;
• the limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values);
• the elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles;
• an action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies;
• training to prevent errors;
• planning for repairs needed to maintain performance; and
• The frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly).

Update the systems manual with any modifications or new settings, and give the reason for any modifications from the original design.

AND/OR

Option 2. Building Enclosure Commissioning (2 points)

Fulfill the requirements in EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification as they apply to the building’s enclosure in addition to mechanical and electrical systems and assemblies.

Complete the following commissioning process (CxP) activities for the building’s thermal envelope in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASTM E2947-16: Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning, as they relate to energy, air and water tightness, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

The qualified independent member of the design or construction team responsible for building enclosure commissioning must complete the following:

• Review contractor submittals.
  • Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents for enclosure systems.
    • For specialty enclosure systems with controls and automation:
      • Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
      • Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
      • Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
      • Verify seasonal testing.
      • Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.

• Develop an on-going enclosure commissioning plan for maintenance, renewal and revitalization cycles.