Commissioning - BCSE-RCx

What is commissioning?

ASHRAE Standard 202-2013, The Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems, and ASHRAE Guideline 0, The Commissioning Process define commissioning as:

“A quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that all of the commissioned systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements.” Commissioning is an all-inclusive, quality assurance-based process for working with project teams and documenting the planning, delivery, verification, and managing risks to functions performed in, or by, facilities. Commissioning ensures building quality using design review, and in-field or on-site verification. Commissioning also helps to maximize energy efficiency, environmental health and occupant safety. The process improves indoor air quality by making sure the building components are working correctly and that the plans are implemented efficiently and effectively. Commissioning delivers preventive and predictive maintenance plans, tailored operating manuals and training procedures for all users to follow. Essentially, the commissioning process formalizes review and integration of all project expectations during planning, design, construction, and occupancy phases by inspection and functional and performance testing, and oversight of operator training and record documentation.

Commissioning goals

The primary goal of commissioning any project is to ensure that success for the project is clearly defined in the OPR and that the building performs as intended to fulfill that mission. The definition accurately depicts commissioning as a holistic process that spans from pre-design planning to occupancy and operations at a minimum and should also include ongoing commissioning. Accordingly, the goals of commissioning are to:

Deliver buildings and construction projects that meet the owner’s project requirements.
Prevent or eliminate problems inexpensively through proactive quality techniques.
Verify systems are installed and working correctly and benchmark that correct operation.
Lower overall first costs and life-cycle costs for the owner.
Provide documentation and records on the design, construction, and testing to facilitate operation and maintenance of the facility.
Implement trend logs, automated and semi-automated Cx tools to enable O&M staff ongoing Cx.
Maintain facility performance for the building’s entire life cycle.

Benefits

Commissioning assists in the delivery of a project that provides an efficient, safe and healthy facility; optimizes energy use; reduces operating costs; ensures adequate O&M staff orientation and training; and improves installed building systems documentation. Commissioning benefits owners through improved energy efficiency, improved workplace performance due to higher quality environments, and prevention of business losses. The cost of not commissioning is equal to the costs of correcting deficiencies plus the costs of inefficient operations. For example, in mission critical facilities, the cost of not commissioning can be measured by the cost of downtime and lack of appropriate facility use.

Document compliance & acceptance

The purpose of commissioning documentation is to serve as the historical record of the “what, why and how to” of key delivery team decisions throughout the planning and delivery process. Commissioning documents the establishment of standards of performance for building systems, and verifies that designed and constructed work meets those standards. Key commissioning deliverables supporting Document Compliance and Acceptance include:

Owner’s Project Requirements
Basis of Design
Commissioning Plan
Pre-functional Checks of Facility Systems
Functional Tests
Systems Manual
Training Documents
Final Commissioning Report

Application

All new or renovation building programs can benefit from some level of commissioning. Recent case studies conducted in private sector facilities have shown that commissioning can improve new building energy performance by 8% to 30%. Similar results can be expected in other facilities. For complex building types with highly integrated building systems, commissioning will provide compounded benefits.

Industry standards & guidelines

This section of the Whole Building Design Guide is based primarily on the commissioning process recommended in ASHRAE Standard 202-2013, The Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems and ASHRAE Guideline 0-2013. It is highly recommended that project teams who employ commissioning should follow the process outlined in ASHRAE Standard 202-2013. This Standard has been adopted by NIBS and leading industry organizations. It does not focus upon specific systems or assemblies, but rather presents a standard process that can be followed to commission any building.

Conclusion

Commissioning should be considered a whole building quality assurance process and can be customized to suit project needs. However, it always requires clear definition of performance expectations, rigor in planning and execution, thorough testing, staff training, and documentation.

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