445: Building Commissioning

• Class Objectives
– Introduce the concepts and language of
Commissioning to those with limited exposure.
– Bring new ideas and resources to those with
commissioning experience.
– Focus on WHY we commission and how we, as
Owners, can better manage and leverage the
process.
– Keep you awake by stealing liberally from Dilbert.

APPA Institute for Facilities Management

Orlando, Florida 2014
 “Commissioning”
Capital (New) Commissioning Existing Building Commissioning
CCx EBCx

MEPT Building Envelope MEPT Building Envelope

Cx BECx Cx BECx

Ongoing Commissioning

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Orlando, Fl. - 2014
APPA Institute for Facilities Management -
Orlando, Fl. - 2014
 Capital Commissioning – Project Phases

Construction Occupancy
Pre Design Design
Acceptance Operation
 Develop the  Develop and  Develop  Verify Training
Owner's Project verify the BOD installation and O&M
Requirements  Review Design checklists and (Systems)
(OPR) Documents testing protocols Manuals meet
 Verify systems OPR
are installed and  Verify as-build
function as conditions
designed  Document
 Tune systems lessons learned

APPA Institute for Facilities Management -

Orlando, Fl. - 2014
 Existing Building Commissioning – Project Phases

Planning Investigation Implementation Hand-off

 Select the  Detailed facility  Execute  Verify Training

Project. review, including Implementation and O&M
 Develop the testing, trending. plan. (Systems)
Current Facility  Pick the low  Verify results. Manuals are
Requirement hanging fruit. complete.
(CFR).  Develop master  Verify as-build
list of findings – conditions.
FIMs, ECMs,  Document
Capital Projects. lessons learned.

APPA Institute for Facilities Management -

Orlando, Fl. - 2014
 Ongoing Commissioning – Sustaining Performance
• Goals:
– Maintain optimal system and operational performance
– Seek opportunities for additional improvement and reduce degradation.
– Allow for predictive maintenance and operations.
• Data Driven Strategies
– Tracking Key Performance Metrics using BAS or meter data
– Fault Detection and Diagnostics – Predictive Maintenance Programs
• Operational Strategies
– Monitor non-energy metrics – Comfort Complaints, Indoor Air Quality
– Update facility documentation
– Train the operational staff

APPA Institute for Facilities Management -

Orlando, Fl. - 2014
 Resources
• BCxA – Building Commissioning Association
– Third Edition of The Building Commissioning Handbook coming soon.
– BCxA.org
• California Commissioning Collaborative
– CaCx.org
• ASHRAE
– GL 202-2013 -- Commissioning Process for Buildings and Systems
– ASHRAE.org

Robert Tandy
Commissioning Program Manager
University of Iowa
319.384.3598

APPA Institute for Facilities Management -

Orlando, Fl. - 2014
 APPA Institute for Facilities Management
445: Building Commissioning

Glossary of terms and acronyms:

Acronym Term Definition Bob’s Comments

A2LA American Assoc. of
Laboratory
Accreditation
AAALAC Assoc. for Obviously named by a group
Assessment and of engineers, without input
Accreditation of from the marketing people.
Laboratory Animal
Care International
ASHRAE American Society of “Energy Standards for Building
90.1 Heating, Except Low-Rise Residential
Refrigerating, and Air Buildings”
Conditioning
Engineers
BAS Building Automation A network controlling a wide The cause of, and solution to,
System range of building systems. many of life’s problems….
Primarily used for HVAC,
Lighting, and energy
management.
BECx Building Envelope Commissioning the systems that
Commissioning separate the controlled, interior
spaces from the uncontrolled,
exterior spaces. Includes floors,
roofs, walls, doors, windows,
etc.
BOD Basis of Design A document outlining the This is the Design Team telling
methods, decisions, us how they intend to deliver
calculations, and systems the OPR. At UofI, this is
employed to meet the OPR. typically the Project Study
CCx Capital Commissioning of a new
Commissioning building or system.
CCx Continuous An ongoing process to resolve This term was copyrighted by
Commissioning © operating problems, improve Texas A&M. See “Ongoing
comfort, and optimize energy Commissioning”.
use for existing facilities.
CFR Current Facility (or A written document detailing
Functional) the functional requirements of a
Requirements building and the expectations of
how it is being used and
operated.

APPA Institute for Facilities Management

Orlando, Fl. - 2014
Acronym Term Definition Bob’s Comments
Cx Commissioning The process of ensuring that the It is simply quality control:
complex array of systems within asking for what you want,
a facility performs effectively verifying that you are getting
and efficiently. it, and documenting that you
got it.
CxA Commissioning Entity assigned by the Owner to
Authority or Agent lead the commissioning process.
EBCx Existing Building Commissioning of an existing This includes both retro- and
Commissioning system or facility. re-commissioning
ECM Energy Conservation Cost reduction strategies in
Measure existing buildings. Typically
evaluated on a simple payback
method.
FIM Facility Improvement Low or no cost adjustment to a
Measure system or operating procedures
that will result in lower costs in
existing buildings.
HVAC Heating, Ventilation, The comfort controls systems
and Air Conditioning within a facility.
IECC International Energy
Conservation Code
MEPT Mechanical, Generic term for the non-
Electrical, Piping, & structural, non-civil engineering
Technology systems.
OCx Ongoing A process for maintaining the
Commissioning optimized operations of a
facility or system through data
or operational strategies.
OPR Owner’s Project A written document detailing This is the “What we want”
Requirements the functional requirements of a document. It should include
project and the expectations of campus Standards, project
how it will be used and objectives, and metrics.
operated. It is hard to do well…..
UofI University of Iowa Home of Herkey and one of the Modesty precludes me from
best-looking Commissioning responding….
Program Managers in America.

APPA Institute for Facilities Management

Orlando, Fl. - 2014