Continuous Commissioning

Keep Your Building in Working Order or improve your Existing Building’s operation with Continuous Commissioning®

Many building owners have been the beneficiaries of new building commissioning, which works to ensure that systems work alone and interactively as desired. If your building was commissioned during the design / construct process, you have likely observed the benefits, the most noticeable of which include reliable operation and consistent tenant comfort. However, there is another commissioning process that makes sense for buildings that HAVE been formally commissioned and for those that have not. That process is called Continuous Commissioning®.

Continuous Commissioning® (CC®) is an ongoing process to resolve operating problems, improve comfort, optimize energy use and identify retrofits for existing commercial and institutional buildings and central plant facilities.

CC® focuses on improving overall system control and operations for the building and/or plant as it is currently utilized and on meeting existing facility needs. It goes beyond an operations and maintenance program, and optimizes the facility to its current use which is likely different from the original design. During the CC® process, a comprehensive engineering evaluation is typically conducted for both building and plant functionality and system functions. The optimal operational parameters and schedules can then be developed based on actual conditions. An integrated approach is used to implement these optimal schedules to ensure local and global system optimization and to ensure persistence of the improved operational schedules.

Continuous Commissioning® can be implemented in the following applications as a:

Stand-alone energy conservation measure / process for new (or nearly new) buildings or central plants

Stand-alone energy conservation measure / process for older, existing buildings or plants

Energy conservation measure as part of a major capital retrofit energy efficiency program

Process to commission retrofits to ensure optimum operation and energy savings once retrofits are installed

Continuous Commissioning® requires measurement and verification of savings using current IPMVP and / or ASHRAE Guideline 14 methods and may require the installation of meters and sub-meters to measure system performance and ensure system optimization.
The CC® process is continuously improved as new techniques evolve. The current CC® process includes either or both of the following two project phases.
The first phase identifies the buildings and facilities to be included in the project and develops the project scope. At the end of this phase, the CC® scope is clearly defined.

The second phase implements CC® and verifies project performance. This phase can include six steps:

Develop the CC® plan and form the project team;
Develop performance baselines;

Conduct system measurements and develop CC® measures,

Implement CC® measures,

Document comfort improvements and energy savings;

Keep the commissioning continuous.