Ongoing Commissioning
An ongoing program tailored to meet facility operational requirements and sustainability goals. Successful programs may be initiated any time during the life of a building: immediately after construction of a commissioned building or years later in a building that was never commissioned.
Typical Objectives of Ongoing Commissioning
- Bring equipment to its proper operational state
- Verify that facility and its systems meet the Owner’s requirements
- Improved building performance resulting in reduced energy usage and operating costs
- Identify and resolve building system operation, control, and maintenance problems
- Reduce or eliminate occupant complaints and increase tenant satisfaction
- Document system operation
- Identify additional Operations & Maintenance (O&M) personnel training requirements
- Assist in achieving LEED Existing Building O&M certification
- Improve the building’s ENERGY STAR rating
LEED v 2009
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Building (EB) Operations and Maintenance (O&M) v2009 Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit 2.3: Existing Building Commissioning – Ongoing Commissioning provides the following definition:
Ongoing commissioning is a continuous process that methodically identifies and corrects system problems to maintain optimal building performance; it includes regular measurement and comparative analysis of building energy data over time.
Other related services:
- ASHRAE Level 1 Audit in support of the LEED-EB EAp1.
- EPA Energy Star rating statement preparation and certification in support of EAc1.
- ASHRAE Level 2 Audit in support of EAc2.1 Option 2.
Key Components
- Ongoing Commissioning Plan: Outlines the team organization, goals, schedule, allocation of resources, and documentation requirements of the commissioning process.
- Commissioning Issues Log: Record of the issues identified during functional performance testing that includes a detailed description, priority level, and responsible party to facilitate corrective action response.
- Functional Performance Tests: Test forms used to verify and document HVAC and lighting equipment operation.
- Current Facility Requirements and Building Operating Plan: Identify owner’s operating requirements such as space temperature/humidity, outside air fractions, and schedules.
- Site Visit Reports: Overview of the work accomplished, key observations, update on testing progress, commissioning issues log, and low-no cost energy conservation opportunities identified for consideration.