Commissioning Panel Discussion

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Commissioning Panel Discussion

• Presented for
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter of IFMA
• June 21, 2006

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Panel Representatives

• Representatives from all parts of the
  commissioning process.
• Commissioning Agent Jerry Bauers
• Owner Perspective Tim Norton
• Architect Perspective Carey Brendalen
• Contractor Perspective Matt Metzger
• Panel Moderator Matt Antony

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Questions to Address Today

• What is Commissioning (Cx)?
• What are the benefits to the building owner to
  include a commissioning process in the project?
• What services are included in a design teams
  basic services agreement?
• Why would a contractor feel that there is value
  in hiring a commissioning agent?

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Commissioning Processes

• New Construction
• Re-Commissioning
• Retro Commissioning
• Forensic Commissioning

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Commissioning - New Construction

• Systematic process of assuring by verification
  and documentation, from the design phase to a
  minimum of one year after construction, that all
  building facility systems perform interactively
  in accordance with the design documentation and
  intent, and in accordance with the owners
  operational needs, including preparation of
  operation personnel.

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Re-Commissioning

• Is used to recheck to see that the building is
  still performing to the original design and a
  verification the design conditions have not been
  changed.

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Retro-Commissioning

• Retro-Commissioning (Retro-Cx) is the systematic
  process by which the Owner ensures that the
  building and systems are optimized to perform
  interactively to meet the current operational
  needs as closely as possible. This may include
  remedial design and construction to accomplish
  this goal.

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Forensic Commissioning

• Is the commissioning process documented to the
  level that can be used to debate the need to
  change systems or argue in court that the current
  systems operation meets or is deficient for the
  intended purpose and use of the building?

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Commissioning OverviewJerry Bauers

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What is Commissioning?

• Scientific Decision Making (Testing)
• Operations Baseline (Documentation)
• Demonstration of Value
• Future Baseline (Data Based Decisions)
• Knowledge Transfer (Training)

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Forms of Commissioning

• New Bldg Commissioning
• Start Early in Design
• Establish Scientific Basis for Acceptance
  (Acceptance Criteria)
• Include Operations Expertise of CxA

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Commissioning Activities

• Commissioning Activities - Design
• Owners Project Requirements
• Design Phase Commissioning Reviews
• Commissioning Specifications

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Commissioning Activities

• Commissioning Activities Construction/Acceptanc
  e Phase
• Project Scheduling Support
• Definitive Testing Protocols

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Commissioning Activities

• Commissioning Activities
• As Built/OM Documentation
• Owner System Based Training
• Baseline Development

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Forms of Commissioning

• Retro Commissioning
• CxA as Prime Consultant
• Include Owner Personnel on Team
• Cx Results

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Commissioning Benefits

• Faster Project Turnover
• Lower Change Order Rate
• Better Construction Team Cooperation
• Performance Based Final Acceptance

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Commissioning Benefits

• Occupant Acceptance
• The Building Just Works
• Operator Acceptance
• Better Training
• Better Tools (Documentation, Data
  Gathering/Analysis, Warranty Support)

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Commissioning Challenges

• Early Identification of Cx Agent
• Support of Cx Process
• Involvement in Decision Making

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Commissioning Challenges

• Financial Justification
• Reduced Change Order Rate (5 vs.
  2)
• Reduced First Year Costs
• Optimized Energy Costs

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Commissioning References

• References
• www.nebb.org
• www.peci.org
• www.ashrae.org
• http//www.wbdg.org

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Owners View of CommissioningTim Norton

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Commissioning Owners Perspective

• Operational representative for the Translational
  Research Facility
• Existing facility (Lions Research) with ongoing
  research and support needs
• Role of commissioning agent (CxA) and project
  outcome

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Lessons Learned

• Define the unique needs of the operation or
  project
• Bring in the CxA early
• Keep the CxA under contract post occupancy

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Anoka County Project

• Similar program needs
• Multiple user groups
• Performance based contract
• Needed a multi-talented CxA team

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Developed CxA Expectations

• Training, testing and verifying
• Environmental controls (specs)
• Construction management
• Leadership and facilitation abilities

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Going Forward

• Review and verify HVAC submittals for
  maintainability (OM Manuals)
• Custom training and testing
• Testing check list for equipment operation and
  energy efficiency
• Warranty services
• Documentation, documentation, docum...

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Architects View of CommissioningCarey Brendalen

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Buildings Past and Present

• Energy
• Health
• Design / Construction / Operation

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Owner / A/E Contracts

• Owners Expectations
• Perfect buildings that staff can run seamlessly

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A/E Responsibility

• AIA B141 Standard Form of Agreement Between
  Owner and Architect defines the design
  professionals responsibilities as follows
• The Construction Documents establish the intent
  of the project including size, quality levels and
  systems required for the project.
• The architect shall visit the site at appropriate
  intervals during construction to become generally
  familiar with and inform the Owner about progress
  and quality.
• The architect shall not be required to make
  exhaustive or continuous on-site inspections to
  check the quality or quantity of Work.
• The architect shall not be responsible for acts
  or omissions of the Contractor, subcontractors,
  or their agents

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Contractors Responsibilities

• AIA A201 General Conditions of the Contract
  for Construction defines the contractors
  responsibilities as follows
• The contractor is solely responsible for the
  construction means, methods, techniques,
  sequences and procedures and for coordinating all
  portions of the work.
• The contractor shall be responsible for acts of
  omissions of the Contractor, subcontractors, or
  their agents
• The contractor shall not be responsible for the
  adequacy of the design criteria required by the
  Contract Documents

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Buildings - Future

• 2030 Challenge
• Sustainable Building Guidelines
• Commissioning

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References

• www.aia.org American Institute of Architects
• www.aia.org/bp_chap19 AIA Building
  Commissioning and Maintenance
• www.challenge2030.org Resource regarding climate
  change and what we need to do

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Contractors View of CommissioningMatt Metzger

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Question Why would a contractor like me, an
experienced professional who takes pride in the
quality of service the company I work for
provides, feel that there is value in hiring a
commissioning agent to double check my work?
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• Value of Commissioning
• Ensure completion of all contractors scope of
  work  
• Catch inadvertent oversights
• Vested interest due to long term partnership with
  owner
• Differentiate design issues from installation
  issues

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How Controls Can Assist Commissioning

• Advanced Data Gathering (Trending)
• Most systems can now retain information
  indefinitely
• Change Of Value vs. fixed interval recording
• Ability to normalize sample intervals
• Ability to utilize web services to bring in data
  from unconventional sources

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Choosing a Commissioning Agent

• The following link has a concise overview of
  commissioning and 10 questions to ask a potential
  commissioning agent or firm. 
• http//www.usgbc.org/chapters/colorado/docs/pdf/US
  GBC20SPG20-20Commissioning.pdf

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How Controls can assist Commissioning

• Fault Detection and Diagnosis
• See July 2005 ASHRAE Journal article Fault
  Detection Diagnostics
• http//www.nist.gov/tc75/ (this site has links
  to several papers about commissioning and
  controls)

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Questions for Panel?
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PANELISTS

• Matt Antony, Division Leader - Utility
  Industrial, Sebesta Blomberg, 651-634-7280,
  mantony_at_Sebesta.com
• Jerry Bauers, National Director of Commissioning,
  Sebesta Blomberg, 816-916-6632,
  jbauers_at_Sebesta.com
• Tim Norton, Director of Facilities Management
  Construction, Anoka County, 763-323-5385,
  Tim.Norton_at_co.anoka.mn.us
• Carey Brendalen, AIA, Principal, Architectural
  Alliance, 612-874-4128, cbrendalen_at_archalliance.co
  m
• Matt Metzger, Engineering Manager, Automated
  Logic - Twin Cities, 651-697-7200,
  MattM_at_ALCTwinCities.com