Building owners often wonder about the value of third-party commissioning, after all they have hired an experienced team to design and construct their building. Independent commissioning provides five main services that are not part of the standard design and construction process. These services are so critical to building performance that commissioning has been made a mandatory part of LEED certification. These four services are discussed below.

Peer Review of Design: Catching problems early at the design and shop drawing stages is the best and lowest cost way to ensure a properly functioning building. Peer reviews provide a fresh pair of eyes to examine the design of the building systems and identify issues that designers overlook. These problems are easily rectified before construction. Therefore, LEED provides an additional credit for conducting peer reviews as part of best practice commissioning.

Verification of System Performance: As part of their scope of work, design team engineers will verify that the specified equipment is installed and that contractors ensure that the equipment starts up. However, these parties do not verify that the equipment and systems operate properly and efficiently. Without commissioning, significant inefficiencies and improper installations can go unchecked. Commissioning provides the following additional services: installation verification (e.g., proper piping of equipment, proper location of measuring points, insulation of ducting), performance verification (checking of the control system operation under all possible conditions, summer, winter, occupied, unoccupied, emergency) and proper equipment set-up (controls and equipment set to correct position and value not the factory defaults). The commissioning process protects against a host of design and construction mistakes that can decrease the energy efficiency, increase operating costs, decrease occupant comfort, and lead to excessive maintenance issues.

Ensure Energy Savings: Green buildings hold the promise of cutting energy costs in half because of a wide array of measures from simple occupancy sensors to complex heat recovery systems. But these savings will only occur if energy saving systems are properly designed and specified, the correct products are supplied and installed, and systems are thoroughly tested in all modes of operation. Commissioning can be coupled with measurement and verification of energy usage to ensure that the energy bills are as low as possible.

Support for New Technologies: New buildings are increasingly complicated due to new technologies with complex computer controls. Contractors, engineers, suppliers, and building operators are finding it increasingly difficult to keep abreast of all these new technologies. Too often engineers get advice mainly from suppliers who only look to sell the equipment they have available. While contractors – in a rush to complete a project – do things the way they have always done them rather than strictly following the design. Enermodal commissioning staff has first-hand experience and the ability to ensure proper operation of the new technologies being used in green buildings: ground source heat pumps, rainwater cisterns, photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, displacement ventilation, and under floor air systems.

First Year Operational Support: Commissioning should not stop once construction and testing are complete, but should continue for the first year to ensure that all systems are working properly and the systems adapt as the move from heating season to cooling season. The commissioning agent ensures that the training of operations staff is thorough and provides detailed instruction proper building system and equipment operation and maintenance.