In fact, the cost of the project can go down if comprehensive building commissioning is made a part of the work scope from the beginning.

So what are the benefits of commissioning?

• Reduced change orders from subcontractors
• Fewer construction deficiencies at substantial completion of project
• Fewer project delays
• Minimized impact from design changes
• Shorter Building turnover period
• Fewer correctional / warranty work or call back claims
• Improved construction quality
• Documented acceptance of building and systems by owner

Whether your project is worth one-million or one-hundred million dollars, Commissioning your project can yield incalculable benefit to your project.

American Commissioning Group, LLC is a Certified Independent Commissioning Agency. We work directly for the building owner or property manager to be independent of project designers, contractors and equipment vendors, thus we can offer third party impartial results.

The State of California has instituted the new California Green Building Standards Code, CCR, Title 24, Part 11. It was approved on January 14, 2010, and goes into effect on January 1, 2011. Commissioning of building systems has been mandated for every new building. This code update does NOT apply to renovations or tenant improvement projects, or new buildings under 10,000 square feet. The new code requires validation of various elements of MEP system performance by third party Commissioning Agents.

American Commissioning Group is ready to assist you in navigating these new requirements in the most efficient and cost effective manner. Whether you are an Architect, Design Engineer, General Contractor or Owner/developer, you will need to submit additional new documentation for each project (greater than 10,000 SF) going to Plan Check after 01/01/2011.

American Commissioning Group is already working with several Building Permitting Agencies to determine the general level of documentation and validation that will be required for your new projects.

T24 CALGreen Code Excerpt

5.410.2 Commissioning. For new buildings 10,000 square feet and over, building commissioning shall be included in the design and construction processes of the building project to verify that the building systems and components meet the owner’s or owner representative’s project requirements. Commissioning shall be performed in accordance with this section by trained personnel with experience on projects of comparable size and complexity. Commissioning requirements shall include as a minimum:

• Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)
• Basis of Design (BOD)
• Commissioning measures shown in the construction documents
• Commissioning Plan
• Functional Performance Testing
• Post Construction Documentation & Training Commissioning Report

The specific building systems which are to be commissioning under the Code are:

• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems and Controls
• Indoor/outdoor Lighting Systems and Controls
• Water Heating and Circulating Systems
• Water pressure boosting Systems
• Landscape Irrigation Systems
• Water Re-use Systems
• Renewable Energy Systems (solar, wind bio-mass)

The 2010 version of the CALGreen T24 Building Code is now available for download at www.bsc.ca.gov

Following the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993, the organization realized that the building industry needed a system to define and measure “green buildings.” The first LEED Pilot Project Program, also referred to as LEED Version 1.0, was launched in August 1998. The current version, LEED V3 2009, was adopted in April of 2009.

LEED has a number of certification programs including:

• LEED-NC (New construction)
• LEED-EB O&M (Existing Building)
• LEED-CI (Commercial Interiors)
• LEED-CS (Core and Shell)
• LEED-Schools
• LEED-Retail
• LEED-Healthcare
• LEED-Homes
• LEED-ND (Neighborhood Developments)

American Commissioning Group has been involved in over fifty LEED Commissioning Projects in the past several years. We have provided Commissioning Services for LEED NC, EB O&M, CI and CS projects. A partial list of LEED Certified projects is shown below.

American Commissioning Agents (CxA) are certified and qualified by the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG). Our Qualified Commissioning Agents possess a high level of experience in the following areas;

• Energy Systems design, installation and operation
• Commissioning Planning and Process Management
• Hands-on field experience with system performance, interaction, start-up, testing, troubleshooting, operations and maintenance practices
• Energy systems automation control system knowledge

Commissioning services fall under the EA category as two items:

• EA Prerequisite 1 – Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems. This must be completed for any LEED certification level.
• EA Credit 3 – Enhanced Commissioning. Provides two additional LEED points.

The various aspects of LEED Commissioning includes:

• Assist in Development of Design Intent Documents (DID or OPR)
• System Design review
• Site observation and coordination of site meetings
• Maintain Resolution Tracking Forms
• Startup Verification Checklists (SVCs) for system components
• Observe Organized system start-ups
• Functional Performance Tests (FPTs) of systems
• Verify proper Operation and Maintenance (O&M) training
• Verification of O&M documentation
• Author Commissioning report
• Perform 8–10 Month Follow-up Visit to review building operations

Cost is always an issue with owners in dealing with LEED Projects and certification. The earlier in the process LEED Certification is committed to, the less costly it will be. Experienced Commissioning Firms such as American Commissioning Group can provide significant benefit to the Owner, the Contractor, the Building Operators, the property managers and ultimately, the tenants. Commissioning a building will provide the following benefits:

• Increased communications between the Project team
• Increased MEP coordination in design and construction
• Provides third party validation and documentation of problems and solutions
• Provides an efficient and reliable operating facility
• Reduces overall operating costs

Facility Systems Retro-commissioning is becoming increasingly recognized as a cost-effective process to improve building performance, reduce energy use, increase equipment life, improve indoor air quality, and improve occupant comfort and productivity.

Retro-Commissioning is the process by which a qualified team of engineers and technicians inspect the building systems (typically mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems) to determine the operational capacities and capabilities of the existing equipment. They then determine what discrepancies and other issues might be preventing the building from operation at its maximum efficiency. Building maintenance personnel are usually a part of the Retro-commissioning team so they can participate and learn from the process. The benefits are immediate since simple repairs can be performed on the spot as they are discovered by the Retro-commissioning team.

Retro-Cx provides attractive investment return. Many projects documented by the DOE and by the State of California have simple paybacks of several months and an internal investment return of greater than 60%.

Do these conditions exist at your building?

• Complex control systems used simply as time schedulers
• Equipment set in manual instead of automatic control
• Cooling and heating systems running simultaneously
• Variable Frequency Drives always running at full speed
• Pneumatic Instrument Air Compressors running constantly
• Warm and clammy space conditions

American Commissioning Group can help. Our staff is comprised of both professional engineers and highly trained technicians. The staff has years of experience in engineering design, operating, commissioning and testing. This experience includes:

• Knowledge of building and facility systems
• Experience in controls for HVAC systems, including familiarity with both conventional and advanced distributed-digital controls
• Experience in electrical and power systems, plumbing, fire/life safety and telecommunications
• Practical field construction background
• Demonstrated ability to organize many specific activities into a coherent commissioning plan of action
• Communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Practical field construction background
• Experts with Testing, Measuring and Balancing

LEED EB O&M

Retro-Commissioning earns points in a LEED-EB O&M certification process. (EAc 2.1, 2.2, 2.3). American Commissioning Group has participated in a number of LEED EB O&M projects providing these services. They include:

• Watt Tower Century City; 920,000 SF
• 725 Figueroa, Los Angeles; 936,600 SF
• Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles; 133,000 SF
• 888 E. Walnut, Pasadena; 233,000 SF
• Norwalk Governmental Center, Norwalk; 464,000 SF
• Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim; 1.6M SF

Utility Rebate Programs

Most Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) have Retro Cx programs where they will pay the cost of initial building surveys to determine whether the property has energy saving opportunities in the area of system operations at no cost to their customers.Once opportunities are identified, modifications are made and Retro Commissioning of building systems is performed. Many of these services are also covered by the IOU. On-bill financing or attractive 3rd party financing can also be provided.

American Commissioning Group is a contracted provider of audit and retro-commissioning services for both SCE, SDG&E and PG&E.

American Commissioning Group Engineers have the design experience and operational experience to review the operations of your systems (control sequences, TAB reports, trouble call logs, design drawings etc.) and recognize inconsistencies, problem areas and energy saving opportunities.

The optimization of building systems takes special skills. We understand the relationship between equipment and system resources. Equipment calls upon the system resources to meet it’s call for load. DDC systems and pneumatic systems have different response times. Optimization (or minimization) of that response time is the key to system optimization.

System resources such as air pressure , water pressure, chilled and heated water and the like, are produced just hot and cold enough to satisfy the worst case need for the resource without over heating or over cooling, or over pressurizing.

Air terminal units require certain air and water pressures and temperatures to provide properly conditioned air to the tenant spaces. The conditioned comfort conditions dictate the use of system resources to accomplish the task of making people comfortable in their spaces. Once the comfort conditions are achieved, the system can automatically optimize duct static pressures and temperatures, thus saving fan energy. In addition, pumping energy, chilling and heating energy are saved at the central plant.

These functions, once arranged and commissioned properly, can result in energy savings that would otherwise have been wasted, thus saving the facility operator thousands of dollars in energy costs from the operating budget each year.

Working with the Gas Company Tower in downtown LA, American Commissioning Group engineers were able to reduce the amount of outside airflow into the building by 15 – 20%. This resulted in significant cost savings.

American Commissioning Group has the experience and dedication to help facility operators develop control optimization routines and make their facilities work harder for them.

The Building Portfolio Manager helps a building owner/operator track and assess energy and water consumption within the building. Inputting energy and cost data into the Energy Star Model will allow you to benchmark building energy performance, assess energy management goals over time and identify strategic opportunities for savings opportunities.

The Program will rate building energy performance on a scale of 1–100 relative to similar buildings nationwide. A rating of 50 indicates that the building, from an energy consumption standpoint, performs better than 50% of similar buildings nationwide, while a rating of 75 indicates that the building performs better than 75% of similar buildings nationwide. A rating of 75 or better is required to receive the Energy Star Certification/label.

Energy Star Certification is also a requirement for LEED EB O&M certification. BOMA has stated that Energy Star buildings have higher average occupancy rates, higher average lease rates and higher resale values than non-rated properties.

The EPA requires that a Registered Professional Engineer or Architect perform a visual inspection and evaluation of the property, sign and stamp the developed Statement of Energy Performance (SEP).

American Commissioning Group Engineers have validated and provided over 300 Energy Star certifications over the past 5 years. In most cases, these certifications can be performed in one day with the proper documentation being available.

Energy audits take many forms and are performed for many different purposes. American Commissioning Group Engineers have performed such audits for facilities including commercial office buildings, schools, industrial facilities, hospitals, military bases and retail centers. Our engineers have seen a variety of buildings and designs and we have the experience to recognize energy conservation opportunities quickly. Our expertise is based upon design, operating, construction, commissioning and troubleshooting experience. These audits can lead to saving our clients substantial money.

The standard best practices in performing energy audits are:

• Become aware of how much energy the property uses
• Become aware of where this energy is used (HVAC, lighting, pumping...)
• Learn to track energy use
• Develop ideas for saving energy as energy conservation measures (ECMs)
• Estimate the cost and payback of the ECMs
• Implement the ECMs that make sense
• Develop a long range plan (i.e. 5 years) to implement capital intensive ECMs

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has defined the following audit levels for industry uniformity:

• Level I – Walk thru Assessment
• Level II – Energy Survey and Analysis
• Level III – Detailed Analysis of Capital Intensive Modifications
• Investment Grade Audit

The ASHRAE Level I Audit includes:

• Surveying the building energy systems
• Reviewing the facility utility bills
• Reviewing the building operating procedures
• Developing a list of potential “Low-Cost/No Cost” ECMs
• Developing a list of potential capital improvement ECMs
• Providing estimated construction costs for these ECMs (consider utility rebates)
• Developing “Simple Payback” for ECM implementation

Today, ASHRAE Level I and II Audits fulfill requirements of the LEED EB O&M certification program and are very popular. American Commissioning Group has performed many of these audits over the past two years. We have also provided Investment Grade Audits involved in the sale of a property.

ASHRAE Standard 62.1 promotes design standards for the introduction of OA into new buildings. These standards and calculations are currently being used to determine Energy Star and LEED EB O&M outside air (OA) minimums. Actual testing for verification of the OA ventilation rate is required to achieve LEED certification. This is also required by the new CALGreen T24 energy code.

American Commissioning Group Engineers and Technicians are experienced in performing this testing, the calculations required and in providing guidance on HVAC system modifications if the building systems fail to consistently deliver this critical variable.

In many cases we save the building owner money by demonstrating that they are providing too much OA. Client such as The Gas Company Tower (downtown LA) and the Anaheim Convention Center, have reduced their OA intake settings based upon actual test measurements to achieve as much as 30% in total fan and cooling energy reduction.

LEED Testing Protocol

LEED EB O&M EQ Prerequisite 1 – Outdoor Air Introduction and Exhaust Systems protocol requires the following:

• Conduct a visual inspection of outside air louvers and dampers
• Conduct airflow measurements to document outside air intake CFM at each AHU via direct measurement of OSA volume
• Obtain design data for input to the ASHRAE 62.1 prescribed calculations to determine minimum OA supply requirements
• Describe the OA flow measurements and test protocols for each test performed
• Verify measured OA minimums are equal or greater than calculated minimums

Please note that this is an iterative process with many variables, requiring cooperation of the building owner and engineer to minimize the required testing, adjustment and re-testing needed.

American Commissioning Group has performed extensive M&V services for clients through the years. The methodologies used range from using simplistic local measurements through EMS systems and calculations, to installation of temporary logging instrumentation and extensive trending, monitoring and calculation.

Most of the time, ECMs are approved based upon design data using simple payback calculations and precious little attention is paid to the outcome in real terms.

The International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVP) proffers several options to perform measurement and verification of energy savings.

• Option A: Partially Measured ECM
Determine savings by partial measurement of the energy use of the system(s) to which an ECM is applied.
• Option B: ECM Isolation
Determine ECM savings by measurement of the energy use and operating parameters of the affected system(s).
• Option C: Whole Building Comparison
Determine savings at the whole building level by measuring energy use at the main utility meter.
• Option D: Whole Building Calibrated Simulation
Determine savings by using whole-building computer simulations calibrated against measured weather data.

LEED Certification for New Construction offers Credit (EAc-5) that requires development of M&V Manual and procedures to validate the designed energy use of the project. They allow for Option B or C of the IPMVP protocol. American Commissioning Groups has developed and helped implement these plans for church buildings, schools and commercial offices.

References

• International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVP) Vol. III, Part I, August 2003
• ASHRAE Guideline 14-2002 “Measurement of Energy and Demand Savings
• Guidelines for Verifying Existing Building Commissioning Project Savings: Using Interval Data Energy Models: IPMVP Options B and C: California Commissioning Collaborative Nov. 2008

Our comments are written from the Operators perspective. We look to insure systems can be properly operated, commissioned and maintained. We look to see if access ports and taps are provided for testing, adjusting, balancing and verifying key energy components of the systems. We review the documents to insure they meet with the Owners Program Document and Engineering Basis of Design for the particular systems being commissioned.

Our reviews are not to be construed as “Third Party Independent Design Reviews”. We are not reviewing designs for equipment sizing, system design, load analysis or other traditional design scopes. Our comments are intended to assist the design team with input they may not otherwise posses from an Operations and Maintenance prospective.

The objectives of our reviews are particularly aimed at reducing energy demand, reducing water consumption and demand, reducing airflow restrictions leading to lower fan energy consumption, equipment partial load performance, outdoor air economizer performance, building pressurization performance and outside air intake performance for ventilation effectiveness. For instance, we will make suggestions for equipment orientation to eliminate economizer outlets from blowing into other unit’s economizer intakes, exhaust fans that discharge toward nearby outside air intakes and the like. We will evaluate the plumbing systems ability to deliver efficiently generated warm water to points of use within 10 seconds of opening the tap for water and energy savings, and we will check for water saving plumbing fixtures. We will also evaluate lighting control systems and daylight harvesting options, and we will look at integration of occupancy sensors to lighting zones and HVAC zones for unoccupied space setback potential.

There are many more design items we look for such as utility metering and M&V sub-metering where practical for long term energy analysis and evaluation purposes.

American Commissioning Group is interested in working with the design teams from the very beginning of the process to be sure that the proper commissioning specifications are developed and tuned to the project at hand. We frequently provide this service to the Architectural and Specifying community so that the commissioning process can be bid uniformly and performed properly on each project we are involved with. We have been providing design review and commissioning training sessions in Architect's and Engineer's offices for many years, and this has proven to be a worthy investment of our resources and has resulted in many strong relationships with many A/E firms.