Why Commission Your Existing Building?
Why Commission Your Existing Building?
No one knows better than the non-profit Building Commissioning Association (BCxA) that, “The majority of existing buildings have not undergone any type of commissioning or quality assurance process.” Wear and tear, mis-operation, equipment modifications and changes in space utilization then further degrade the efficiency and performance of building systems over time. The solution to this problem is Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) which is a very cost-effective, post-occupancy process that can significantly improve building efficiency, comfort and safety.
Pursuing Efficiency
All building owners and managers desire building operation at peak efficiency with the least maintenance, year after year. Unfortunately, the pursuit of building efficiency can be confusing due to the variety of options such as energy audits, retrofits, tuning, adjusting & balancing, preventive maintenance, benchmarking and more.
Ships aren’t put into service without sea trials during which all systems are checked for proper operation under working conditions. This check-out process is commonly called “commissioning”, a term derived from the verb “commit” and the Latin meaning “entrust”.
Unlike a ship, the commissioning of new buildings is frequently given short shrift due to the lack of time, budget or both. This can leave building owners and managers without a comprehensive benchmark for building systems operations when they are in a new and clean condition. Even many buildings that received a thorough commissioning when new have undergone major system, floorspace usage or building modifications over the ensuing years. A few of the issues commonly uncovered during the commissioning of older buildings include:
No one knows better than the non-profit Building Commissioning Association (BCxA) that, “The majority of existing buildings have not undergone any type of commissioning or quality assurance process.” Wear and tear, mis-operation, equipment modifications and changes in space utilization then further degrade the efficiency and performance of building systems over time. The solution to this problem is Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) which is a very cost-effective, post-occupancy process that can significantly improve building efficiency, comfort and safety.
Pursuing Efficiency
All building owners and managers desire building operation at peak efficiency with the least maintenance, year after year. Unfortunately, the pursuit of building efficiency can be confusing due to the variety of options such as energy audits, retrofits, tuning, adjusting & balancing, preventive maintenance, benchmarking and more.
Ships aren’t put into service without sea trials during which all systems are checked for proper operation under working conditions. This check-out process is commonly called “commissioning”, a term derived from the verb “commit” and the Latin meaning “entrust”.
Unlike a ship, the commissioning of new buildings is frequently given short shrift due to the lack of time, budget or both. This can leave building owners and managers without a comprehensive benchmark for building systems operations when they are in a new and clean condition. Even many buildings that received a thorough commissioning when new have undergone major system, floorspace usage or building modifications over the ensuing years. A few of the issues commonly uncovered during the commissioning of older buildings include:
- Equipment operating when not needed
- Abandoned piping and ductwork still in use
- Simultaneously heating and cooling the same space
- Variable air volume and return air units operating backwards
- Improperly installed, disconnected or damaged ductwork
- Controls, valves, sensors, etc. not calibrated
- Unregulated radiators
- Various equipment set up, adjusted or working improperly
- Improve performance by saving energy and reducing operational costs
- Identify and resolve operation, control and maintenance problems
- Maximize tenant satisfaction
- Improve indoor air quality and reduce associated liability
- Verify that a facility and its systems meet current operational requirements
- Extend equipment life-cycle
- Ensure the persistence of improvements over the building’s life
- Document system operation
- Identify and provide Operations & Maintenance (O&M) personnel training
- Minimize operational risk and increase asset value
- Assist in achieving LEED for Existing Buildings
- Improve the building’s ENERGY STAR rating
