The Value of Building Commisioning

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BUILDING COMMISSIONING:

The Value of Commissioning

CaGBC Building Advisor ProgramOctober, 2012John Kokko, P.Eng., CCP, LEED AP

[email protected] x2424



LEARNING OBJECTIVES

What is buildingcommissioning

What are the steps required byLEED

Why is it important

What results can we expect



NEW BUILDING CX

LEED Credits

EAp1 – Fundamental Cx (Prerequisite)

Deals mainly with construction and getting the building operating beforehand-over

EAc3 - Enhanced Cx (Credit)

Deals with design and post occupancy operation



WHAT IS NEW BUILD COMMISSIONING

Definition:

To bring a new project or facility on line

?

?

?

Hands over abuilding that gives the

owner what he paid for.



NAME FROM SHIP BUILDING

A commissioned ship is one deemed ready for service.

Must pass several milestones.

Equipment is installed and tested, problems are identified andcorrected, and staff are extensively trained.

A commissioned ship is one whose materials, systems, and staff havesuccessfully completed a thorough quality assurance process.

Commissioned ship is one ready to sail safely and reliably



VISION OF COMMISSIONING

Take the owner’s needs and wants

► Ensure requirements properly articulated

Through the minds of the consultants

► Ensure designs properly reflect OPR

Through the hands of suppliers and contractors

► Ensure building is properly built

Deliver a properly performing building

► Ensure all systems operate as intended



BUILDING Cx = QC FOR CARS?

Similar to a QC

process for cars Note similarities in:

Work area

Tools Assembly

techniques

Workers’

responsibilities



WHY IS COMMISSIONING NEEDED

Don’t the design and construction teams alreadydo this?

Everyone wants to do a good job. But two constrains:

1. Scope included with fees

2. Knowledge of the state-of-the-art Low price generally gets the job

Designers responsible for code

Site review for conformance to

drawings and specs

Not performance beyond obvious

faults and complaints after the fact



UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE

Innovation moving extremely fast

Innovative equipment andsystems are relatively unfamiliarto designers, contractors,operators and even

manufacturers agents Energy efficiency, integrated

systems, imported designconcepts and computerization

have multiplied levels ofcomplexity



WHAT IS INNOVATIONMULTIPLE MARRIED TECHNOLOGIES



ADDED COMPLICATIONS

Radiant heating Radiant cooling Condensing boiler Water-side economizer Building automation systems



INNOVATION INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY

Direct and indirect evaporative cooling

Optimum start

Cascading PID loops

Stratified thermal storage

Daylighting control

LON and BACnet

Integration

And on and on and on ….



CONVENTIONAL COMMISSIONING

• Start-up and basic check out of equipment

• Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB)

• Begins after systems in and ready forstart-up

• Verify individual components function ascomponents

• Performed by installing contractor ormanufacturers rep



TOTAL COMMISSIONING (LEED™)

A systematic quality assurance program

Starts at concept design and concludes at end of

warranty

Includes all phases concept design, detailed design,

construction, start-up, 1 year operation

Commissioning verifies energy performance and

comfort maintenance



TOTAL COMMISSIONING (LEED™)

Includes reviews

through all stages Includes participation

of consultants, trades,

O&M staff Includes detailed reviews

design, shop draw, install

Expanded installation

verification and start-up checks

O&M documentation more centralized

Whole system performance vs. component checks



COMMISSIONING COMPARISON

TOTAL COMMISSIONING

Concept Design Reviews

Detailed Design Reviews

Shop Drawing ReviewsSite Installation Verification

Equipment Start-Up Verification

Balancing Verif ication

Functional Performance Test

Documentation and Operator

Training

Trending and Seasonal FPT

Warranty and Occupant

concerns

TRADITIONAL COMMISSIONING

No Cx. Consultant self-checks.

No Cx. Consultant self-checks.

No Cx. Dwgs & specs met only.No Cx. Dwgs & specs met only.

Contractor or Manufacturer only. No

systems interoperability

No Cx. Contractor self-checks.



Owner verifies acceptabil ity.

Contractor seldom returns

No Cx. Respond to complaints only.



VALUE OF Cx

Largest study to date Mills, LBNL July 2009

http://cx.lbl.gov/2009-assessment.html

643 buildings, 26 US states 561 existing and 82 new buildings

37 Cx firms

99 M ft2, $2.2 B construct

90.4 M ft2 existing, 8.8 M ft2 new construction

$43 M Cx costs



NEW BUILDING Cx MEDIANS

Cx cost, $1.16/ft2 or 0.4% of overall construct cost($290/ft2) (Range $0.60 - $2.15)

Number of deficiencies identified, 3,528

(about 1/3 of projects reported deficiencies) Energy savings 13% (Range 9% - 29%)

Payback time, 4.2 years (Range 1.7 to 11.4 yrs)



AREAS OF BENEFIT

Construction Cost Savings Equipment downsizing and trade-offs

Energy Savings - $0.05 to $0.45/ft2

Peak demand reductions Maintenance and replacement costs reduced

Increased productivity and reduced liability Indoor environmental quality maintenance

Carbon emissions reductions



COMMISSIONING PROCESS OVERVIEW



LEED Cx OUTLINE

Design and Construction Phases EAp1 – Fundamental Cx EAc3 – Enhanced Cx

Design Owner documents OPR Before 50% CD Owner designatesCxA

Construction Documents Designers incorporate Cx specs intoConstruction Docs

CxA presents Cx Plan

50% CD CxA conducts 50% design review

Post Contract Award Owner designates CxACxA presents Cx Plan

CxA reviews shop drawings

Installation CxA performs/oversees installationverification

Start-up CxA performs/oversees functionaltesting

CxA reviews O&M ManualsCxA oversees staff training

Substantial Completion CxA prepares Draft Final Report CxA prepares Systems Manual

Post Construction CxA performs/oversees deferedtesting

Occupancy CxA delivers Final Report CxA provides Warranty andoccupant concerns review



OWNER & DESIGN TEAM DOCUMENTATION

Owners Project Requirements (OPR)► Owner and User requirements

► Environmental sustainability goals

► Energy efficiency goals

► Indoor environmental quality requirements► Equipment and systems expectations

► Building occupant & O&M personnel requirements

Basis of Design (BoD)

► Primary design assumptions

► Standards

► Narrative descriptions



Cx DURING DESIGN

Work with design team to define measurable energy andindoor environmental quality goals

Discuss alternatives to traditional design solutions

Provide support for unfamiliar technologies Review to verify design meets objectives and technologies

properly implemented

Review to verify equipment specified meets goals andobjectives



COMMON DESIGN ISSUES

No design target for energy use

Lighting power density not identified No heat recovery

Condensing boilers not considered

Variable speed pumps and fansECM motors not incorporated

20°F rather than 40°F design

temp drop design used Undersized piping and

ductwork



Cx PLAN

Overview of Cx Process

List of equipment and systems to be Cx

Cx Team and responsibilities Management, Communication and Reporting Overview

Cx Process Overview (Outline above)

List of deliverables

Milestones



Cx MEMBERS & RESPONSIBILITIES

COMMISSIONING AGENT

Owner’s rep leading commissioning Reviews and produces most paperwork Directs testing Ensures LEED™ requirements are met

OWNER

Provide support as required to ensure Cxproceeds smoothly

FM Staff?Consultants

Provide documentation as required for review Attend commissioning meetings as required



GENERAL CONTRACTOR

►Ensures contractors meet commissioningrequirements

M&E CONTRACTORS

►Completes start-up, installation verification lists►Operates equipment for Performance Testing►Produces O&M manuals, Provides owner training

CONTROLS CONTRACTOR►Operate controls for Performance Testing, produce

O&M materials for controls

Cx MEMBERS & RESPONSIBILITIES



Cx SPECIFICATIONS

Contractor responsibilities Submittal review process

Meetings

IVC process

Start-up process

Balancing reviews

FPT process

O&M manuals requirements

Training requirements

Warranty review



Cx DURING CONSTRUCTION

Verify equipment installed per drawings andspecs, manuf’rs requirements and proper

industry practice and standards

Verify equipment is, set-up, adjusted,balanced, controlled and operated to provide

expected comfort and energy performance

Provide owner complete systems O&M docs

Provide owner’s operating personneladequate training to understand, operate and

maintain equipment



COMMON INSTALLATION ISSUES

Coils piped backward

Maintenance access notprovided

Pumps with shaft oriented

improperly Thermostats located adjacent

to heating/cooling diffusers

Insulation missing Sensors improperly located



COMMON FUNCTIONAL TESTING ISSUES

Controls functions notmatching sequence

VFDs do not modulate

Outdoor damper minimumposition

Control valve action reversed



TRAINING TOPICS

General purpose of system Use of O&M manuals

Operation of systems under all conditions

Interaction with other systems

Adjustments and optimization for efficiency

Health and safety

Special maintenance and replacement resources

Occupant interaction

Controls training



SYSTEMS MANUAL

Final BoD System single line diagrams

As-Built sequences, set-points, etc.

System operating instructions Maintenance schedule

Retesting schedule



Cx AFTER OCCUPANCY

Follow trends on BAS to ensure ongoing operation

Completion of deficiencies remaining afterconstruction

Follow-up on warranty issues arising

Follow up on occupant concerns during warrantyand first year occupancy

Verify that issues are cleaned up by the end ofwarranty



FINAL REPORT

OPR

Design and shops review summary

Cx specifications IVC results

FPT results

O&M evaluation

Value achieved through Cx

Outstanding issues



MULTI-FUNTION AHU

DESIGN ISSUES Dehumidifying only

outdoor air reduces size ofequipment and increases

efficiency of equipment Using heat recovery to

reduce load on cooling coil Using indirect evaporative

cooler to increase HX eff’yhumidity carried outdoors



MULTI-FUNCTION AHU

INSTALLATION ISSUES

No radiation shield on sensor by flame

No maintenance access to somesensors

Installation of single point sensorwhere averaging required

Reset button set tight and vibrationcausing unit to cut out

Overloads not set properly



BOILERS

DESIGN ISSUES

No check valves wouldrequired both boilers operate in

parallel Independent controllers would

not have been coordinated Primary only loop with DHW

would have requiredcontinuous minimum 160F



BOILER

INSTALLATION ISSUES

Water treatment eliminated byaluminum boiler manufacturer. But

piping not protected OA reset not programmed

because tech believed it would notsave energy

Control sensor located in singleboiler supply rather than commonheader



RETIREMENT RESIDENCE

HVAC SYSTEM

Ground loop coupled distributed heat pumps withsupplemental gas-fired heating.

One AHU with heat recovery and HP htg/clg for fresh airdistribution to corridors and common areas

One AHU with WLHP htg/clg for Kitchen Individual HRVs for ventilation and WLHPs for htg/clg in

each room



RETIREMENT HOME

DESIGN ISSUES

Heat injection before rather

than after ground loop

Moved to eliminate boiler

heating ground

HX between building loop and

ground loop removed

Reduced capital cost and

increased efficiency



RETIREMENT HOME Cont’d

Dedicated DHW heaterssimplified boiler loop controls,allowed summer shutdownand allowed primary loop OA

reset and condensing Cascading different

temperature loops ensuredcold return water temps

40°F temp rise drop reducedpipe and pump sizing



SHOP DRAWING REVIEW FINDINGS

1. 3 re-submittals of heat wheel shop drawings requiredbefore a workable defrost strategy provided.

2. Shop drawing coil performance based on water whilesystem will used propylene glycol.

3. Coils have greater air-side and water-side pressuredrops than specified.

4. Controls sequences were carbon copy of engineer’s

general wording rather than converting to specifics thatcan be programmed.

Heat wheel, heating coil and cooling coils shall be

sequenced to provide energy efficient operation

AIR HANDLER



SERVICES and REPAIR BUILDING

HVAC SYSTEM

Ground Source Heat Pump

Radiant floor heating Dedicated outdoor air ventilation with heat recovery

Supplemental fan coils for cooling



SERVICE and REPAIR BUILDING

HVAC System



SMALL SERVICES BUILDING

Functional Testing

System relied on heat pump circulator but never

programmed to operate when heat pump off PID loops needed tuning to provide stable operation

Radiant floor valve found with wire not connected leavingvalve open and space overheating



SERVICE AND REPAIR BUILDING CASE STUDY

FUNCTIONAL TEST

Storage room hot, office cool. Found crossed floor loops. Officet’stat controlling floor heat in storage room. Loops not labelled

Heat pump constantly tripping. Supplier blamed system but did notmeasure any parameters. Cx measurements showed water flows

ok. Heat pump diagnostics finally found faulty TX valve and lowrefrigerant.

Controls are probably the single most important item in ensuringsuccessful system operation for comfort and energy savings.

CC programmed system heating water temps lower thanspecified because this works better

Improperly programmed 24 hr moving average outdoor tempcaused the system to flip-flop between heating and cooling



REAL PERFORMANCE

What is the energy use of typical buildings?

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

All Bldgs

(ON)

C&I Accom

(ON)

Offices

(ON)

Offices

(CAN)

GoG

Annual

Energy

ekWh/m2

All

data

(except

GoG)

from

NRCan

Survey

(CIBEUS,

2000).



RETIREMENT RESIDENCE A

Actual Performance

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Dec '04 (SL) Nov '05 (SL) Nov '05 (CBIP) Jul '06 (Review) Apr '07 to Mar '08

Simulated

Actual

Annual

Energy

ekWh/m2

Floor Area = 5348 m2



0

50

100

150

200

250

Aug

'04

(SL) Feb

'06

(CBIP) Aug

'06

(Review) Aug

'07

to

Feb

'08

Simulated

Actual

RETIREMENT RESIDENCE B Actual Performance


Annual

Energy

ekWh/m2



LABORATORY BUILDING

Actual Performance

Annual

Energy

ekWh/m2

0

100

200

300

400

500

Aug

'04

(SL) Aug

'06

(CBIP) Feb

'07

(Review) Dec

'07

to

Feb

'08 Mar

to

May

'08

Simulated

Actual




COMPARISON

Annual

Energy

ekWh/m2

Actual energy use compared to typical buildings

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

All

Bldgs

(ON)

C&I

Accom

(ON)

Offices

(ON)

Offices

(CAN)

GoG VA SSJ KPHQ TRCABuilding

A

Building

B

Building

C

Building

D



MMM Group Limited

100 Commerce Valley Drive West

Thornhill, ON Canada L3T 0A1

t: 905.882.1100 | f: 905.882.0055

e: [email protected]