The Viability of Commissioning in New School Construction

							 Building Commissioning for
  Improved Performance


                                                                    B

                                        Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  Kristin Heinemeier, Ph.D., P.E.

                   Technical Director
   Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
                                                                    E
                                                                    S
Texas Engineering Experiment Station
       Texas A&M University System
                  San Antonio, Texas

Presentation ASHRAE Alamo Chapter
                    April 20, 2004                                  L
The Brooks Energy and
Sustainability Laboratory
 Consortium between Texas Engineering


                                                                                B
 Experiment Station and the Georgia




                                               Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 Tech Research Institute
 Offices located at Brooks City Base
 Technology Transfer in areas related
 to Energy and Sustainability                                                   E
                                                                                S
     Demonstrations, deployment, technical
      assistance, training, tool development
     No fundamental research or education



                                                                                L
     Non-competitive with private sector
Continuum of Quality Control
 Design the best machinery possible,


                                                                                  B
 customers will return the ones that don’t




                                                 Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 work.
 Measure the widgets at the end of the



                                                                                  E
 assembly line, dump or fix the ones that
 aren’t within specified tolerance.
 Measure the defect rate and adjust the
 machine if defects are too high.
 Utilize quality control in the machine design
 stage, engage the designer to re-engineer the
 process, incorporate customers’ input in the                                     S
                                                                                  L
 machine design.
Continuum of Quality Control in
Buildings
 Design the best building possible, hope that


                                                                                   B
 the owner won’t sue if it doesn’t work.




                                                  Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 Do a walkthrough of the building at the end
 of the construction, fix all the things that



                                                                                   E
 don’t work.
 Test the building systems throughout
 construction and adjust them if they don’t
 work.
 Utilize quality control in the design stage,
 engage the designer to incorporate lessons
 learned in next building, incorporate                                             S
                                                                                   L
 customers’ input in the construction process,.
Buildings Are Not Widgets
 A modern office building is VERY


                                                                              B
 complex.




                                             Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 Each building is unique…each one HAS to
 work.
 No simple metrics or “tolerances”…how
 do you know if it “works”?                                                   E
                                                                              S
 The team that designs and builds the
 building is very diverse, there is little
 feedback from operation to design.


                                                                              L
 Owner desires to move in immediately.
 Cost competitiveness is intense.
                                     Commissioning…of Battleships




Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
S
L
E
B
Building Commissioning

 Cx is a quality oriented process for
                                                                           B


                                          Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 achieving, verifying, and documenting


                                                                           E
 that the performance of
 facilities, systems, and assemblies
 meets defined objectives and criteria.

                   ASHRAE Guideline 0
                                                                           S
                                                                           L
Commissioning Administrator



                                                                       B
 The owner’s champion for quality.




                                      Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 Manages a quality assurance
 process for the owner.
 Does not have authority to accept
 building or to direct contractors.                                    E
 Typically has the role of
 communicator, coordinator,
 documenter…                                                           S
                                                                       L
Commissioning Process



                                                           B
            Planning




                          Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
                                                           E
             Design


           Construction



            Turnover
                                                           S
           Occupancy
                                                           L
 Planning Stage
               Educate owner


                                                                              B
PLANNING
               Define Cx budget




                                             Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  Design
               Define CA scope of services



                                                                              E
               Develop Cx procedures and
               draft Cx Plan
Construction
               Define Cx Team



                                                                              S
               Document Owner’s Project
 Turnover      Requirements (Performance
               Objectives)



                                                                              L
               Develop expectations for
Occupancy
               process and communications…
               set the tone for Cx
 Design Stage
               Insert contractor requirements


                                                                                   B
 Planning
               related to Cx in the Specs




                                                  Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
               (included in existing divisions
 DESIGN        and/or separate division)


                                                                                   E
               Develop construction
Construction   checklists, acceptance criteria,
               and test requirements


                                                                                   S
               Develop initial systems manual
 Turnover
               Review design at different
               levels of development


                                                                                   L
Occupancy      Review specs
               Identify training requirements
  Construction Stage
               Review submittals


                                                                                B
  Planning
               Develop inspection procedures




                                               Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
               and forms
   Design
               Develop test procedures and

CONSTRUCTION
               forms
               Convene Cx Team meetings
               Perform Field Installation
                                                                                E
  Turnover     Verification
               Witness/perform Operational
               Performance Tests                                                S
                                                                                L
 Occupancy
 Turnover Stage
               Witness Functional


                                                                                B
 Planning
               Performance Tests




                                               Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  Design       Deliver Systems Manual



                                                                                E
               Verify training of O&M Staff
Construction   Play some role in building
               acceptance

TURNOVER
               Complete Commissioning Report

                                                                                S
                                                                                L
Occupancy
 Occupancy
               Post-occupancy evaluation


                                                                               B
 Planning
               Lessons Learned Workshop




                                              Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  Design       Recommend re-commissioning


                                                                               E
               schedule
Construction   Inspection at 10-months (pre
               warranty expiration)

 Turnover

                                                                               S
                                                                               L
OCCUPANCY
Benefits of Commissioning
  Reduces Energy Costs
  Reduces O&M Costs
                                                                           B


                                          Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  Improves the Building


                                                                           E
  Improves the Design, Construction and
  Turnover Processes

  Can Reduce both Operating Costs and
  First Costs                                                              S
                                                                           L
Study of Costs and Benefits
 Funded by SECO and a San Antonio


                                                                           B
 school district




                                          Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 Side-by-side comparison of
 commissioned and uncommissioned
 schools
 Detailed review of both construction                                      E
                                                                           S
 processes and the resulting buildings
 Nearing end of first year of occupancy
 for baseline school, and starting


                                                                           L
 construction for commissioned school
 Results in a format usable by others
Study Findings
 Communication is the key!
      early, often, clearly-defined procedures

                                                                                  B


                                                 Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  
      for communication



                                                                                  E
 Time is your enemy!
     start early and be nimble and persistent
 Reassure everyone involved in the
 process about their roles
     every organization is different and the
      roles will be different                                                     S
                                                                                  L
Study Findings (cont.)
 There are a lot of toes to step on
      be creative and considerate and persistent

                                                                                    B


                                                   Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
  

 Performance Objectives should be
 captured and communicated early
     should form the basis of acceptance criteria,
      which should be in the spec
 Lessons Learned workshop from previous
                                                                                    E
 project would be helpful
     or review the one before that if the previous
      project is still in progress                                                  S
                                                                                    L
ASHRAE
Technical Committee 7.9
 Research


                                                                                 B
 Programs




                                                Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 ASHRAE Guideline 0: The Commissioning
 Process (in public comment, coordinated with


                                                                                 E
 NIBS)
 ASHRAE Guideline 1: The HVAC&R
 Commissioning Process (1996 & revision)



                                                                                 S
 ASHRAE Guideline 1.1…1.10 (proposed)
 Professional Development Course
 Liaison with USGBC/LEED



                                                                                 L
Other Organizations

 Building Commissioning
 Association (bcxa.org)
                                                                       B


                                      Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
 NEBB, AABC
 Portland Energy Conservation, Inc.
 (peci.org)                                                            E
 National Building Commissioning
 Conference (May 18-20, Atlanta)                                       S
                                                                       L
                                     Thank you!




                   Questions?




Brooks Energy & Sustainability Lab
S
L
E
B