Commissioning Characteristic Commissioning Building Tuning Recommissioning Retrocommissioning Application New buildings, early implementation, optimise outcomes, minimise risks All buildings, constantly optimised energy and performance, optimum outcomes Existing buildings previously commissioned, ongoing maintenance and management, maintain performance, minimise risks, change of use Existing buildings never commissioned, poorly performing buildings or systems/buildings that have been significantly upgraded or changed Timing Begins at concept or pre-design Commences after building has been commissioned, recommissioned or retrocommissioned Periodically at scheduled intervals or in response to operating problems In response to underperforming buildings or buildings that have been modified or updated Purpose Optimum performance of building Continuously maintain optimum performance of building Periodically maintain optimum performance of building Identify and remove barriers to optimum performance of building Method Review, testing and verification. Monitoring, trending review and tuning on a seasonal basis Tuning, calibrating, testing and verification Survey and diagnostics, alterations and improvements, testing and verification Focus Specified design or performance. Evolving design, current performance requirements Original design and performance requirements New design and performance requirements Test basis Uses new tests developed specific for building Uses ongoing testing specific to building and current use Uses existing tests developed for original building commissioning Uses new developed specific for project Frequency Once at initial build Continuous once installed Every 3 - 5 years As needed due to age, every 10 - 15 years For this exercise, note down answers and information from the discussion. EXERCISE 1 In your own briefly explain the difference between an energy audit, a commissioning process and a retrofit. Retrofit
This could include: Searching for building documents – as installed drawings, O&M manuals, maintenance log, system schematics, operational matrix, fire matrix, BMCS functional descriptions including documenting the actual control measures and the performance outcomes. Surveying staff and contractors – questioning the current operations team to identify common comfort and operational complaints or where small improvements can be made. Making immediate improvements – such as calibrating controls and sensors, resetting damper and positions and verifying control set points and time clocks. Collecting metering and monitoring information – fundamental operational data such as how much water, fuel and energy the building and its individual systems is actually using. Benchmarking – critical to establish a baseline data on to measure overall building performance and improvements made as a result of the retrocommissioning process. Measurements could include: Electrical energy Gas Fuel oil Water BMCS trends (pinpoint weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual trends) Air and readings relating to the initial design specification and/or commissioning data in O&M manual. For this exercise, note down answers and information from the discussion. EXERCISE 7 Note from the discussion how to best capture and record baseline data?