ARE 5871 - Commissioning

• Identify the benefits that the commissioning process brings to new construction and existing buildings as it pertains to HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and building enclosure
• Define the commissioning process and the roles that commissioning providers, design teams, contractors, facilities, and owner play in the commissioning process
• Facilitate a successful commissioning meeting
• Implement the commissioning process and the steps necessary to create a cohesive team environment and a successful project outcome
• Prepare construction verification forms from design documents, specifications, and equipment submittals
• Identify installation and implementation issues while on site
• Explain sequences of operation in a manner understood by the entire commissioning team. Identify areas of concern or confusion
• Develop functional test documents from existing sequences of operation and controls submittals
• Demonstrate proficiency with hand-held measuring devices and data loggers
• Analyze trend data from controls systems and data loggers to verify proper or improper operation of the control system; provide appropriate samples to communicate concerns; evaluate outcomes of functional testing and the next steps to take to move towards a properly functioning system
• Compose verbal and written communication to address all levels of personnel on the commissioning team, including potential shareholders, with class participation with practice and feedback

• General understanding of at least one of the following building systems:
  • HVAC
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Fire protection
  • Construction management (from a GC perspective)
  • Envelope/enclosure

• Introduction to commissioning, the role of the commissioning provider, the economics of commissioning, the benefits of commissioning, The Building Commissioning Association (BCA) Handbook, and ASHRAE Guideline 0
• Communication skills: verbal and written, use of words
• Participate in the process for creating an Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) document through a user group meeting session, discussing the tie to commissioning, and creating an OPR
• Review Basis of Design (BoD) documents, including a compare and contrast of BoDs to OPR
• Perform commissioning-based design reviews at various stages of design - schematic, design, construction phase documents
• Construction phase commissioning process, commissioning kick-off meeting, commissioning progress meetings, defining the commissioning team
• Creating and utilizing construction verification forms; understanding what commissioning is looking for during visits to site, creating a site visit report
• Life safety dampers: reviewing the installation and functional testing processes and tie in to fire alarm testing (2 lecture hours)
• Firestopping review
• Students will participate in a tour of a site TBD to see mechanical and electrical equipment in action and to understand from a commissioning perspective what is important to verify both during the installation process and functional testing processes
• Building enclosure commissioning process from the design phase through the construction phase and field testing
• Review electrical distribution and emergency power projects, including information gathered with one-line drawings; discuss implementation on site and commissioning testing strategies
• Review a designer’s sequence of operation; review a controls submittal; facilitate a controls page turn meeting
• Learn strategies for writing functional test documents for the control contractor to utilize for testing on site
• Trends: verify trends, capture trends, review trends, analyze and understand trends
• Tools: use of various handheld measuring devices and data loggers
• Students will participate in functional testing on site if possible or via remote access to the BAS to see mechanical and electrical equipment performing through various control strategies
• Reporting of test data in an effective manner
• Operations phase commissioning process
• Seasonal functional testing
• Recommissioning and retro-commissioning; understand how the commissioning team dynamics differ from a new construction commissioning process, communication, planning, and facilitating the commissioning process