Does your design really deliver the design?
Failure to verify that you are receiving what you specified is costing our industry millions
Oh to be 16 again, the world is about to be yours and now that you have your license, all you need is to go put some money down on that shiny car that you have been eyeing on that car lot. No need to have it inspected, I mean it’s not new, but it’s pretty and you are going to look great behind the wheel. Not that you know the previous owner, but how could they not take immaculate care of that beauty. Just sign the dotted line, put down that down payment and she runs like a dream. Well at least for the first tank of gas, but then there is some kind of sound and the engine doesn’t sound quite as clean and powerful as it did before you brought it home, with all sales are final terms. If we had only taken the time to make sure everything was working before we signed the dotted line.
If you have not personally been there, chances are you know someone who has. We get blinded, we are on a schedule, we are negotiating on price, and you have a good feeling about it. Add a few more zero’s to the price tag and surprisingly our due diligence does not get remarkably sharper, especially when it comes to buildings. Sure, we might check a few more title documents, perhaps run some financials, but when it comes to topping out that shiny new multi-family property, we tend to skip steps that can cost us in the long run in terms of both financial and environmental performance.
Specifically, we tend to skip or use a very abbreviated version of the process that is commissioning. Sure, you likely have a new construction punch list, you likely are holding your subcontractors accountable to demonstrate equipment startup, you might even include testing, balancing, and adjusting prior to final punch out - but this is not a full commissioning process.
A commissioning process should extend well beyond the normal design and construction process and requirements. A trained Commissioning Agent will put your building through an extensive set of tests to see just how it will work under normal operating conditions. These tests will detect any faults or problems before the owner takes possession and occupies the building. The Commissioning Agent’s tasks should include the development of customized building system operational manuals and preventive maintenance plans and include completing extensive operator training, details on how to monitor energy usage, and a thorough understanding of system performance.
While the term commissioning is typically used to refer to a systematic process of proactively verifying that building systems are designed, installed, thoroughly tested, and capable of being operated and maintained to perform as intended and as the owner expects and believes, it goes well beyond this. Commissioning is getting what you are paying for, and can include optimized energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and occupant comfort, as well as a foundation for minimal operation and maintenance costs.
Without a proper commissioning process, I have observed brand new buildings require retrocommissions of systems that are less than a year old. I have seen enthalpy wheels remain in their shipping containers, never installed, and yet the equipment programmed on the building automation system and showing to be functioning. While an extreme example, it is a good illustration of why you need to have independent commissioning of major mechanical systems completed, prior to closing out construction documents.
On most building projects the responsibility for the installation and functionality of building equipment is divided amongst many contractors and sub-contractors. Each one is focused solely on their portion of the project and only conducts testing on the equipment for which they are directly responsible.
Yet, this is not how buildings actually operate, equipment works in an integrated manner to provide the designed energy consumption, indoor air quality, and occupant comfort. While we may like to think that the already significant financial investment being made guarantees we will receive a well-designed and functional building, chances are corners will have been cut and the operational performance of the building will show it as a result.
According to Berkley National Laboratory, on average the operating costs of a commissioned building range from 8-20% below that of a non-commissioned building. While there is an expense involved with including a commissioning agent as part of the design or retrocommission process, time and time again the payback for taking this additional step continues to demonstrate exceptional return on investment.
According to 2018 data, from Berkley National Laboratory, “The median normalized cost to deliver commissioning was $0.30/ft2 for existing buildings and $1.16/ft2 for new construction (or 0.4% of the overall construction cost). The commissioning projects for which data are available revealed over 10,000 energy-related problems, resulting in 16% median whole-building energy savings in existing buildings and 13% in new construction, with a payback time of 1.1 years and 4.2 years, respectively. In terms of other cost-benefit indicators, median benefit-cost ratios of 4.5 and 1.1, and cash-on-cash returns of 91% and 23% were attained for existing and new buildings, respectively. High-tech buildings were particularly cost-effective and saved higher amounts of energy due to their energy-intensiveness. Projects with a comprehensive approach to commissioning attained nearly twice the overall median level of savings and five-times the savings of the least-thorough projects.” (Full study results here)
The concept of commissioning is one part of a larger, strategy of reducing the impact of your built portfolio on the world around us. We often take a great deal of time to design an efficient design, yet when we fail to ensure that the installation of that design performs or the design and meets the expectations of the design, we immediately begin losing efficiency. Yet, while we seem to be comfortable using lawyers and accountants to help us navigate the tax laws around our properties when it comes to navigating the complicated process of designing, building, and operating buildings properly we seem content on verifying the operation of these complicated mechanical systems without the benefit of a dedicated specialist.
The bottom line, if you are not commissioning you do not know if you are getting what you are paying for, and statistically speaking you likely are not. You have likely spent a great deal of time and funding into designing a project that you are anticipating will perform per the pro forma. Does it not make sense to include in that design verification that what you are receiving is what you are specifying?
You can help reduce the impact of the built environment by sharing this blog with your peers. Together we can impact the 39% of greenhouse gasses attributed to the built environment. It starts with awareness and we succeed with teamwork.
Stay well!
Chris Laughman is the ThirtyNine Blog author, a blog dedicated to reducing the impact of the built environment. When not blogging, Chris is helping the real estate industry reduce energy and water impact as the Vice President of Sustainability for Conservice, the Utility Experts. Whether Multifamily, Single Family, Student Housing, Commercial, or Military, we simplify utility billing and expense management by doing it for you. Our insight into your utility consumption provides an opportunity to identify risks. Leveraging innovation and experience we ignite solutions with real impacts and track performance to ensure the trendline stays laser-focused on the goal. At Conservice we have developed a true bill-to-boardroom solution to help truly make a difference. We have before us a tremendous opportunity. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we will get this done. Contact me at claughman@conservice.com for more information.
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