John Kokko of MMM Group presents on Building Commissioning for the Toronto Sustainable Building Advisor program

1. BUILDING COMMISSIONING:
The Value of Commissioning
CaGBC Building Advisor Program
October, 2012
John Kokko, P.Eng., CCP, LEED AP
jkokko@enermodal.com
519-743-8777 x2424

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 What is building
commissioning
 What are the steps required by
LEED
 Why is it important
 What results can we expect

3. NEW BUILDING CX
LEED Credits
EAp1 – Fundamental Cx (Prerequisite)
 Deals mainly with construction and getting the building operating before
hand-over
EAc3 - Enhanced Cx (Credit)
 Deals with design and post occupancy operation

4. WHAT IS NEW BUILD COMMISSIONING
Definition:
To bring a new project or facility on line
?
?
?
Hands over a
building that gives the
owner what he paid for.

5. 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 and
corrected, and staff are extensively trained.
 A commissioned ship is one whose materials, systems, and staff have
successfully completed a thorough quality assurance process.
 Commissioned ship is one ready to sail safely and reliably

6. 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

7. BUILDING Cx = QC FOR CARS?
 Similar to a QC
process for cars
 Note similarities in:
 Work area
 Tools
 Assembly
techniques
 Workers’
responsibilities

8. WHY IS COMMISSIONING NEEDED
 Don’t the design and construction teams already
do 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

9. UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE
 Innovation moving extremely fast
 Innovative equipment and
systems are relatively unfamiliar
to designers, contractors,
operators and even
manufacturers agents
 Energy efficiency, integrated
systems, imported design
concepts and computerization
have multiplied levels of
complexity

10. WHAT IS INNOVATION
MULTIPLE MARRIED TECHNOLOGIES

11. ADDED COMPLICATIONS
 Radiant heating
 Radiant cooling
 Condensing boiler
 Water-side economizer
 Building automation systems

12. 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 ….

13. CONVENTIONAL COMMISSIONING
• Start-up and basic check out of equipment
• Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB)
• Begins after systems in and ready for
start-up
• Verify individual components function as
components
• Performed by installing contractor or
manufacturers rep

14. 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

15. 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

16. COMMISSIONING COMPARISON
TOTAL COMMISSIONING TRADITIONAL COMMISSIONING
Concept Design Reviews No Cx. Consultant self-checks.
Detailed Design Reviews No Cx. Consultant self-checks.
Shop Drawing Reviews No Cx. Dwgs & specs met only.
Site Installation Verification No Cx. Dwgs & specs met only.
Equipment Start-Up Verification Contractor or Manufacturer only. No
systems interoperability
Balancing Verification No Cx. Contractor self-checks.
Functional Performance Test No Cx. Contractor self-checks.
Documentation and Operator No Cx. Contractor self-checks.
Training Owner verifies acceptability.
Trending and Seasonal FPT Contractor seldom returns
Warranty and Occupant No Cx. Respond to complaints only.
concerns

17. 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

18. 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)

19. 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

20. COMMISSIONING PROCESS OVERVIEW

21. LEED Cx OUTLINE
Design and Construction Phases EAp1 – Fundamental Cx EAc3 – Enhanced Cx
Design Owner documents OPR Before 50% CD Owner designates
CxA
Construction Documents Designers incorporate Cx specs into CxA presents Cx Plan
Construction Docs
50% CD CxA conducts 50% design review
Post Contract Award Owner designates CxA CxA reviews shop drawings
CxA presents Cx Plan
Installation CxA performs/oversees installation
verification
Start-up CxA performs/oversees functional
testing
CxA reviews O&M Manuals
CxA oversees staff training
Substantial Completion CxA prepares Draft Final Report CxA prepares Systems Manual
Post Construction CxA performs/oversees defered
testing
Occupancy CxA delivers Final Report CxA provides Warranty and
occupant concerns review

22. 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

23. Cx DURING DESIGN
 Work with design team to define measurable energy and
indoor 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 and
objectives

24. 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 fans
ECM motors not incorporated
 20°F rather than 40°F design
temp drop design used
 Undersized piping and
ductwork

25. 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

26. 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 Cx
proceeds smoothly
 FM Staff?
Consultants
 Provide documentation as required for review
 Attend commissioning meetings as required

27. Cx MEMBERS & RESPONSIBILITIES
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
► Ensures contractors meet commissioning
requirements
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

28. 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

29. Cx DURING CONSTRUCTION
 Verify equipment installed per drawings and
specs, 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 personnel
adequate training to understand, operate and
maintain equipment

30. COMMON INSTALLATION ISSUES
 Coils piped backward
 Maintenance access not
provided
 Pumps with shaft oriented
improperly
 Thermostats located adjacent
to heating/cooling diffusers
 Insulation missing
 Sensors improperly located

31. COMMON FUNCTIONAL TESTING ISSUES
 Controls functions not
matching sequence
 VFDs do not modulate
 Outdoor damper minimum
position
 Control valve action reversed

32. 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

33. SYSTEMS MANUAL
 Final BoD
 System single line diagrams
 As-Built sequences, set-points, etc.
 System operating instructions
 Maintenance schedule
 Retesting schedule

34. Cx AFTER OCCUPANCY
 Follow trends on BAS to ensure ongoing operation
 Completion of deficiencies remaining after
construction
 Follow-up on warranty issues arising
 Follow up on occupant concerns during warranty
and first year occupancy
 Verify that issues are cleaned up by the end of
warranty

35. FINAL REPORT
 OPR
 Design and shops review summary
 Cx specifications
 IVC results
 FPT results
 O&M evaluation
 Value achieved through Cx
 Outstanding issues

36. MULTI-FUNTION AHU
DESIGN ISSUES
 Dehumidifying only
outdoor air reduces size of
equipment and increases
efficiency of equipment
 Using heat recovery to
reduce load on cooling coil
 Using indirect evaporative
cooler to increase HX eff’y
humidity carried outdoors

37. MULTI-FUNCTION AHU
 INSTALLATION ISSUES
 No radiation shield on sensor by flame
 No maintenance access to some
sensors
 Installation of single point sensor
where averaging required
 Reset button set tight and vibration
causing unit to cut out
 Overloads not set properly

38. BOILERS
DESIGN ISSUES
 No check valves would
required both boilers operate in
parallel
 Independent controllers would
not have been coordinated
 Primary only loop with DHW
would have required
continuous minimum 160F

39. BOILER
INSTALLATION ISSUES
 Water treatment eliminated by
aluminum boiler manufacturer. But
piping not protected
 OA reset not programmed
because tech believed it would not
save energy
 Control sensor located in single
boiler supply rather than common
header

40. RETIREMENT RESIDENCE
HVAC SYSTEM
 Ground loop coupled distributed heat pumps with
supplemental gas-fired heating.
 One AHU with heat recovery and HP htg/clg for fresh air
distribution 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

41. 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

42. RETIREMENT HOME Cont’d
 Dedicated DHW heaters
simplified boiler loop controls,
allowed summer shutdown
and allowed primary loop OA
reset and condensing
 Cascading different
temperature loops ensured
cold return water temps
 40°F temp rise drop reduced
pipe and pump sizing

43. AIR HANDLER
SHOP DRAWING REVIEW FINDINGS
1. 3 re-submittals of heat wheel shop drawings required
before a workable defrost strategy provided.
2. Shop drawing coil performance based on water while
system will used propylene glycol.
3. Coils have greater air-side and water-side pressure
drops than specified.
4. Controls sequences were carbon copy of engineer’s
general wording rather than converting to specifics that
can be programmed.
 Heat wheel, heating coil and cooling coils shall be
sequenced to provide energy efficient operation

44. 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

45. SERVICE and REPAIR BUILDING
HVAC System

46. 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 leaving
valve open and space overheating

47. SERVICE AND REPAIR BUILDING CASE STUDY
FUNCTIONAL TEST
 Storage room hot, office cool. Found crossed floor loops. Office
t’stat controlling floor heat in storage room. Loops not labelled
 Heat pump constantly tripping. Supplier blamed system but did not
measure any parameters. Cx measurements showed water flows
ok. Heat pump diagnostics finally found faulty TX valve and low
refrigerant.
 Controls are probably the single most important item in ensuring
successful system operation for comfort and energy savings.
 CC programmed system heating water temps lower than
specified because this works better
 Improperly programmed 24 hr moving average outdoor temp
caused the system to flip-flop between heating and cooling

48. REAL PERFORMANCE
What is the energy use of typical buildings?
800
700
600
Annual
Energy 500
400
ekWh/m2
300
200
100
0 All data (except GoG) from
NRCan Survey (CIBEUS, 2000).
All Bldgs C&I Accom Offices Offices GoG
(ON) (ON) (ON) (CAN)

49. RETIREMENT RESIDENCE A
Actual Performance
300
250
Annual
Energy
200
ekWh/m2
150
100
50 Simulated Floor Area = 5348 m2
Actual
0
Dec '04 (SL) Nov '05 (SL) Nov '05 (CBIP) Jul '06 (Review) Apr '07 to Mar '08

50. RETIREMENT RESIDENCE B
Actual Performance
250
200
Annual
Energy
ekWh/m2 150
100
50 Floor Area = 11702 m2
Simulated
Actual
0
Aug '04 (SL) Feb '06 (CBIP) Aug '06 (Review) Aug '07 to Feb '08

51. LABORATORY BUILDING
Actual Performance
500
Simulated
Actual
400
Annual
Energy
ekWh/m2 300
200
100
Floor Area = 9350 m2
0
Aug '04 (SL) Aug '06 (CBIP) Feb '07 (Review) Dec '07 to Feb '08 Mar to May '08

52. COMPARISON
Actual energy use compared to typical buildings
800
700
600
Annual
500
Energy
ekWh/m2 400
300
200
100
0
All Bldgs C&I Accom Offices Offices GoG VA
Building SSJ
Building KPHQ
Building TRCA
Building
(ON) (ON) (ON) (CAN) A B C D

53. MMM Group Limited
100 Commerce Valley Drive West
Thornhill, ON Canada L3T 0A1
t: 905.882.1100 | f: 905.882.0055
e: mmm@mmm.ca