Commissioning
​
​Commissioning is a 3rd party verification that your major building systems are working properly. This mostly applies to your mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, but can also include: fire alarm, access control, surveillance, and building envelope. It is an investigation and test of your building's performance for functionality, energy efficiency, reliability and maintainability.
​
These tests are done at the end of construction by a commissioning agent. For the same reason you perform 3rd party construction materials testing, you want an independent 3rd party to validate that all of your building systems are working how they are supposed to work. Let's say your HVAC system is not cooling or heating as efficiently as it is supposed to, that could drive up building utility costs. Or maybe not enough fresh outside air is being introduced to the interior of the building, making the air stale.
​
Typical commissioning services would include:
-
Review, comment and/or assist in development of the owner project requirements
-
Develop a commissioning plan.
-
Perform commissioning design reviews prior to the start of DDs, CDs and nearing the end of CDs.
-
Conduct up to thirty (30) commissioning meetings.
-
Prepare issues reports of observations, test results and problems.
-
Log issue reports and track each issue to resolution.
-
Develop project-specific functional performance test procedures.
-
Review up to 12 shop drawings and equipment submittals for compliance with project plans and specifications.
-
Perform up to four (4) construction observations, documenting deficiencies and recommendations.
-
Review contractor testing documentation.
-
Coordinate and schedule commissioning with the construction manager.
-
Observe and document functional testing performed by contractors.
-
Review Operations and Maintenance (O&M) submission.
-
Issue final commissioning report.
-
Perform warranty review of system operation.
​
In my experience, commissioning is not something that most developers usually pay for, especially on a cost conscious development. However, at minimum, you do want to check your HVAC system to ensure it is working properly. If it is not, your tenants will notice right away and be unhappy. Usually your mechanical engineer will put in the project specifications that the contractor has to "test & balance" the HVAC system. This test checks if the appropriate amount of cubic feet per minute of air, at specific temperatures, is coming out of each HVAC diffuser for a space/room. The mechanical engineer will review this T&B report, and if everything looks in order, you as an owner can have a good degree of confidence that your HVAC system in cooling, heating and ventilating properly.
​
Some building types, like medical procedure rooms, research and development facilities, and laboratories have exacting requirements of the MEP systems, so you would certainly want to perform commissioning for those types of development projects.
.