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Commissioning for LEED^® Certification

Building commissioning is a systematic process that documents that systems are designed, installed and operate in accordance with the owners project requirements. The commissioning process is accomplished with a thorough review of the design documents. The key elements of proving sequence of operations and performance are inspecting equipment during installations and testing systems when the individual components are ready.

With the largest staff of Certified Commissioning Professionals from the Building Commissioning Association, HEA performs commissioning functions from the perspective of an equipment and systems operator, yielding long-term success in terms of reduced utility and maintenance costs and a lower environmental impact from the facility. Commissioning integrates design, construction and operations to facilitate "big picture" project success, controlling conditions that are often underserved in the typical design and construction process. This enhances the quality of the project, which is reflected by improved energy efficiency, sufficient access to equipment, better operational characteristics and improved training of personnel.

While commissioning can be implemented at any time during the project duration, the commissioning provider's involvement from planning and design through building occupancy has proven to yield the greatest benefits. Commissioning results is a building that meets or exceeds performance criteria – with equipment, systems and a trained staff that realize your full expectations.

“Commissioning is arguably the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs and greenhouse gas emissions in building today,” stated Evan Mills, Ph.D. of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In an updated 2009 cost-benefit analysis on building commissioning, Mills key findings include:

• Potential savings of $30 billion in annual energy costs and reduction of carbon emissions by 340 megatons/year.
  
  
• Projects with a comprehensive approach to commissioning attained nearly double the median level of savings and five-times the savings of the least-thorough projects.
  
  
• Non-energy benefits include improved worker comfort, mitigation of indoor air quality problems, increased competency of in-house staff, reduced amount of change orders and first-cost savings (e.g.: right-sizing of equipment).

Learn more by reading an article on Cx 101 (pdf).