Often times the process of commissioning can be an ambiguous event that can have a different meaning for the variety of players involved on the project (e.g., owner, design engineer, contractor, etc.) Developing a commissioning program and documenting it in a commissioning plan helps clear up a lot of that ambiguity in order for all contractors, the commissioning team, the design team and the owner to understand the requirements and determine the expectation level for the project. The commissioning plan ensures that everyone agrees that the project will operate in accordance with contract documents and approved scope of work. The commissioning plan will highlight important general project information (location, building type and the construction period), critical abbreviations and definitions, identifies which systems or components are being commissioned and also identifies the project team members involved (including their contact information). The commissioning plan intends to focus on the commissioning process throughout the various phases of a project: design phase, construction phase, acceptance phase and post acceptance.

­­­The Value of the BECx Design Review Process.

As with most things in the construction industry, it is always easier (and less expensive) to fix something on paper than to wait and have to remediate issues in the field. This is even more evident when dealing with Building Envelope systems, due to the nature of how the systems are untimely procured, developed and installed by the contractors involved. 

The name of the game when it comes to the development and realization of envelope components from the designer’s perspective is “defensible design”.  This is defined as - all details shown on the Contract Documents can be built to meet the design aesthetic set forth, but may be resolved in a variety of ways by the subcontractor performing the work. Given that the majority of systems being designed in an envelope are based on a performance specification, the ultimate final responsibility of the work is on the contractor performing the work.

Every project is different; all of the variables at play make for unique situations and dynamic experiences. The same can be said about specific pieces and parts of the project, including commissioning services. In commissioning, there are different players, different issues and different challenges. To help deal with dynamic projects and diverse scenarios, lessons learned can serve as powerful tools for helping to make the next project a success. With over 20 years of commissioning services, we put together a list of common pitfalls to successful commissioning, the cause of these pitfalls and ways to avoid them in the future.

by Nicholas Neiley, Senior Project Engineer

As we head into the shoulder heating season in the Northeast many facility operators struggle to maintain building comfort and system efficiency. The shoulder heating seasons typically extends from March through May and October through December. Temperature swings of 30-40F in a single day are not uncommon which place stress on facilities system’s ability to maintain comfort and efficiency through the wide range of outdoor conditions. This is also a perfect time to observe how efficiently your systems are at reacting to a wide range of conditions.

One of the greatest challenges in any facility is the transition between heating and cooling modes. This is a situation that often occurs daily during the should season as outdoor air temperature rise and fall. The first key to improving system efficiency is understanding how your system is intended to work. Review your buildings design and as-built documents to gain an understanding of the intent. Documents to review would include design intent/basis of design narratives, control sequences, one line diagrams, and systems manuals. 

John Lutz, Engineering Manager

Do you ever stop and think about how everyday technologies make our lives easier and make our world work? How does a cell phone allow me talk to my friends on the opposite side of the world? How does a plane that weighs over a hundred tons fly through the air and let us cross continents in a matter of hours? How can my microwave turn hard kernels of corn to crunchy pieces of popcorn? We can look all around us and see ideas in motion that serve a purpose; these ideas have one thing in common, engineering. Engineering principles and applications are at play in all human innovation.

In our world, it is very easy to take all these technologies and innovations for granted, if people don’t take the time to understand the engineering or the science behind them, the knowledge could be lost. Young people taking an interest in engineering and turning that interest into a thirst for knowledge is what propels our world forward.

For parents and adults, taking the time to share what you know and help inspire the young people in your life, could be the difference between making science and engineering something that is intimidating or something that becomes a passion.

For professionals or individuals in the engineering fields, take the time, reach out, and find a youth group or STEM program in your community and volunteer your time and experience. The task is simple, do not be daunted by wondering if you’re “expert enough” to teach others; a lifelong passion can be inspired by prompting a child to ask the simple question of “what if?”

LEED Version 4 has recently put the spotlight on Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx), in a good way. In the event your project is pursuing the credit associated with “Enhanced Commissioning”, you will be required to retain a BECx Agent, and quickly. BECx has been introduced to ensure the performance of the enclosure is coordinated with all related building systems, and to increase the overall energy efficiency of the building.

Some of the key factors associated with the new version are highlighted below:

• Minimum Requirements for Exterior Enclosure.
• Enhanced Commissioning Credit, BECx Agent during DD Phase.
• Enhanced Commissioning Credit, BECx Agent responsibilities throughout the project.
• Enhanced Commissioning Credit, Provide Post Occupancy Review and Support.

By: Robert Golda, Building Enclosure Associate

As building codes and energy codes continue to advance, especially as they are beginning to align with the latest versions of ASHRAE 90.1, the requirements for higher performing exterior envelopes is becoming the norm on many buildings across the country. 

With more stringent U-values, and much lower Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC) for fenestration systems, the cladding industry is quickly reacting by providing more high performance systems for the typical building stock. In addition, strong research into the effectiveness of air barriers, and the demonstrated cost savings when they are properly designed and installed, continues to highlight the importance of the building envelope and its roll in energy performance.

By: Christopher Duranceau, CCP, Project Engineer

With the summer temperatures gearing upwards, it is important for facility operators to be proactive with their building’s HVAC cooling systems. Most large HVAC systems rely on mechanical cooling. This could be a chilled water system or perhaps a closed loop direct expansion (DX) system. Each system presents its own unique set of maintenance requirements before being able to fully operate during the cooling season.

This article will quickly summarize the needs of a chilled water system and DX system.

By: Thomas Conn, Field Engineer, NYC Office

Introduction
Variable Refrigerant Flow, commonly referred to as VRF, is a method of heating and cooling spaces that is quickly gaining acceptance and popularity in the United States. Although VRF, which uses refrigerant in either a subcooled liquid or superheated vapor state to heat and cool spaces, was invented in Japan in 1982, it was only introduced to the United States in the 2000s. This “new” technology spread quickly across several large markets and is now a viable option for heating and cooling in almost any application.

What is VRF?
The concept of VRF is a rather simple, and literal, expansion of the tried and true refrigeration cycle. It should be explained by comparing it to a traditional chiller system first: instead of the evaporator being a heat exchanger where the refrigerant cools down water to be pumped through terminal units to cool a space, the refrigerant flows through coils inside an “Indoor Unit” which blows air taken from the conditioned space over the coils (which are acting as the evaporator), cooling the air and heating the refrigerant. The refrigerant travels back up to the “Outdoor Unit” to be pressurized by the compressor and reject heat to the atmosphere in the outdoor unit’s coils (this takes the place of a condenser in a traditional system)...