Building Monitoring Based Commissioning

Humann Building Solutions has long been an advocate of Monitoring Based Commissioning and obviously continues the long term premium provider of these services for LEED and other project types.

Our Principal Daniel A. Huard, LEED Fellow, PMP, ASHRAE CPMP shares in Keynotes and Professional Workshop session “You cannot control what you do not measure and monitor; our implementations of these Best Practices affirm these facts”.

Our team follows processes acknowledged by ASHRAE and as well other Green Building Rating Systems requirements globally.

Typically Monitoring Based Commissioning is a path that we recommend following for a process termed “Ongoing or Continuous Commissioning” in these instances the operable systems continue to share measured data and as well help with validating trending of operable systems inputs, outputs, resource consumption as well as tracking waste.  

Within the sphere of LEED or other Green Building Certification paths we as well recommend this option since the return on investment (RIO) far exceeds the initial expenses. Typically during Green Building Certifications like Living Building Challenge, WELL, Green Globes, LEED an others, we as well recommend this protocol to owners and operators to bring additional rigor to the operational processes. Our long term evaluation as well validates that ongoing monitoring as part of overall Continuous Commissioning as well brings a greater level of assurance to the operators and more complete alignment with Owners desires for predictability as well as advancing project’s sequence of operations effectiveness, indoor environmental quality, and durability thus saving monies as well as energy and water resources as positive outcomes. 

As a LEED Certification example at a minimum we undertake and complete commissioning process activities required for LEED Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite -Fundamental Commissioning and Verification. We then undertake as directed LEED Certification Option 1. Enhanced Systems Commissioning – Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning

Our team including Accredited ASHRAE Professionals aid and guide the LEED Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning with required commissioning process (Cx) activities and documentation for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies in accordance with the most current ASHRAE Guidelines for operable systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Within our Monitoring Based Commissioning Agreements we include all appropriate additional references to enhanced commissioning tasks in the Owners Project Requirements (OPR) and Basis of Design (BOD) project contract documents. We as well at a minimum, include the LEED Certification required compliance activities to achieve LEED Fundamental Commissioning Path 1; then further develop project specific monitoring-based procedures and identify points to be measured and evaluated to assess performance of energy- and water-consuming systems.

We include these project specific procedures and measurement points in the project’s commissioning plan which addresses the following:

  • roles and responsibilities;
  • measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access);
  • the points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring;
  • the limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values);
  • the elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles;
  • an action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies;
  • training to prevent errors;
  • planning for repairs needed to maintain performance; 
  • and, the frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly).

As an ongoing effort we start regular interval updates to the systems manual(s) and Sequence(s) of Operations (SEO) with any modifications or new settings; We detail the rationale and purpose for any modifications from the original design such that the Systems Operators have benchmarks, basis points and transition points for their ongoing trending and improvements.