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Commissioning. Rob Pether B.E.( Mech ). The origin of the word comes from:- commission (n.)
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Commissioning Rob Pether B.E.(Mech)
The origin of the word comes from:- commission (n.) mid-14c., “authority entrusted to someone,” from Latin commissionem (nominative commissio) “delegation of business,” noun of action from past participle stem of committere. Meaning “body of persons charged with authority” is from late 15c. commission (v.) 1660s, from commission (n.). Related: Commissioned; commissioning. What is Commissioning?
authority (n.) early 13c., autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument," from Old French auctorité "authority, prestige, right, permission, dignity, gravity; the Scriptures" (12c.; Modern French autorité), from Latin auctoritatem (nominative auctoritas) "invention, advice, opinion, influence, command," from auctor "master, leader, author". Usually spelled with a -c- in English till 16c., when it was dropped in imitation of the French. Meaning "power to enforce obedience" is from late 14c.; meaning "people in authority" is from 1610s. Authorities "those in charge, those with police powers" is recorded from mid-19c. And the word Authority?
A leader that has been entrusted to ensure that the facility is fit for purpose So a Commissioning Authority is:
The ASHE Health Facility Commissioning Guidelines (HFCx Guidelines) defines “commissioning” as a process intended to assure that all building systems in a facility, including sustainable building technologies, are installed and perform in accordance with the design intent, that the design intent is consistent with the owner’s project requirements, and that operations and maintenance staff are adequately prepared to operate and maintain the completed facility. The LEED-New Construction (NC) Reference Guide states that “a commissioned building provides optimized energy efficiency, indoor air quality and occupant comfort” and goes on to say that “conventional commissioning has limited the focus to HVAC systems but that coordinating other building sustainable design systems in the commissioning process results in higher performance, sustainable buildings.” What is Health Facility Commissioning?
CIBSE – UK Based Scheme Focus is predominantly on the construction phase ASHRAE – USA Based Scheme Takes a more holistic view of the facility over the life of the project What Systems are there for Commissioning ?
Commissioning is: The advancement of an installation from the state of static completion to full working order to the specified requirements. It includes the setting to work of an installation, the regulation of the system, and the fine tuning of the system. What is Commissioning as per CIBSE?
Commissioning is: A quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated and maintained to meet the owner’s project requirements. What is Commissioning as per ASHRAE?
Estidama – Abu Dhabi Based (CIBSE Basis) IDP-R3 – Basic Commissioning (This is a mandatory credit) IDP-5: Re-Commissioning (This is an optional credit) LEED – USA Based (ASHRAE Basis) EA Prerequisite 1: “Funadmental Building Systems Commissioning” (This is a mandatory credit) EA Credit 3: “Additional Commissioning” (This is an optional credit) What Platforms Enforce Commissioning ?
Estidama – Currently Version 1.0 is applicable Version 2.0 has been issued as information only, but not yet enforced The guidelines are generic for all building types LEED – Currently LEED V4 Healthcare projects have been specifically addressed Specific Requirements
HVAC systems Controls Plumbing systems Electrical systems Interior lighting Exterior lighting Refrigeration What Systems should be Considered for Commissioning?
Building envelope Life safety systems HVAC systems Controls Plumbing systems Medical gas systems Electrical systems Fire alarm systems Information technology Fire protection system Interior lighting Exterior lighting Refrigeration Vertical transport Material handling What Systems should be Considered for Commissioning?
The short answer is that nobody is a specialist in everything. Normally the CxA has specific areas that they are well experienced in. For the areas that they are not experienced in they manage the process and specialists are brought in for the actual verification works to be undertaken. Does the CxA do all of these?
Building envelope Life safety systems HVAC systems Controls Plumbing systems Medical gas systems Electrical systems Fire alarm systems Information technology Fire protection system Interior lighting Exterior lighting Refrigeration Vertical transport Material handling So which areas need additional specialists?
Building envelopeLife safety systems Medical gas systems Fire alarm systems Fire protection system RefrigerationVertical transport Material handling This will differ between companies based on their specific strengths and specialties. Currently within EKO Engineering we utilize additional specialists for:
Commissioning is far more than testing and balancing. Testing and Balancing is one element of commissioning Commissioning is the process of ensuring that the facility operates in accordance with the design requirements (which hopefully match the client’s brief!) while minimising the energy consumption of the facility. It is a process that can be undertaken throughout the life cycle of the project/ facility. So Commissioning is Just Testing and Balancing isn’t it?
Documenting the owner’s goals and requirements Keeping the project team focused on the owner’s goals Identification and correction of problems as cost effectively as possible and as early as possible Reducing the overall costs for the owner Improve profitability by decreasing costs Commissioning is:
Determine what the owner REALLY wants Work with the design team to implement a Basis of Design (BOD) document and the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) document Develop a plan to implement the BOD and OPR into the construction documents Verify that the right systems are being installed Verify the operation of the systems Document the entire project And the Role of the Commissioning Authority (CxA) is to:
There are no rigid timeframes regarding the commencement of commissioning; however, if compliance with LEED or Estidama is required a CxA needs to be appointed during the design phase. Beyond this it is up to the discretion of the owner and a cost-benefit analysis should be undertaken to determine when to appoint the CxA. When Should Commissioning Start?
Design reviews help to resolve issues before the project moves to the construction phase. It is far cheaper to change ink on paper than to make a change during or after construction. For healthcare the design needs to manage the infection control risks associated with air and water. For air this involves maintaining pressure differentials. A commissioning design review considers how to maintain the facility in addition to whether the system can be commissioned effectively from a controls perspective. The Importance of Design Reviews
Building pressurization is incorrect. This results in wasted energy and infection control issues. Theatres have incorrect air balance, humidity and temperature control Incorrect operation of fuel oil systems leading to generator failure Incorrect sequencing and operation of generators leading to failure of critical equipment Incorrect load shed sequencing leading to failure of critical equipment The Top 10 Commissioning Issues in Hospitals
Cause and effect strategy for chiller plant/ boiler plant has not been developed Short cycling of HVAC equipment leading to premature equipment failure Incorrect installation and set up of sensors leading to incorrect control Incorrect balancing/ set up of isolation rooms Lack of training for building operators and/ or service contractors on complex systems The Top 10 Commissioning Issues in Hospitals
Other Issues Identified from CxA Review HEPA filter bank is only accessible in room Back to back wall mounted TV sets will result in air transfer through the wall (power receptacles, data points) thereby affecting the pressure differential Low Level Exhaust introduces lint to the system which will block HEPA filters after approx. 2 weeks of use Temperature sensors appear to be in close proximity to heat source and also subject to direct sunlight making control of the room problematic HEPA terminal outlets must be accessed in room. Filters will load at different rates and disrupt the air balance Doors appear too small to facilitate bed access. Larger doors will impact the pressure differential of the rooms. Large penetrations cannot be effectively sealed (site observation) thereby impacting pressure differential Splitter configuration will be difficult to balance thereby impacting on the pressure differentials in the rooms
There are a number of studies available regarding the cost of commissioning and associated pay back periods. As a rule of thumb commissioning will cost approximately 1% of the project value. Pay back periods in the USA are typically between 1 and 5 years for retrospective commissioning (depending on the energy savings that can be realized). But How Much Does Commissioning Cost?
But How Much Does Commissioning Cost? New Construction Retrospective Pay Back Period Building Commissioning, A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mills, E, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA 2009
Good commissioning forces good construction and thereby raises the bar as to what is acceptable. A Parting Thought….
Thank You Rob Pether rpether@ekoengineering.com +971.55.498.8686