HVAC commissioning promotes a quality assurance approach resulting in significant value to the owner. The specific benefits of the HVAC commissioning process include:
• Reduction of change orders and additional claims – In comprehensive HVAC Commissioning, the commissioning authority carries out reviews of the design and of contractor submittals as part of planning for commissioning. These reviews often identify potential problems that can be considered by the designer and result in revisions that avoid future change orders and claims.
• Fewer deficiencies at substantial completion – During construction, commissioning identifies incorrect or incomplete work early, allowing problems are corrected before substantial completion so the building will be fully operational at that time.
• When deficiencies do remain at substantial completion, commissioning ensures they are well documented and that responsibility for correction has been established.
• Fewer project delays – The detailed schedule and coordination information provided by the commissioning process allows contractors to schedule and sequence the required work efficiently. Problems are therefore identified and resolved with minimal delay, and the project stays on schedule.
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• Managed start –up procedures – Preparations for equipment and system start-up involve many interrelated contractor tasks. Commissioning focus on planning and coordination facilitates implementing those tasks more efficiently.
• Shorter building turnover transition period – When a building's HVAC systems operate as intended, and its O & M staff is properly trained, the building moves quickly to a fully operational status. The O & M staff can focus on keeping the systems operating properly, and not on modifying poorly performing systems to correct installation problems.
• Less post-occupancy corrective work – Functional performance tests, as part of the commissioning process, identify problems that a physical inspection cannot detect. Diagnosis is facilitated by the logical test protocols used in commissioning, and because contractors are still on-site, correction and re-testing occur quickly. As a result, fewer problems show up after occupancy, and any corrective work is minimized in cost and disruption.
• Minimized impact from design changes – Comprehensive commissioning identifies, early on, potential design problems, such a slack of access for commissioning or maintenance, provisions ( or lack thereof) for TAB work, and incomplete control sequence descriptions. Design revisions can be made on paper, and not in the form of physical changes on-site, greatly reducing their negative impact.
• Improved indoor air quality and occupant productivity – When HVAC system designs meet occupancy needs, and they are operated and maintained properly, good indoor air quality results. This includes good temperature and humidity control, correct outside airflows, good air distribution within the space, cleaner air, and reduced outdoor. Good indoor air quality contributes to satisfied occupants and improved productivity.
• Better operation, maintenance and reliability – Effective training ensures the O & M staff has the information and documentation needed to operate and maintenance (PM) program that results in maintaining efficiency, keeping systems clean, keeping accurate temperature control, reducing equipment failures, extending equipment life, and keeping good records.
• Lower energy and operations costs – HVAC systems typically use a substantial portion of a building's total energy consumption. Thus improved efficiency is an important and tangible benefit. An optimized PM program improves reliability and extends equipment life.
• Value-added construction quality – Commissioning produces a focus on schedule, sequence of work, coordination, and ensuring a quality for tenant-occupied buildings, and a favorable reputation as a good place to work or visit.
• Complete and useful documentation – The commissioning process produces valuable documentation throughout the project that has value in providing owners and O & M staff with relevant information. Examples are: the commissioning plan and final commissioning report (both including systems verification, start-up and functional performance test checklists), complete and usable O & M manuals, a videotape record of O & M training sessions.
• More knowledge O & M staff – Even the best building will encounter problems from time to time. The commissioning process emphasis on training and documentation should result in a more knowledgeable O & M staff, both initially and over time as personnel change. Thus, when problems do arise, the o & M staff is better equipped to diagnose and correct the problems themselves, or to understand when outside expertise is needed.
• Improved future designs – Feedback from additional design reviews and from documentation of on –site commissioning activities give planners and designers a broader perspective and knowledge of installation and commissioning issues needing design attention. This information can be applied to improve future designs.
• wner advocacy for design and construction decisions – As owners experience all the foregoing benefits of commissioning, they will have information that enables them to advocate its use more widely and to put greater emphasis on quality and value |
