Retrocommissioning
Retrocommissioning
When older buildings were originally built, energy efficiency and indoor air quality were not major concerns. Newer buildings may have had these goals in mind, but over time, schedules get altered, settings shift and building operations can quickly fall short of optimal.
Building commissioning is a quality assurance process. It verifies and documents that a building’s essential systems are functioning according to the project’s requirements. Often, however, buildings are not kept up to these standards. This creates the opportunity for retrocommissioning to realign current building function with how it was planned to be functioning. This may also create energy savings through reductions in air loss, temperature set points, and more.
Retrocommissioning may be a component in complying with building performance standards in these jurisdictions:
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Chula Vista, CA
- Boulder, CO
- Orlando, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Reno, NV
- Philadelphia, PA
- Austin, TX
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Seattle, WA
- Madison, WI
Whether retrocommissioning is required by a building performance standard, or not. It is an excellent best practice that should be done to bring your building back to the operating conditions it was meant to have. After your building has been retrocommissioned, it is important to continue with ongoing commissioning to ensure operations are running correctly. If this is not feasible, utilizing retrocommissioning on a periodic basis is vital to ensuring your building’s optimal operations.
Commissioning
Overview:
- A crucial process for new construction buildings. It begins with the predesign phase, where the scope and goals are outlined. The commissioning requirements are then integrated into the design phase. Multiple site visits throughout the construction process help verify that the standards are being met. Finally, after construction is complete a final functional test of all systems and training for operations and maintenance staff is conducted to ensure all systems are performing as intended into the future.
Benefits:
- Greater certainty in the quality and efficiency of newly constructed buildings
- Documentation and training for on site staff to ensure buildings continue to operate as designed
Retrocommissioning
Overview:
- Retrocommissioning is the process of analyzing building systems and correcting these shifts away from the standards of performance. The retrocommissioning study is performed to identify measures, implement adjustments, and bring performance back in line with the original expectations. Some jurisdictions may require retrocommissioning as a component of compliance with building performance standards.
Benefits:
- The building is brought back to the standards that it was designed to be operating within
- Depending on the direction and magnitude of the shifts, potential energy and cost savings may also be achieved