The benefits of commissioning and retrocommissioning

A decade ago, commissioning was still an obscure process linked to the activation of large machines. Professionals specialized in this area worked almost exclusively on the production lines of factories, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. In recent years, buildings have become more complex. By incorporating high-tech automation and interconnected systems, they provide greater levels of comfort, environmental quality and resource efficiency.

The skills of the design, installation and operation teams do not always keep up with the complexity of the technologies installed in the most modern buildings. This creates the so-called performance gap (in Portuguese “performance gap”), in which sustainable and certified buildings consume much more energy than they should. Aggregate studies suggest that, around the world, the gap represents an average consumption 37% higher in real and measured buildings than our models used to predict their performance, which share correct operation and serve to receive sustainability certificates. Projects such as CarbonBuzz investigate this, and show several reasons for the performance gap. Many of these are linked to installation quality, design defects and operational strategies in construction.

Building commissioning is a quality-based procedure that has developed rapidly in recent years as building owners have recognised the need to ensure the performance of their buildings. With the increase in the number of sustainable buildings and the need to demonstrate good operational performance (not just a sustainability certificate at the design stage), it is becoming an essential part of both new build and retrofit projects.

When to commission a building

A commissioning agent should be hired at the first stage of a new project, and act as a technical agent. The role of this professional is to ensure that the finished building meets the client’s requirements. This is done by keeping a copy of the initial requirements, recording the planned design strategies and reviewing the detailed design and construction phases to approve changes, identify non-conformities and help resolve problems. The commissioning agent must ensure that the necessary documentation is provided by the designers and installers so that the systems are properly programmed, shut down and decommissioned.

During the later stages of construction, projects often suffer from tight deadlines and cost overruns; the contractor and installation teams are eager to get off the job site. At this stage, it is essential that the commissioning agent is involved in the commissioning, programming and final evaluation of the equipment. The agent will perform performance tests on a sample of building systems before the client closes out the project.

At Mitsidi, we often encounter serious issues in the final stages of construction projects. Whether it is inadequately tested air conditioning systems, incorrectly zoned lighting or indirect filtered outdoor air systems, it is vital that these issues are rectified as quickly as possible so that they can be resolved without additional costs or delays.

Commissioning in Brazil

In Brazil, commissioning is heavily based on LEED certification requirements. Despite this, most of our work comes from owner-operators who are not seeking any certification. The goal is usually to ensure the operational performance of their buildings.

In many cases, our commissioning work has avoided the need for costly retrofits in newly constructed projects. By identifying these issues early, we can address them on site.

At Mitsidi, we view this as part of the integrated design process. We provide energy consultancy at the design stage and ensure performance throughout the commissioning process.

Conclusion

Commissioning is a financially driven decision. The energy consumed in a building is one of the largest operating expenses. Any building that fails to meet environmental quality standards will severely limit the productivity of its occupants. Furthermore, it may result in fines.

It is easy and cheap to make a building more efficient and sustainable with small changes at the construction and design stages. This, however, becomes much more expensive in other future phases