CI 2009 EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning of Building Energy Systems

  • CI EAp1 and EAc3 Cx Action Steps Diagram
  • Commissioning: it's an investment

    You may think of commissioning, including hiring a commissioning agent, as an added cost—and it is. It’s likely to reduce your operational costs, however, by yielding 5%–10% improvements in energy efficiency and ensuring that facilities personnel know how to operate key building systems. It’s also a great way to catch mistakes like missing or incorrectly installed equipment, avoiding occupant complaints and callbacks, indoor air quality and thermal comfort problems, premature equipment failure, and litigation.

    Commissioning (Cx1. Commissioning (Cx) is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned,...

Step-by-step credit help

Got the gist of the LEED credit but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Members get:

  • Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
  • Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
  • Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
  • Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
  • All checklists organized by project phase.
  • On-the-fly suggestions on useful items from the Documentation Toolkit, Resources, and Credit Language.


  • Credit language straight from USGBC

    Need to check up on the exact LEED credit language from the LEED Rating System on the fly? LEEDuser includes the verbatim language. Members get:

    • Easy access to the official LEED credit language with just a couple of clicks.
    • On the jobsite without your bulky LEED Reference Guide? Check up on the credit language details here.
    • Credit language content is used by permission of the U.S. Green Building Council.


Your credit-by-credit reference library

Why waste time chasing down referenced standards and supporting resources when LEEDuser links you directly to the ones you need? LEEDuser has gathered all the best tools out there and organized them by credit for easy reference. Members get links to:

  • Organizations that can give information or help on a credit.
  • Standards or studies that are key reference points for credits and prerequisites.
  • Articles that help explain important topics.
  • Key documents or references for credit inputs.
  • Software tools you can use to run calculations or simulations.


Documentation Toolkit

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.


39 Comments

0
0
Matthew VanSweden Sustainability Coordinator Integrated Architecture
Sep 27 2011
Member
200 Thumbs Up

What are my options

Say, strictly hypothetically of course, that I have a CI project that is complete with minimal HVAC systems in it's scope. Commissioning was never completed nor was a commissioning plan included in the construction drawings. As fundamental commissioning is a prerequisite, I assume I can not get LEED CI certification. Is this true? We are not "in construction," the tenant has been moved in for about a year. If so, I was thinking that, considering this hypothetical client has been expecting LEED certification, we could offer LEED EB:OM but I see in the intro it says "It [LEED EB:OM] is a whole-building rating system; individual tenant spaces are ineligible."

My question: What are my options? Is there an another applicable LEED rating system?

1
2
0
Nadav Malin USGBC LEED Faculty, President, BuildingGreen, Inc. Oct 12 2011 Moderator

I suspect that you're out of luck. However, you could try this angle with the reviewers: The point of requiring Cx1. Commissioning (Cx) is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements. 2. The process of checking the performance of a building against the owner's goals during design, construction, and occupancy. At a minimum, mechanical and electrical equipment are tested, although much more extensive testing may also be included. in the bid docs to ensure that it will happen. If, instead, you go ahead and do the Cx now and submit the actual Cx report, maybe they'll overlook the fact that it wasn't in the docs? Even if the LEED cert doesn't come through, at least your client will have Commissioned systems...

2
2
0
Matthew VanSweden Sustainability Coordinator, Integrated Architecture Oct 12 2011 Member 200 Thumbs Up

Thanks Nadav, I suspect this will be the thoughts of the GBCI as well. I formally submitted a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide on this issue so we'll see. The angle I took was to honestly lay out the projects lack of commissioning and ask if the project team followed the LEED EB:OM commissioning requirements for EAp1 and EAc2.1 we could satisfy the intent of this credit. Again, I doubt this will be an acceptable strategy but I'll be sure to check back in.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Monu Goyal Environmental Engineer Metadesign Architects Pvt. Ltd.
Aug 25 2011
Guest
59 Thumbs Up

Commissioning for LEED-CI

We are going to commission our interior space to get certify with LEED-CI. My query is that owner has designed VAVVariable Air Volume (VAV) is an HVAC conservation feature that supplies varying quantities of conditioned (heated or cooled) air to different parts of a building according to the heating and cooling needs of those specific areas. boxes in tenant space to control manually and base building developer has provided VFDs in AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork. to control air based on the return air temperature of AHU. So there is no static pressure control also base building developer can control VFDs by BMS system. I want to know with can be meet requirements of USGBC and complete our commissioning. Because in our interior space we have manual control only.

1
1
0
Tristan Roberts Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 19 2011 Moderator

Monu, I may be missing something but I am not sure what the question is in terms of commissioning. At least in terms of this credit, I think you simply need to commission the system you have—whatever it is.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Harvard GBS
Aug 03 2011
Member
35 Thumbs Up

Cx for Domestic HW to Point of Connection - Sink only

We have a project where a sink was added as part of the scope and tied into existing cold and HW supply lines, with no alteration to any other part of the domestic HW system. The GBCI review team has asked that we commission this up to the point of connection (i.e. commission the sink).

Our thought is that an appropriate scope for this would be to simply ensure that the flow rate of the sink is in line with specifications (i.e. the OPR and BODBasis of design (BOD) includes design information necessary to accomplish the owner's project requirements, including system descriptions, indoor environmental quality criteria, design assumptions, and references to applicable codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines.), visually inspect for leaks, and ensure that hot water comes out of the tap when turned on. Is this a reasonable scope, or is there something else that would be needed? Anyone else with similar requests?

1
3
0
Jan Wei Director of Commissioning & Critical System, Edwards & Zuck Aug 03 2011 Guest 250 Thumbs Up

I believe your scope description is consist with the intent of the commissioning.

2
3
0
Scott Bowman Principal, KJWW Engineering Consultants Aug 03 2011 Member 658 Thumbs Up

I agree, your scope seems reasonable. We have not had this kind of request before. Definately we have commissioned hot water systems and instantaneous heaters, that kind of thing, but not just a sink.

3
3
0
John Albrecht Senior Sustainability Specialist, Sieben Energy Assoc Aug 03 2011 Member 744 Thumbs Up

It seems you could also compare the hot water temperarure at the sink to the design HWHeater supply temperature. If there's a significant delta up or down, more investigation is warranted. The cold water temp could also be read to see the difference between City supply water temperature. The same comparison could be done for water pressures. If, instead of a campus with one owner, this were a commmercial space with a lease and landlord, the tenant should make water temperatue and pressure issues known sooner than later.

This basic verification seems more about standard punchlist activity than LEED Cxg, and hopefully the MEP has already verified the above (along with leaks and water hammer) separate from the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements.. If so, maybe include that page of the project punchlist in the Cxg response to the reviewer also. Where is the line between LEED Cxg report and the MEP Punchlst?

Do the MEP and CxA share their findings (punchlist and csummary xg report) normally? Thanks for the feedack.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Seung Shin Na Interior Architect N&Associates
Jun 28 2011
Member
128 Thumbs Up

Commissioning Budget

Still I don't have many experiences on LEED project so it is hard to guess the range of commissioning cost.
Normally how much do you consider and or estimate for commissioning/enhanced commissioning?
Give me some advices based on your project experiences. Thanks!:)

1
1
0
Scott Bowman Principal, KJWW Engineering Consultants Jun 29 2011 Member 658 Thumbs Up

I hate to be vague, but the answer is really "it depends". Each project is very unique, and while there are some baseline costs that every Cx1. Commissioning (Cx) is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements. 2. The process of checking the performance of a building against the owner's goals during design, construction, and occupancy. At a minimum, mechanical and electrical equipment are tested, although much more extensive testing may also be included. project requires, the major item is time on site doing Functional Performance TestingThe process of determining the ability of the commissioned systems to perform in accordance with the owner's project requirements, basis of design (BOD), and construction documents.. So, the amount of equiipment, the type of equipment, the desired statistical testing, fundamental only, enhanced too, etc all factor into the cost.

CI is somewhat unique in that the amount of equipment that is under control of the tennant is highly variable as well, which greatly affects the scope.

My recommendation is to talk with a Cx provider in your area and describe the project or types of projects you do to get an idea of what should be budgeted. In our CI projects, their is no real trend, we have projects that were $0.50/sf to $1.50/sf. It really "depends" on the project!

Log In to Reply
0
0
Andrew Laing Vice President Cassidy Turley
Apr 26 2011
Member
16 Thumbs Up

Define "Owner" on a CI Project

Is the "Owner" the building owner/manager, or the tenant on CI project, assuming it is a multi-tenant building where the tenant and owner are not the same...?

1
1
0
John Albrecht Senior Sustainability Specialist, Sieben Energy Assoc Jun 01 2011 Member 744 Thumbs Up

Andrew, for a current LEED-CI v2009 project, I got this feedback from GBCI: "The Project Information forms in LEED-CI v2009 are referring to the Project "Owner" (i.e. the Tenant in my case), unless noted otherwise, and the Project Owner is also the person who should sign the LEED agreement(s)."
Does this help clarify?

Log In to Reply
0
0
Michelle Bracewell-Musson Owner Musson General Contracting/Green Expectations Sustainability Solutions
Mar 02 2011
Member
221 Thumbs Up

Achieve LEED CI Without any Mech. or Plumb. Changes?

I have been asked to bid a LEED CI project where there will only be flooring, wall relocation, and added ceiling tiles to 7,000 feet of a 50,000 foot office space. There will be no plumbing relocation or additions. There will be no HVAC, however, some of the ductwork may be relocated. How do I meet the minimun requirements or prerequisites? Can the project be exempt from these requirments if they are not part of the project scope? How do I do this? Would Commissioning be exempt?

1
2
0
David Hubka GROUP Leader, E3 GROUP Mar 03 2011 Guest Expert 1388 Thumbs Up

I would expect the LEED project reviewer would still require you to meet the six items of the Owner's Project Requirements. (see page #124 of the LEED CI reference guide)

The LEED online template allows you to check "Included" "Partial" or "N/A" for each of the MEP systems that require commissioning. If every item is checked as "N/A" you would most likely check the special circumstances box and include a narrative describing your project scope.

Hope this helps.

2
2
0
Michelle Halle Stern Director, Sustainable Design Services, HDR Apr 26 2011 Guest 541 Thumbs Up

You can however claim exemption from the Water prerequisite if plumbing isn't in the scope

Log In to Reply
0
0
Judy Peterson Sr. Associate - NW Interior Design Heery International
Feb 16 2011
Guest
151 Thumbs Up

Latest a CxA can be brought into project

My client was late in committing to LEED for an interior renovation, so is this prerequisite achievable if commissioning was not incorporated into the project until the construction phase? Also, can a Cx1. Commissioning (Cx) is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements. 2. The process of checking the performance of a building against the owner's goals during design, construction, and occupancy. At a minimum, mechanical and electrical equipment are tested, although much more extensive testing may also be included. be brought into a project during the bidding phase thru completion and still qualify for this prerequisite?

1
1
0
Jan Wei Director of Commissioning & Critical System, Edwards & Zuck Feb 19 2011 Guest 250 Thumbs Up

The practical situation is that the GCBI is a little lenient on the timing of this prerequisite credit. Usually they are willing to accept this prerequisite under certain conditions 1) The project needs to be early in the construction phase (preferably during submittal review process). So the commissioning requirements and any recommendations from the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. can be incorporated into the project. 2) The client and the project team needs to incorporate the commissioning requirements into the project specification (usually done as an addendum or bulletin), and implement the commissioning plan. Keep in mind that this typically is a change order to the client for the contractors to participate and implement commissioning effort. 3) The client and the project team needs to put together an Owner's Project Requirement, and Basis of Design (BoDBasis of design (BOD) includes design information necessary to accomplish the owner's project requirements, including system descriptions, indoor environmental quality criteria, design assumptions, and references to applicable codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines.) to be review and commented by the CxA. The owner and the project team needs to be willing to review CxA's comments and incorporate any changes that make would improve the operation and maintenance of the systems to be commissioned.

Log In to Reply
0
0
James Del Monaco Mechanical Engineer, PE P2S Engineering, Inc.
Oct 05 2010
Member
249 Thumbs Up

Systems to be Commissioned for CI Project?

I have a CI project which includes the following scope of work: Our project occupies 2 floors of an 8-story office building. There are two central rooftop VAVVariable Air Volume (VAV) is an HVAC conservation feature that supplies varying quantities of conditioned (heated or cooled) air to different parts of a building according to the heating and cooling needs of those specific areas. AHUs which serve all 8 stories. There is a main supply and return riser which taps off onto each floor. The actual scope for the tenant space will be the demolition and renovation of existing ductwork on only our two floors. We will be revising rezoning and laying out new VAV locations with hot water reheat coils.

In the Bird's Eye View narrative above it states "On Commercial Interiors projects, commissioning is required for all systems and equipment installed as part of the tenant’s project scope. This may include, for example, pumps from base building distribution systems, sub-metering equipment, controls, and air handlers"

Per the comment above by Chris Ladner, he states that "The commissioning requirements for LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors apply to the "Tenant space" that is within the LEED project boundary. This means that commissioning of central systems installed in association with the core & shell portion of the project that are outside the "Tenant space" are not required to be part of the CI commissioning scope.

Both of these items seem to contradict each other which is correct?

Although the air handlers are not located in the tenant space are they still required to be commissioned? We also have air-cooled chillers and their associated pumps which supply chilled water to the AHUs. Do these need to be commissioned? We then have a HHW boiler and associated pumps which pump HHW via a main building riser and a piping loop on each floor to the reheat coils at the VAV box. Would these need to be commissioned? Do just the control vales need to commissioned? Do the pumps need to be commissioned? Or control vales, pumps and boilers? For rooftop exhaust fans which serve all floors and provide general exhaust to our floor (in addition to all others), does this need to be commissioned? The definition of scope is not clearly defined in any of the LEED reference guides or literature. One could argue that all of these systems contribute in someway to the HVAC in our space and would need to be commissioned.

Thanks.

1
2
0
Jan Wei Director of Commissioning & Critical System, Edwards & Zuck Oct 05 2010 Guest 250 Thumbs Up

James,

The Bird's Eye View narrative is a broad description of the commissioning requirements. The reason for the description is due to various tenant fit-out projects and leased agreements, and the amount of control a tenant has on the base building system.

Keep in mind that most of the tenants do not have access or control to the base building system.

Most of the CI projects only involve adding few new equipments and relocating existing equipments, very few projects involve installation of new an entire independent HVAC systems (AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork., chillers, boilers, pumps, etc).

So LEED only requires CI project to commission the equipments under the tenant's project scope. Thurs the based building equipments and Core & Shell equipments do not apply.

So, based on your description of your project only the VAVs and asscoated control should included under the commissioning scope. But every good commissioning engineer has to consider and evaluate if tenant's HVAC system is compatible to the existing system layout, e.g., Does the existing AHU have VFDA variable frequency drive (VFD) is a device for for controlling the speed of a motor by controlling the frequency of the electrical power supplied to it. VFDs may be used to improve the efficiency of mechanical systems as well as comfort, because they use only as much power as needed, and can be adjusted continuously. and duct static pressure control? How the tenant's equipment control is being integrated with the base builiding BMS (Building Management System)?

Also, do not forget that LEED requires the CI project to commission the HVAC system, lighting system, domestic HW system and any renewable system.

2
2
0
James Del Monaco Mechanical Engineer, PE, P2S Engineering, Inc. Oct 06 2010 Member 249 Thumbs Up

Thanks Jan. Based on your analysis, i would agree that only the VAVs and associated controls should be included under the commissioning scope as far as HVAC goes. The AHUs, chillers, etc are all part of the base-building system and we do not necessarily have access to them. That equipment is maintained and controlled by the base building facilities staff.

I am also aware that DHWDomestic hot water (DHW) is water used for food preparation, cleaning and sanitation and personal hygiene, but not heating., lighting and renewable systems would be included. Those systems would fall under a similar evaluation as to what is base building and what is tenant scope.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Augusto Velazquez aceava
Sep 19 2010
Member
107 Thumbs Up

Commissioning Agent

I am looking for assistance in determining if I qualify as a commissioning agent. I have performed commissioning in many pharmaceutical projects throughout my career however none using LEED guidelines. Can I qualify as a CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. for a LEED project with documentation of prior commissioning jobs (that are not LEED)?

thanks,

1
2
0
Tristan Roberts Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Sep 22 2010 Moderator

The LEED requirements don't specifically call for experience on LEED projects, so I would say you're good to go.

2
2
0
Jan Wei Director of Commissioning & Critical System, Edwards & Zuck Oct 05 2010 Guest 250 Thumbs Up

It depends on the project that you are going to work on. I believe LEED requires at least 2 similar project experiences in order to qualify to be a CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements.. Commissioning experience in pharmaceutical (or validation) might not qualify you to commissioning a commerical building due to differences in equipments and systems. Unless during your past experience you have encounter similar equipment and system type.

Log In to Reply
0
0
TINGXI WANG
Aug 04 2010
Guest
62 Thumbs Up

CxA from owner

in my project, the owner designate its company's enginer as the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements.. Is that OK?

1
8
0
Tristan Roberts Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Aug 16 2010 Moderator

Yes, as long as they are not a member of the design and construction team.

2
8
0
Steve Khouw Principal, DNA GreenDesign Aug 19 2010 Member 421 Thumbs Up

...and the project is not more than 50,000 square feet. Otherwise an independent CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. is required.

3
8
0
John Albrecht Senior Sustainability Specialist, Sieben Energy Assoc Aug 28 2010 Member 744 Thumbs Up

Doesn't the building engineerA qualified engineering professional with relevant and sufficient expertise who oversees and is responsible for the operation and maintenance of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the project building. also have to meet the LEED requirement of experience on 2 projects as the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements.?

4
8
0
Tristan Roberts Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Aug 29 2010 Moderator

Yes. I didn't mean to exclude these additional requirements in my original response. I was simply trying to speak to the issue of whether the person can be on the owner's staff.

5
8
0
Omer Moltay Sep 20 2010 Member 867 Thumbs Up

Regarding Steve Khouw's message:

p.221 Table 2 of the LEED Reference Guide clearly states that "Owner employee or staff" can be the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. regardless of the square feet of the building.

Also in the text, both for the cases "larger than 50,000 sq.ft." and "smaller than 50,000 sq.ft." , the CxA can be "a qualified staff member of the owner".

Please correct me if I am wrong.

6
8
0
Tristan Roberts Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Sep 28 2010 Moderator

Yes, in any situation it  can be a qualified staff person for the owner.

7
8
0
Jan Wei Director of Commissioning & Critical System, Edwards & Zuck Oct 05 2010 Guest 250 Thumbs Up

The responsibility of the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. is to verify the Owner's Project Requirements is being implemented throughout all the project phases. In another word, verifying owner's interest is being protected. So if the CxA is from the owner's side or an independent firm of the design or construction team (conflict of interest) would qualify.

8
8
0
Scott Bowman Principal, KJWW Engineering Consultants Mar 03 2011 Member 658 Thumbs Up

As far as I know, if someone on the owners staff has the experiance and requisite projects, they can be the fundamental and enhanced commissioning agent. As long as they comply with all the requirements for the review and implementation.

I served that function for our office expansion which gained LEED Silver a couple of years ago, and we got both EAp1 and EAc3.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Chris Ladner Partner Viridian
Feb 15 2010
Guest Expert
696 Thumbs Up

Fundamental/Enhanced Commissioning Scope

The commissioning requirements for LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors apply to the "Tenant space" that is within the LEED project boundary. This means that commissioning of central systems installed in association with the core & shell portion of the project that are outside the "Tenant space" are not required to be part of the CI commissioning scope. Please note that since the original systems were probably installed without the terminal systems included, the air and water systems as well as the building control systems may not be configured correctly to support the new systems. Ensure that your test and balance provider, building controls provider, as well as your CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. are aware of the original setup of the core & shell systems. The CxA should not be required to repeat the commissioning on the existing systems.

Log In to Reply
0
0
Barron Dean Vice President B&A Consulting Engineers
Feb 15 2010
Member
34 Thumbs Up

Fundamental/ Enhanced Commissioning Scope

We are currently designing the tenant fit-out for a Core and Shell building that has just recently been Certified as Gold and all Energy related systems have been commissioned. What is the scope for fundamental and enhanced commissioning to get the 10 floors of tenant space certified for LEED CI? Does the CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements. have to repeat the commissioning that has already been performed on the energy systems?

Log In to Reply
0
0
Judy Peterson Sr. Associate - NW Interior Design Heery International
Sep 02 2009
Guest
151 Thumbs Up

Automatic Credits for tenant improvement in new LEED Silver bldg

Are there credits which can automatically be taken for a tenant improvement project in a building which is LEED Silver under v2 of Shell and Core?

1
1
0
Devon Bertram Sustainability Manager, YR&G Sep 08 2009 Guest Expert 1347 Thumbs Up

The only credit a CI project in a LEED certified building can automatically achieve is SSc1 Site Selection, Option 1.

However, there is possibility for the project to achieve some credits (mostly under Sustainable Sites) through the same compliance path as that of the CS building if the requirements have been met (i.e. SSc2 Development Density and Community Connectivity, SSc3.1 Public Transportation Access, SSc3.2 Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms, SSc3.3 Parking Availability).

If SSc3.2 Bicycle Storage and Changing Rooms and SSc3.3 Parking Availability have been pursued and achieved by the CS project, the CI tenant must somehow have these elements designated to their space and occupants. This can ensure the tenant has access to / owns the bike racks and preferred parkingPreferred parking, available to particular users, includes designated spaces close to the building (aside from designated handicapped spots), designated covered spaces, discounted parking passes, and guaranteed passes in a lottery system. spaces over other tenants.

Additionally, if low flow water use fixtures have been installed as part of the CS LEED certified project, this may award the CI tenant credits (however, note 20% Water Use Reduction is now a prerequisite in 2009, and not a credit).

Log In to Reply
0
0
John Garra President Square One Architecture, Inc.
Aug 26 2009
Guest
138 Thumbs Up

CxA Qualifications?

I'm looking for information regarding the qualifications of a CxAThe commissioning authority (CxA) is the individual designated to organize, lead, and review the completion of commissioning process activities. The CxA facilitates communication among the owner, designer, and contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance with the owner's project requirements.. Do you have any Direction?

1
1
0
Ben Stanley Sustainability Manager, YRG sustainability Sep 01 2009 Guest Expert 1383 Thumbs Up

The current accreditations/certifications that are out there for commissioning agents are not very meaningful due to limited curriculum and a lack of field experience required to earn them. We'd recommend looking for Cx1. Commissioning (Cx) is the process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner's project requirements. 2. The process of checking the performance of a building against the owner's goals during design, construction, and occupancy. At a minimum, mechanical and electrical equipment are tested, although much more extensive testing may also be included. agents through local utilities, state and local agencies, or full members of the Building Commissioning Association. Also, any prospective agents should be able to demonstrate experience on a similar project type. Note that CI 2009 Cx credits are now aligned with all the other rating systems. As such, Cx requirements have become more stringent than CI 2.0 and Cx agents now need to have experience in at least 2 projects. This wasn't the case for CI 2.0

Log In to Reply

Copyright 2012 – BuildingGreen, Inc.