Consulting Services
Building Commissioning Process
An expert system resulting in quality buildings with manifold benefits
Building commissioning
A higher level of building performance that will endure over time.
We provide the Building Commissioning Process for LEED and Green Star SA projects, or even as a stand-alone service. The Building Commissioning (Cx) Process emphasises integrated quality. It is extremely effective because it is an unbiased, third-party approach that takes into account the fact that all building systems are interrelated in operation.
We offer commissioning for:
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The Building Commissioning Process is a response to a systemic industry failure to produce quality. In Commissioning Process language, quality not only means that the building systems work, but more than that, they meet the actual case specific needs of the building occupants. This process is setup to ask the right questions at the right time, to verify that systems work efficiently and pick up issues before the costs of change become too high.
Being quality-driven, the Commissioning Process is most optimal when it is carried out by a highly competent and effective team. We have developed a successful Commissioning toolkit that offers a unique blend of both the ASHRAE and CIBSE standards.
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Applicable credits: EAp1 Fundamental Commissioning, EAc3 Enhanced Commissioning
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognised the value of the Building Commissioning Process and made it a pre-requisite for all New Constructions and Commercial Interior fit-outs pursuing LEED certification. It is required that all energy consuming systems be subject to the Commissioning Process, namely, HVAC&R systems, lighting and controls, water systems, the building envelope, renewable energy systems and water conservation system. This all forms part of what LEED calls Fundamental Commissioning.
Enhanced Commissioning is a term that LEED uses to describe a more thorough form of Commissioning. Implementing Enhanced Commissioning will not only amplify the benefits of Commissioning, but will also gain further credits towards the LEED certification.
Further systems can be added to the Commissioning Process scope on an optional basis, such as fire protection or ICTS among many others.
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Applicable credits: Man-4 Independent Commissioning Agents, Man-2 Commissioning Clauses, Man-3 Building Tuning
The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has included the Building Commissioning Process as credit for projects pursuing Green Star SA (GSSA) certification. More and more projects around the country are implementing this, recognising it as a holistically beneficial process to implement.
The South African building industry can benefit a great deal from the Commissioning Process, not to mention that more efficient and well-commissioned systems will take pressure off the national energy and water grids respectively.
Green Star allows for either the CIBSE or ASHRAE guidelines based Commissioning Processes to be implemented to achieve the relevant credits (see CIR: MAN2 -C-OB1-0855 as well as the recent technical clarification: MAN2 -T-OB1-1562).
Why Commission Your Building?
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Better Building Quality
With many quality checks and verifications throughout the building process, commissioned buildings are more reliable and functional from the word go.
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Lower Operating Costs
With better system verification, the operating costs of the building will be reduced given the savings on energy and water, as well as reduced maintenance required.
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Improved Occupant Productivity
Due to the fact that spaces in the building are verified according to what their use will be, Indoor Environmental Quality is improved and occupants are more productive.
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Reduced Contractor Call-Backs
A building that is more thoroughly tested and verified while construction is taking place results in a reduced snag list and far fewer contractor call-backs.
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Better Building Documentation
The maintenance of the building is made simpler due to a significant improvement in both the thoroughness and the accuracy of building documentation.
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System Performance Verification
Building system performance is improved due to extensive on-site checks throughout the construction phase of both installation quality and system performance.
Frequently asked questions
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The general checkout and starting phase of a project in today’s competitive construction environment has proved to be inadequate. This is due to numerous reasons such as the fast tracking of construction schedules to the complex systems, equipment and controls that are being put in place.
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In a best case scenario of a conventionally delivered project, the building systems and equipment may be operating with no perceived problems or inferior quality, however, they are likely to be operating ineffectively, which leads to higher energy costs and inefficiency in systems. Commissioning identifies and mitigates these hidden costs that add up to huge operational and maintenance expenses during the life cycle of the building.
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Removing the critical step of commissioning can lead to any or all of the following undesired scenarios: inefficient, inferior or total system shut-down; unusable spaces; production downtime; lost profit, increased operations interruptions, regular contractor call-backs and negative public relations.
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It is important to use a service provider that specifies that they are providing CIBSE or ASHRAE based commissioning to ensure they offer the entire Commissioning Process, with its documented benefits and that it meets the requirements and intent of the LEED Commissioning prerequisites and the Green Star South Africa Commissioning credits.
Why Choose Ecolution Consulting to commission your building or project?
With over 15 years experience in green building, we have come to offer solutions which are holistic and result in far-reaching building and operational benefits. We have turnkey Green Star, energy modelling and commissioning experts in-house who are detailed and efficient in process-based implementation. We integrate well into the design processes of the project team, having worked on some of the top green building projects in the country. We always look for the most cost-effective ways of achieving your green building certification whilst thinking long-term to ensure a future-proofed and economically sustainable operation.