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by Wendy Collins, P.Eng., President of CFMS Consulting Inc.
I recently had the pleasure to attend the National Conference on Building and Facility Operations (NCBFO) in Ottawa, Ontario, hosted by the BCxA Canadian Eastern Chapter. The relevant and engaging topics included the following: Building Envelope Commissioning; Ongoing Commissioning with Analytics – Owner’s Perspective; Using Thermal Imaging to Commission Building Envelopes; EBCx Framework – NRCan’s Update and Key Actions; ULCS101- One Part of Your Comprehensive Fire Alarm System Commissioning Plan; Control Valve Technology – What Cx Providers Should Know; and Deep Retrofit: Carbon as a Proxy for Energy Efficiency.
The common thread across the presentations was the value of the commissioning. The idea that commissioning is an investment in your building rather than a cost. And that the earlier the commissioning process is started, the more value there is, that there are better the cost avoidance opportunities. Total building commissioning can cost 2% to 4% of the construction cost, which is low considering the end result is a more efficient building with lower energy and overall operating costs. Another speaker made the analogy of a building being like a car and the importance of the various parts working together. In the past the HVAC may have been running a peak efficiency but without consideration of the building envelope, the HVAC system may have been running more than required to overcome heating and cooling losses through the building envelope. Another speaker mentioned importance of the commissioning team, all working towards the common goal of a better operating building, they shared an image similar to this one.
The message – let’s work together instead of against each other.
With rising construction costs and ongoing supply chain issues it has never been more important to create a cohesive team, all working together towards the common goal of building a better building.
Congratulations to the conference committee for putting together such a well-organized and enjoyable day. Should you have a chance to attend a future NCBFO, I would recommend you take the opportunity.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to CFMS to learn more about the benefits of commissioning.