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January 23, 2020

The Value of Commissioning

The Building Commissioning Association (BCxA) published a study in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to provide an update to the previously published in 2009 study “Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions”.  Through surveys, they did an analysis of New Construction Cx (NCCx), Existing Building Cx (EBCx), and Ongoing Cx (OCx).  It seems a large number of respondents indicated Cx certification was important to a project.  The monetary value of EBCx is much more measurable than NCCx and OCx is relatively new so full lifecycle value hard yet to measure, so what are the gains of NCCx?

The top 3 takeaways I found from the BCxA’s ‘Value of Commissioning 2018 Market Survey’ as to why:

  • About 25% of project deficiencies can be found during the design phase.  This is why it’s important to get Cx onboard as early in project as possible!  It’s much faster and cheaper to address problems sooner rather than later.
  • The top reasons those surveyed found value in NCCx include:
    • Keeping schedule on track
    • Building occupied on schedule
    • System design improvements
    • Improved construction team coordination
    • Fewer change orders and warranty calls
  • The long lasting effects of NCCx include:
    • Thermal comfort
    • Improved operation and maintenance practices
    • Improved training of staff
    • Indoor air quality
    • Improved equipment life

The recognition in the value of commissioning has increased since 2009, with the number one reason NCCx is obtained is for compliance with LEED or an alternate sustainability rating system.  Compliance with organization policies and smoother process and turnover round out the top 3.  Read through the BCxA’s Tom Poeling’s presentation on ‘The Value of Building Commissioning Study (NCCx Results)’ for an in-depth analysis on the results of the survey, as pertaining to the NCCx results. 

CFMS has been providing commissioning since 1992, and have seen the market grow and change in that time.  The difference between then and now, was back in 1992 we had to sell our services pretty much door to door.  Nowadays, as an email I received recently insinuated, commissioning is now pretty well a standard for any construction project. 

The BCxA has a variety of other sources if you are interested in reading further on the value of commissioning.  CFMS has been a member of the BCxA since 2008, and proudly providing independent commissioning services since 1992.  We stand behind our motto of “Partnering to Provide Quality Control” on every project.

Contact us to learn more about the value of commissioning!

Why Commissioning