After completion

BSRIA, seasonal commissioning
The benefits of ongoing commissioning — James Parker.

Awareness is growing that commissioning should start much sooner then being squeezed into a short amount of time before the handover data — but there is a growing appreciation that commissioning should be ongoing. James Parker looks at the issues.

The building is complete. The occupants are settled in and all systems are running. This is usually the time when the project team has disbanded, left site and moved onto the next job, but it is also the time when the building most needs attention. As most buildings are prototypes rather than off-the-shelf, there needs to be some degree of proving and fine-tuning.

Commissioning activities after occupation can be split into three main categories.

• fine-tuning

• seasonal commissioning

• continuous commissioning.

Fine-tuning may still be needed even if the building's systems are meeting the requirements of the specification. The building’s occupants judge comfort levels, not the design or installation team.

Most fine-tuning activities will involve tweaking set points, or adjusting ventilation grilles, dampers and controls.

Passive infra-red controls for electric lighting may need to be adjusted to prevent lights turning on and off automatically, which can be annoying.

You may need extra internal blinds in rooms which you didn’t realise would suffer from solar glare, or you may want to refine the control protocols for motorised windows.

Fine-tuning activities can often benefit from collecting occupant feedback. This could be done formally using a questionnaire such as the BUS method or less formally by chatting to the occupants or reviewing the log of issues at the facilities helpdesk. Feedback can highlight issues that are very difficult to detect otherwise — such as draughts or problems that are very localised to a specific area of the building.

As its title implies, seasonal commissioning involves re-commissioning heating systems in Winter and mechanical cooling systems in Summer. Seasonal commissioning may also affect other systems, such as motorised windows and active solar shading devices — any building system affected by seasonal changes. Ideally, the original project team (or independent commissioning engineer if you’ve appointed one) should remain engaged to perform seasonal commissioning.

BSRIA, seasonal commissioning
Seasonal commissioning involves recommissioning heating systems in Winter and mechanical cooling systems in Summer.

Seasonal commissioning is recognised in the BREEAM assessment methodology, with credits awarded for the commitment to carry it out. In practice, however, during a study by BSRIA of a handful of buildings that were developed with grants from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) it was very difficult to distinguish seasonal commissioning activities from continuous commissioning or activities that were following on after handover.

Continuous commissioning is the umbrella process that covers all the other forms of commissioning. It involves the building and its systems being continuously monitored, either via the BMS or through the use of dedicated logging devices. Systems can be re-commissioned or adjusted if performance isn’t meeting requirements.

Continuous commissioning has become increasingly popular. The inherent flexibility of many contemporary buildings gives occupants the freedom to change their use of space, which may mean that the building services need to be adjusted or re-commissioned to suit the new use. Continuous commissioning is made easier with the use of addressable control systems. Adjustments to lighting and heating and cooling set points can be made via a central computer, reducing the cost and disruption that often comes with conventional commissioning activities.

All these activities make the gradual handover of the building from the services and commissioning engineers to the facilities-management team flow more easily. It gives the FM team the opportunity to get to know the systems fully, hopefully with the experts on hand to train and assist with problems that may arise.

From reviewing the processes used during the design, construction and occupation of the LCBP buildings and outcomes of these processes, it appears that many people have the right intentions with regard to commissioning. However, with the traditional forms of contracts still in place and practical completion/handover being the focal point of the project, commissioning is still often squeezed into a short period of time. Using a graduated handover approach, where the building is given time to settle down and enough time is allowed to commission all systems fully, is hugely beneficial to the client. It allows the full capability of the building to be proved and in theory allow it to be operated more efficiently.

Future guidance

Guidance on traditional commissioning activities is well documented by BSRIA and CIBSE, but it is recognised that there is very little guidance about seasonal and continual commissioning in the UK.

We have initiated an industry steering group to provide a guide on the subject. Early indications are that seasonal commissioning as a term is not clearly defined and is open to interpretation. Deferred and seasonal testing maybe a more appropriate term to use, but this is something we are trying to determine.

BSRIA welcomes input from other industry sources. If you have something to share please contact james.parker@bsria.co.uk. The guide is due to be published in the Summer of 2012.

James Parker is a senior research engineer with BSRIA’s Sustainable Building Group.

Related links:
Related articles:



modbs tv logo

New Sustainability Director for Wates Group

Wates Group, a family-owned development, building and property maintenance company, has appointed Cressida Curtis as its new Group Sustainability Director.

Domus Ventilation appoints new contractor sales managers

Ventilation systems manufacturer Domus Ventilation has announced the arrival of three new Contractor Sales Managers.