Moving into my new home, I was greeted by an unwelcome surprise in the form of my first electric bill— a staggering amount exceeding $500. This unexpected financial shock left me baffled, especially given the size of my 1900-square-foot house and the typical costs in the area. Skeptical of the builder's explanation that this was standard, I decided to investigate further. A call to my HVAC contractor confirmed my suspicions; my monthly bill should have been significantly lower. After a brief inspection, it was evident that an issue with my HVAC system was to blame, which was promptly resolved.
Subsequent bills rarely exceeded $200, but the experience left me pondering what could have prevented this costly surprise. It was clear that proper system checks, or commissioning, before taking ownership of my house would have spared me from this hefty initial bill.
Commercial building owners understand the importance of mitigating such issues through a process known as building or facility commissioning. This proactive approach involves a Commissioning Authority ensuring that all building systems align with the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR) and operate as intended, thanks to meticulous inspections and testing. While commissioning requires an upfront investment, the long-term benefits are undeniable. In this blog, we'll explore the advantages of commissioning, from cost savings to system performance and occupant well-being, revealing how this practice enhances sustainability, longevity, and overall comfort in buildings.
The commissioning process does add to the upfront costs of the building construction process, but it has been shown that commissioning will result in long-term savings. Performing commissioning offers paybacks in many forms, particularly in building systems or industrial processes. One of the major benefits of commissioning is Cost Savings.
While commissioning requires an upfront investment, it can yield significant cost savings over the operational life of a facility. By optimizing energy consumption, reducing maintenance needs, and preventing costly downtime, commissioning helps organizations save money in the long run. The energy savings alone often justify the cost of commissioning. According to the Department of Energy’s, Commissioning for Federal Facilities publication ¹:
“From the aspect of energy savings, commissioning has proven itself time and again. In existing buildings, whole-building energy savings average about 15 percent at a cost of about $0.27 per square foot and with a payback of about 8.5 months. In new construction, commissioning costs about $1.00 per square foot and pays back within about 4.8 years.”
The following is a list of potential benefits that commissioning provides the Owner and End-users:
In summary, commissioning offers a range of benefits, including assurances that the building and included systems are fit for use and constructed and operate in a manner that meets or exceeds the Owners’ Project Requirements. It ensures that building systems will be sustainable, durable, and comfortable for occupants.
¹ US Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program, and Enviro-Management & Research Inc. Commissioning for Federal Facilities: A practical guide to building commissioning, recommissioning retro commissioning and continuous commissioning pp. 6
About the Author
Jon Edgar is the Commissioning and Qualification Team Lead for the Apex, NC office. He provides qualification and compliance consulting services to the Life Science Industry. Jon currently guides customers through the process of qualifying facilities and equipment used in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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About Hallam-ICS
Hallam-ICS is an engineering and automation company that designs MEP systems for facilities and plants, engineers control and automation solutions, and ensures safety and regulatory compliance through arc flash studies, commissioning, and validation. Our offices are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and North Carolina Texas, Florida and our projects take us world-wide.