Services
Commissioning (Cx) Services
New Construction Cx:
We provide 2 options for New Construction Commissioning:
Comprehensive Commissioning (Process-Based). This is the most thorough and effective form of quality assurance an owner can have on a new construction project. This option includes 5D’s at the very beginning of the project, the Pre-Design / Design Phase. Including commissioning from the start provides assurance the design intent is 1) properly defined, 2) is followed throughout ALL phases of the project and 3) meets the Owner’s Project Requirements and expectations.
Construction Commissioning (Acceptance-Based). This is a more cost-effective approach for commissioning of new buildings. It removes the cost associated for the pre-design / design phases. The commissioning services are more focused on validating the equipment’s functionality and matches the design documents. This is an effective form of commissioning for straight-forward projects where the risk of change is minimal, and the design is already established. The risk of not having an objective review of the design is one that will need to be considered when choosing this option. A design review can, and has, resulted in identifying energy and O&M cost saving opportunities and the additional service pays for itself in the end.
Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx):
5D’s provides 2 options for Commissioning of Existing Buildings:
Recommissioning. This is used for systems that have been commissioned in the past and for various reasons, need it repeated. Recommissioning the system will reapply the commissioning procedures used previously to keep the building operating according to the design intent. This form of commissioning is most effective when it is part of the facilities O&M program and occurs every 3-5 years. It allows for recalibrating of the sensors, fine tuning of the air and water flows and a general check-up of the mechanical and controls systems.
Retro-commissioning. This service is for systems that have never been commissioned before and is one of 5Ds’ specialties. It can be a straightforward process depending on available data and current performance. In our experience, though, Retro-commissioning typically requires an extensive amount of investigating and troubleshooting. This is for many reasons such as, the original design documentation is not available, the purpose of the building/rooms has changed (ex. converting a classroom to a Computer Lab) or renovations and upgrades occurred but the ventilation and heat load considerations were not accounted for.
Ongoing Commissioning:
5D’s provides this service as a hybrid of Continuous and Monitor-Based Commissioning. It is instituted after a full commissioning effort (either New Construction or Existing Building) has concluded. Once a system has been validated and passed testing, the effort can end at that point, or we can continue to monitor for a pre-determined amount of time under this service.
The purpose is to ensure the system’s performance continues to meet the building’s current demands vs. designed for the long-term and is typically utilized after a Retro-commissioning effort. This is not part of an O&M program, rather, it is an ongoing process used for resolving comfort complaints, increased energy consumption and mission critical facilities that cannot afford equipment failures. The scope ranges from quarterly on-site visits for 1 – 2 years for evaluations and fine tuning or it can be reduced to remotely monitoring the trends and providing feedback. This is one of our more flexible and customized services targeted at ensuring you, the owner, realize the benefits of commissioning.
Pre-Commissioning:
This is a versatile service 5D’s provides to multiple clients for various scenarios. We sample test the systems to identify if there are functional issues the contractor will need to resolve before the full effort of Acceptance Testing can commence. This service has helped our clients to create effective Scopes of Work for solicitations. It has also helped our clients avoid significant construction delays for high profile projects by identifying issues before scheduling the formal testing.
Systems We Commission
Other Services We Provide
Complex Systems Analysis & Troubleshooting
Mechanical & BAS System
O & M Training
Group or One-on-One
Field Training or Classroom Setting
LEED Certification
Peer Reviews
This is a review of a Commissioning Effort that was provided by another Cx Professional. It is conducted after acceptance testing has been completed and includes a review of that Cx Professional’s approach, process, documenta-tion, testing criteria and results. we will then sample test the equipment ourselves and compare that to what was reported.
This is typically requested by clients that have either lost faith in thier Cx Provider, their Cx Professional is not Independentant of the project and has served as the Engineer or Contractor (i,e.., grading their own work) on the project or simply need peace of mind.
Mechanical Engineering Consulting
Design Review
OPR Development
Scope of Work Development
Cx Specifications
TAB
Test and Balance services for projects we are not commissioning