Continuous Commissioning (CC)
What is continuous commissioning?
The process of continuous commissioning is one that resolves operating issues, improves comfort and optimizes use of energy for institutional and commercial buildings and central facilities. The building life cycle along with the process of continuous commissioning has only just begun without which the building degrades over time and cannot operate efficiently. This is an ongoing process that helps in sustaining building life, reducing carbon footprint and managing energy. To understand CC, you have to understand the difference between recommissioning, retro-commissioning and continuous commissioning which is the timing they occur in during a building’s life cycle.
- Retro-commissioning: Verification of the building’s electrical and mechanical systems that should operate according to the original specifications and plans. It provides with energy savings and operational improvements.
- Continuous Commissioning: This is the next step in the building cycle which involves real-time collection and analyzing of energy data through metering equipment or a building automation system.
The Process of CC
The two-phase process begins with identifying the potential savings by scouting the site and devising the best strategies followed by the implementation process. During implementation, activities including establishing baselines and integrating them with existing systems to be able to monitor data constantly are carried out first. In addition, commending and implementing measures of potential energy savings and training and documenting are conducted.
CC feeds a stream of data quickly and continuously. It can establish a connection to the building’s management systems and the IoT (internet of things that transfers data between digital machines without human involvement) systems. Data collected includes control signals, sensor readings e.g. pressure, air temperature, equipment status, humidity levels or the energy consumption (kW).
The seven steps of Continuous Commissioning are:
- The site is visited to identify and quantify the estimated savings and measures.
- Energy and comfort are attained through the development of performance baselines.
- From the AHU to the terminal box, a thorough examination of the building is carried out in order to identify comfort problems and operating issues, degrading of component failures and inefficiency caused in the system.
- Implementing measures of continuous commissioning of energy use.
- Documentation of energy savings and identification of changes in the operating procedures for the building management and staff according to the IPMVP (International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol).
- The building staff is trained in how to use the installations and maximize on energy savings.
- Energy consumption and comfort performance are tracked for minimum one year according to the IPMVP.
During these stages, there are certain software that are designed specifically for specialized tasks in the process of continuous commissioning including:
- Investigating and Modeling: Uses Opportunity Assessor and WinAM.
- Implementing, Data Analyzing and Visualizing: Uses Implementer that acquires, stores, time-aligns, analyzes and visualizes the data acquired from the building automation system.
- Continuing the CC Process: This step requires Validator that creates inverse models, estimates savings and saves data about energy consumption.
Benefits of CC
Cost Effective
The process is cost-effective with easy implementation and can reduce the total energy consumption of a commercial building.
Ongoing savings preservation
It preserves the potential savings and develops upon system reliability and comfort according to the building’s condition. Has produced more than 300 million dollars in savings.
Speedy ROI
With proper execution, CC provides payback and savings in less than 3 years
Continuous Monitoring
Constant monitoring of equipment in real-time detects inefficiencies and faults consistently instead of at intervals.
Why Choose METCO?
METCO executes CC using the most finest techniques for retro-commissioning. The idea is to procure immediate payback and sustaining improvement for building performance based on the facility’s use.
Using professionals with high expertise, METCO promises to provide results by improving occupant satisfaction and comfort and achieve higher efficiency of system than all traditional methods.
Let’s Work Together
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Monday to Friday
Get In Touch(972) 740-0361
info@metcoengineering.com