Building Recommissioning Has Multiple Benefits

Lower energy bills and improved comfort for occupants are two big benefits of existing building recommissioning, an expert in the field explained during a recent webinar hosted by the W&J Center for Energy and the Built Environment.

“Getting the Most from Your Building: Smart Assessment and Monitoring” was presented by Jim Armstrong, Business Development Manager, Energy Services Northeast, at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, a leading global provider of building energy systems.

Building commissioning (Cx) is a professional practice that monitors the planning, design, construction, installation, and testing of facilities and systems to make sure they operate to project specifications and lower energy costs.

Building commissioning can be done on both new construction and existing buildings, but Armstrong focused on recommissioning of existing building systems, such as air conditioning, heating, ventilation and lighting, to optimize and enhance performance to meet current use requirements. Recommissioning is typically done when a building is more than three years old or has undergone a major change in use. Recommissioning can produce energy savings of 10% to 20% and pay for itself within 1-3 years.

Armstrong explained the commissioning process, using Siemens’ smart assessment system, that uses data analytics to conduct an assessment of ventilation, energy use, comfort, and other performance standards. Problem areas, such as “energy hogs,” are investigated, and solutions are implemented. The building maintenance is then handed off to the on-site staff, which can use smart monitoring diagnostic and assessment tools to track performance.

He mentioned some common problems including overventilated buildings that bring more fresh air than needed into a building, increasing energy costs, and systems that are put on manual operation for a temporary purpose and never returned to their optimal automatic settings.

Smart recommissioning is a process that is not limited to large commercial and industrial buildings. Armstrong said it makes sense for most buildings. The webinar replay and presentation slides are available on the wjenergy.org webinars and programs page.