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Energy and Atmosphere P1 – Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems (prerequisite)

Intent:

  1. Verify that building’s energy related systems are installed, calibrated, and perform accord to BOD (Basis of Design), OPR (Owner’s Project Requirements), and Construction Documents.

Implementation: (UPDATED!)

  • Designate a Commissioning Authority (CxA) to lead, review, and oversee completion of commissioning process
    1. Must be experienced for two similar projects
    2. independent person
    3. for projects less that 50,000 SF, commissioning can be done by design or construction team.
  • 6 Requirements of CxA
  1. REVIEW the BOD & OPR
  2. Develop a Commissioning PLAN
  3. VERIFY the Installation & Performance of the Systems
  4. REPORT the results and finds to the owner
  5. A SUMMARY is to be completed with the report
  6. CONSTRUCTINO DOCUMENTS are to incorporate any commissioning requirements
  • Commissioned Systems Include:
  1. HVAC
  2. Lighting
  3. Renewable Energy 
  4. Domestic Hot Water

Code:

  • none

Submittal Phase:

  • construction

Extra Credit:

  • none

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26 Comments On This Post

  1. Hi Pat,
    you have a typo here EAp1(construction). Thanks for your web site.
    jean

    Reply
  2. In ‘Madatory Report’, No. 3 should say ‘Contract Documents’ (page 158). ‘As Built Drawings’ are something entirely different…

    Reply
  3. Where did you find ‘Mandatory Report’ and ‘Fundamental Report’? I do not see it in the book any where…

    Reply
  4. Peter,
    there is a handy chart delineating the tasks of the commission team for the prereq and for credit 3,in the ref guide,Credit three section. learn those and which tasks that the commissioning agent alone is responsible for. I listed it in a comment in credit 3 this website.

    I think I came across those terms you mentioned in the Colorado study materials..

    Reply
  5. EA PR # 1 – I’m confused on the CXA requirements. Is the CXA responsible for # 3 thru 6 under requirements? It states commissioning team. Is the CXA the entire commissioning team?
    Thanks for the help.

    Reply
  6. I will be having a lot of questions here in the next few weeks.
    Pat thanks for a great site.

    Reply
  7. Where can I find the list for Mandatory Report in the Reference Guide 2.2 book, as shown on your study guide? Thank you.

    Reply
  8. Hey,
    I am also not finding the “mandatory report” anywhere in P1. Is it applicable in EAc3? Someone please help.

    Reply
  9. Hi Guys,

    I apologize for the “older” informatinon on this post. It has since been updated to the latest edition.

    Again, Sorry for the confusion.

    Reply
  10. Can I use my HVAC designer to commission my 10,000 SF building? What is required to prove that my comissioner is qualified for LEED?

    Reply
  11. Riddle me this?
    If, as stated in the book, the agent must have experience on two prior projects,
    Tell me how someone new can ever become a commissioning agent?

    Reply
  12. Anyone can have commissioning done on their building, LEED or not. Basically LEED wants their commisioning done by people who have done at least two non-LEED projects before they are allowed to commission a building trying to achieve LEED certification

    Reply
  13. Perhaps this is what some were getting to above. If so, forgive me as I am being dense(er) this weekend. Please clarify 2 issues re: EA p1:

    1) If you look at the Requirements for EA p1 (page 153, third ed), it states that the requirement of the commissioning team is to disignate an individual as the CxA. However, in Table 1 (page 155), this responsibility goes to either the Owner or Project Team. Comm. Team or Proj. Team?

    2) If you look at Table 1, there are only TWO requirements specific for the CxA alone. 1) To verify install./perform. and 2) Complete a summary commissioning report. Is this true?

    Full review of the requirements for the commissioning process, is is quite clear as to WHAT must be done. However, not so clear as to WHO must be responsible for doing the WHAT.

    Could be important to the test, given the fact we’ve all been forewarned to be on the lookout for bits of trickery in the phrasing of the exam questions. If the question has as options both the 2 tasks AND the 6 tasks, which is the correct answer. Table 1 is very clear about this, no?

    Reply
  14. Hey Pat,

    What is the difference between fundamental and enhanced commissioning?
    Thanks for all the good work you are doing on this site.

    Reply
  15. Hey Nick
    Regarding your riddle asking how someone new can ever become a commissioning agent.

    If they work on 2 (similar) projects under 50,000 s.f as part of design or const. team with required experience, they might qualify themselves!

    Reply
  16. It is my contention that the operative words in qualifying a CxA are “should” and “similar”. A CxA with experience in commissioning office buildings should not be precluded from commissioning an office building simply because it includes the addition of photovoltaic cells.

    We must stretch the envelope on every project…

    Reply
  17. Here is my trick to remember this part:

    “energy systems must be impeccable using commissioning”

    in-pe-cca : INstalled-PErforming-CAlibrated ,following

    b-l-e:

    1. b-asis of design)
    0. l-aw=owner, requirements
    6. e-onstruction doc (notice how “e” looks like a “c” and “mirrored” 6 )

    then we need to list the 6 requirements to accomplish it:

    imagine the process:

    1. review b and l
    2. commissioning plan creation
    3. verify in & pe
    4. report to l
    5. add summary
    6. e-docs to add commissioning

    Reply
  18. hi Pat
    on the sample test bldg. green.com question #20 states documentation of EA1 also contributes documentation to which credits?
    EAp1 was one of the answers. When I was being taught this course, I was told that prerequisites do NOT count as a “credit” and that is one way of tricking people.
    What do you think?
    thanks
    Lisa

    Reply
  19. Typo and discussed in another thread. You are right.

    Reply
  20. 1 mnemonic to remember who is responsible for the the EA credits

    odc /d/ o/d/d/ odc / d/ d/ o

    See a pattern in the second half. Its a mirror image with odc at the centre.

    WHere O-owner, D-design team, C – contractor

    It helps me. Hope it helps you too

    Reply
  21. nice …Thanx Arpita

    Reply
  22. Arpita, Gr8 job:). This is awesome!!

    Reply
  23. Doeas the commissioning agent has to be LEED AP or CxA.?

    Can a commissioning agent who works for the owener (university) be the comissioning agent?

    Reply
  24. Hi, I’m confused by this requirement, as stated in LEED CS 2.0. On page 171 (Requirements) it says the CxA “shall have documented commissioning authority experience”… but on 173, two pages down (Strategies) it says “For LEED-CS projects a qualified
    CxA should have experience with two
    other projects of similar managerial
    and technical complexity”. Any insight appreciated. I’m a “green” Green Associate who’s just been asked to perform CxA…

    Reply
  25. Hi, I’m confused with the commissioning system and the measurement and verification system. They seem to be the same thing to me. Are they both run by the CxA? What is the difference?

    Reply
  26. Hi everyone,

    Does Best Practice Commissioning, Enhanced Commissioning and Additional Commissioning mean all the same thing?

    Can someone explain the difference between best practice and fundamental commissioning? Is there a flow chart or diagram I can find on the internet?

    Reply

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