Engineering Question
What Is Commercial Commissioning?
Commissioning is a quality process that verifies building systems are installed and operating according to the owner’s project requirements.
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Michael K. Frempong, PE, LEED AP
President & Principal Engineer, BEED Engineering
Michael K. Frempong is a professional engineer and LEED AP accredited professional with over 20 years of experience in consulting engineering. As President & Principal Engineer at BEED Engineering, he leads the firm’s MEP design and consulting work for laboratory, healthcare, industrial, data center, education, commercial, municipal, and other building projects throughout Florida.
View BEED team profileQuick Answer
Commercial commissioning is a systematic process that checks whether HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and related systems were installed and operate as intended. It starts with owner requirements and design review, then continues through construction checklists, functional testing, and turnover documents. Commissioning is not the same as a punch list or equipment start-up by the contractor.
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What commissioning is
Commissioning (Cx) is a quality-assurance process. It asks: does this building’s systems meet the owner’s project requirements?
It is commonly applied to HVAC and building automation, and can extend to lighting, domestic water, and emergency power.
What commissioning is not
- Not contractor start-up alone
- Not a substitute for design
- Not the same as a facility assessment of an old building
Typical process
- Document owner requirements
- Review design documents
- Construction checklists
- Functional performance tests
- Issues log and resolution
- Systems manual and operator training support
When it is worth doing
- Chilled water plants
- Healthcare and laboratories
- Buildings with complex controls
- Projects with energy or humidity performance goals
Florida humidity makes functional testing of cooling and outdoor-air systems especially important. See humidity control.
BEED provided LEED Fundamental Commissioning for the Harris Student Design Center at Florida Tech, including air-conditioning, make-up air, HVAC controls, and lighting controls.
Related BEED projects
All projects →Selected work that shows how BEED has applied this kind of engineering on real buildings.
Higher Education
Florida Institute of Technology
Harris Student Design Center
Melbourne, Florida
Mechanical + Plumbing Engineering
Mechanical and plumbing design, project administration, and LEED Fundamental Commissioning for the 8,000-square-foot Harris Student Design Center at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida.
View Project →
Education
Reserve Center
West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
Mechanical + Plumbing Engineering
Mechanical and plumbing engineering, LEED energy modeling, and project administration for a 60,000-square-foot Reserve Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
View Project →
Higher Education
Florida Institute of Technology
Fume Hood Modernization
Melbourne, Florida
Mechanical + Electrical Engineering
Mechanical and electrical engineering for a 40,000-square-foot laboratory fume hood modernization at the Olin Physical Science Building in Melbourne, Florida.
View Project →Common Questions
Who performs commissioning?
An independent commissioning authority is often used. The design engineer and contractors still have defined roles in testing and documentation.
Is commissioning only for LEED projects?
No. LEED popularized it, but any complex HVAC or controls project can benefit.
Filed under Building Systems
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Related Questions
What Is Building Automation?
Building automation is the control system that starts, stops, sequences, and monitors HVAC and related equipment so a building operates as designed.
What Is a Facility Assessment?
A facility assessment is an engineering review of existing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to document condition, remaining life, and recommended work.
What Is HVAC Engineering?
HVAC engineering is the design of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems that control temperature, humidity, ventilation, and indoor air quality.
Related BEED Services
Service
Commissioning
Systematic verification that building systems are installed, tested, and operating according to the owner's requirements.
Service
Building Automation
Controls sequences, BAS architecture, and integration that make mechanical and electrical systems operate as designed.
Service
HVAC Engineering
Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning design for occupant comfort, indoor air quality, and energy performance.
Related Locations
Local Presence
BEED Engineering — Based in Palm Bay, Serving Florida
BEED Engineering is an MBE professional consulting engineering firm based in Palm Bay, Florida, providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) design and consulting engineering services for commercial, institutional, healthcare, laboratory, industrial, and other facilities throughout Florida. BEED Engineering is a firm you can trust to get the job done.
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Need commissioning or design support for system start-up?
BEED Engineering provides commissioning and construction-phase engineering so mechanical and electrical systems operate as designed.