WHO'S COMMISSIONING THE BAS?

Few argue with the premise that commissioning should be provided for complex building
systems. Sophisticated systems that require rigid environmental conditions will operate more
efficiently and reliably with proper commissioning. However, in the day-to-day process of
building design and construction, there is one item that is often forgotten or simply taken for
granted -- the "bas as a tool for commissioning" the entire hvac system.

The bas, or direct digital control (ddc), is the building brain. It provides the sensors and
controllers that operate an entire facility. It can be integrated with all aspects of a facility to
control the building security, lighting, and life safety systems for optimum building performance.
The current economic climate of high energy costs mandates that we use the tools available to
us to operate our buildings as efficiently as possible. Building commissioning, using the tools
afforded by the bas, can routinely return 10% to 30% reduction in utility operating costs over the
project that fails proper commissioning standards.

BAS IN THE BUILDING COMMISSIONING PROCESS

Several prerequisite conditions are necessary in the commissioning process. These conditions
apply to the validation of the bas when used as a tool in the commissioning process just as they
apply to the commissioning process itself. Both the requirements for commissioning as well as
the tools to accomplish the commissioning should be established at the beginning of the project.
This allows integration of the bas with all aspects of the facility. It also maximizes the potential
for efficient building operation and utility cost savings. Essential elements of the commissioning
process as they relate to the hvac and bas include the following:

* Identify project requirements.

* Identify criteria that will be used to establish that the requirements are met.

* Design systems that are appropriate for the required environmental control.

* Identify, validate, and commission the system tools.

When each of the elements are established, then the bas can be used to commission the hvac
systems in a simple and effective manner. However, even the best of hvac systems will operate
inefficiently or simply fail if not properly set up and commissioned. The consequences of this
failure can lead to dramatically increased operating costs or the inability to meet basic
environmental criteria. In either case, the bas and hvac system cannot be properly
commissioned unless the bas tools used to control and monitor the building systems are
appropriate, reliable, and properly validated.

The procedures presented here provide a simple and effective process for commissioning the
bas. When properly validated, the bas can be used with confidence as a tool for the setup and
commissioning of the building hvac system. Table 1 provides an overview of the commissioning
process via the bas.

STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE BAS COMMISSIONING

The bas commissioning steps identified in Table 1 require additional discussion. Although the
examples used here are based on specific projects, the procedures identified are generally
applicable for commissioning any facility.

Cleanroom facility: The project is an 8,000-sq-ft research and development facility. It consists of
a Class 10 semiconductor cleanroom process plant that includes Class 1 environments at
specific equipment. Exotic gasses and other hazardous materials are used, and rigid
temperature, humidity, and pressurization controls are required. The main semiconductor
process areas are surrounded by Class 100 and Class 1000 utility support areas and related
administrative space. The central plant chillers, boilers, emergency power, and maintenance
offices are housed in separate structures adjacent to the building.

Rare book library: The project is a 35,000-sq-ft rare book and manuscript library located with a
spectacular view of the beach in beautiful Southern California. It requires constant temperature
and humidity control to prevent deterioration of the irreplaceable manuscripts. The central plant
chillers, boilers, and air-handling equipment are all housed within the main building site.

The commissioning steps noted below will ensure that the bas provides accurate and reliable
data. The bas can then be used with confidence as an effective tool for commissioning the hvac
and general building systems.

Step 1 - Design qualification (DQ): Evaluates project requirements and establishes the
necessary design procedures to meet the requirements.

* Evaluation 1: The project's criteria;

* Evaluation 2: Project user's requirements;

* Evaluation 3: Hvac systems; and

* Evaluation 4: Bas.
The following data taken from the design examples noted above illustrate the elements of the
DQ process:

* Project criteria: An evaluation of the project needs identified several critical requirements for
the projects. These included the need for a documented method to maintain positive room
pressurization in the cleanrooms and room particle count certification. Environmental control
criteria for both the library and the cleanroom were established at setpoint + 0.5[degrees]F and
+ 2.5%rh.

* Project user requirements: Specific user requirements were identified and documented. These
included requirements for both the technical personnel using the space and the management
personnel charged with the overall fiscal responsibility for the facility operation. Among the
requirements identified was 24-hr/day monitoring that allows building maintenance supervisory
personnel remote, real-time access to the facility controls and monitoring.

* Hvac systems: The hvac system for the example cleanroom project requires definitive control
of room airflow and pressurization. Both projects require rigid control of the rate of change of the
room temperature and humidity.

* Bas: At this stage, the type of bas is reviewed by all parties concerned. Dedicated ddc systems
with fiberoptic LAN connections were selected to interface with the existing facility ddc systems.

Step 2 - Installation qualification (IQ): The IQ of the bas is a documented process to ensure that
the components, devices, or programs installed are those designed and specified. The bas IQ
process simply requires a diligent point-to-point verification for each element of the ddc system.
Each sensor, application controller, and communication signal is tested and documented to
ensure that they are correct and function as intended.

In our cleanroom example, a room pressure sensor with a -0.10 to +0.10 psig range and
accuracy of +1.0% was specified. The contractor submitted a product that complied with the
specified design and obtained approval for installation. If the bas commissioning stops at this
juncture, there are many questions that remain unanswered:

Have the installed products been accurately specified? In the room pressurization example, this
can include the application-specific controllers, the pressure sensors, the communication
network, and the central ddc equipment. Has the correct room pressure sensor been installed?
Has it been accidentally switched with a different sensor having different characteristics? Is the
sensor wired correctly? Are there any wiring cross connections? What impact will the sensor
calibration have on system operation?
Step 3 - Operation qualification (OQ): The OQ process ensures that the bas components and
equipment can operate as specified in the design documents. It verifies the calibration and
control functions and validates the g.fms.eneral operation of the ddc equipment. At this stage
each of the controllers must be tested and loop tuned, and the results documented and
validated.

This step is frequently ignored, skipped, or simply left up to the discretion of the control
contractor's field personnel. The impact in terms of operating costs can be both substantial and
transparent. For example, the cleanroom air supply fans may be operating at 6-in. wc of
pressure when only 4-in. wc is required. The library hvac may be continuously dehumidifying or
reheating the room air supply when no humidity control is required. The impact here is
essentially invisible and may continue undetected throughout the life of the project.

The fundamental question is, "How can we validate the operation of the building hvac using a
ddc system that is not yet commissioned or calibrated for this purpose?" The answer, of course,
is we can't!

Step 4 - Performance qualification (PQ): PQ validates the performance of the entire system after
the bas has been properly set up and operating through the DQ, IQ, and OQ processes. This
usually involves a 72-hr trending performance test. The system operation is documented to
validate that it performs properly as a whole and meets the specified system accuracy and
environmental control requirements.

A summary of the four steps of commissioning ddc systems is shown in Table 2.

SUMMARY

The procedure for commissioning a facility by means of its ddc bas is simple and direct. If
followed properly, the bas can provide an effective and reliable tool to set up complex and
demanding hvac systems. Benefits are realized in many different areas, including a reduction in
a building's bottom line utility costs and improved proactive maintenance capabilities. Energy
savings of up to 30% can be realized for facilities otherwise thought to be properly operating. On
the other hand, if the bas itself is not properly validated, the hvac and building commissioning
process relies on unreliable data and control, with little hope of meeting complex system
requirements or optimizing building performance.

Willis; P.E. is president of PWNA, a full-service architectural engineering firm in San Diego. He
is an ASHRAE Fellow, past chairman of the California Academy of Mechanical and Electrical
Engineers, AMEE, and the author of nine Tech-Data Guides for the hands-on operation, repair,
and retrofit of hvac control systems. Shadpour, P.E., is a principal of GEM Engineering, a
consulting mechanical engineering firm in San Diego. He is a member of ASHRAE TC 1.4, the
instructor for the design and control of hvac systems certificate program at the University of
California, San Diego, and the author of Fundamentals of Hvac Direct Digital Control, Practical
Applications and Design.

Bibliography

ASHRAE Guideline 1, 1996 Hvac Commissioning Process, Atlanta.

National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB), Procedural Standards for Building Systems
Commissioning, Gaithersburg, Maryland 1993.

Shadpour, Frank, Fundamentals of Hvac Direct Digital Control, Practical Applications and
Design. Escondido, CA: Hacienda Blue Publishing, 2000.

Schikora, Jon, "Qualifying High Speed Assembly Machines as Part of Process Validation,"
Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry, July 2000.

Willis, Lyle and Shadpour, Frank, "Commissioning DDC Systems as a Tool For Commissioning
Health Care Facilities," (unpublished).

TABLE 1.
These project phases and the commissioning steps are applicable
to any project where building automation systems are used as a tool
in the building commissioning process. The specific tasks and target
steps can be adapted to suit each particular project.
THE COMMISSIONING MATRIX
No. PROJECT PHASE BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM
COMMISSIONING STEPS
(DQ) DESIGN QUALIFICATION
1 PROGRAMMING Requirements
2 SCHEMATIC DESIGN Define systems
3 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Commissioning tools
4 CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS Specifications
5 CONSTRUCTION Commissioning submittal
6 VERIFICATION
7 OCCUPANCY
No.
 (IQ) INSTALLATION QUALIFICATION
1 Construction budget
2 Refine construction budget
3 Personnel qualifications
4 Integrate teams
5 Point-to-point verification
6 Building automation system inspections
7 Preventative maintenance
No.
(OQ) OPERATION QUALIFICATION
1 Standards
2 Agency requirements
3 Requirements
4 Validation methods
5 Preliminary testing
6 Building automation system commissioning
7 Trending optimization
No.
(PQ) PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATION
1
2 Target energy budget
3 Simulate performance
4
5
6 Demonstrate requirements
7 Seasonal validation
TABLE 2.
A summary of the four steps of commissioning ddc systems.
SYSTEM COMMISSIONING MATRIX
1 Design * Evaluates and documents the project
Qualifications (D.Q.) requirements.
* Evaluates and determines the user
needs.
* Identifies requirements and design
criteria.
2 Installation * Ensures that components are installed
 Qualifications (I.Q.) per design requirements.
* Evaluates component identification,
materials, and safety features.
3 Operation * Verifies that the building automation
Qualifications (O.Q.) system (bas) components and and
equipment can operate within the
specified limits.
* Validate the calibration and control
functions,
* Validate general operation of building
DDC equipment.
4 Performance * Validates the performance of the bas.
Qualifications (P.Q.) * Includes 72-hour trending test to
establish that the system performs
properly as a whole and meets
specified accuracy requirements.

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