Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal — April 27 - May 10, 2012 — 37A
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O wners , D evelopers & M anagers BOMI International Buildingcommissioning: Four easy steps to save money C • test reports ommissioning reduces energy consumption, im- proves indoor air qual-
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ed spare parts, suppliers, and whether they are kept on-site As a side note, even though all manuals are kept in the library, a copy should be avail- able where any equipment is located. Step 2: Inspect the building and its systems. Inspections en- sure that systems are installed properly. At one site, com- plaints about improper heating had been addressed for years by adjusting the thermostat. An inspection finally revealed that the HVAC system hadn’t been fully unpackaged. Removing continued on page 38A
• maintenance history, includ- ing information on lubricants, fuels, filters, and other operat- ing consumables • emergency procedures • documentation of occupant needs and requests • contractor list (include con- tact information for emergency service) • warranty documentation, including certificates, vendor letters, and service contracts, whether proposed or signed • a complete list of recommend-
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ity, enhances temperature and humidity control, and optimizes air and water distribution. Ba- sically, it makes your building hum. If your building is a green building, then most likely it’s been commissioned. Commis- sioning is an easy way to score a few LEED points. You can significantly reduce fuel con- sumption, and thus diminish your carbon footprint. Green building and commissioning are seen less as the latest trends and, increasingly, best practices. In green building, the equa- tion is simple. Reduced waste equals reduced materials costs and reduced disposal costs. Less energy consumption costs less money. The commission- ing equation is even simpler: greater efficiency equals less waste equals lower costs. Bear with me for just a bit more “math.” Green buildings have a perceived increased value. However, that value may or may not be realized in a real estate deal. In a building that has been commissioned, you can provide actual data that shows real-world energy consumption rates that are up to 20% less than the individual system specifications. Citing performance data rather than design specs is a significant bargaining chip. So we’ve established what commissioning is. But how do you make it work for you? You must begin and end with knowledge. Step 1: Build a technical library. This library should be used to build and store history files for building equipment and systems, and it should be made available to the maintenance department. When building your library, use a code with a unique identifier for each piece of equipment so you’ll be able to trace equipment history from specs and drawings, to main- tenance, to testing and perfor- mance. A disciplined approach to building and maintaining your library will ensure that your commissioning efforts are documented and that your successes are measured and reported. At a minimum, the library should include: • drawings • O&M manuals • standard operating proce- dures
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