Commissioning

As commissioning evolves, so do the commissioning providers at Envision Advantage, LLC. Our commissioning providers are certified as ACG CxA’s, which is ANSI accredited and DOE-recognized. We bring a variety of creativity and experience to meet each client’s individual requirements.

Overview

Envision provides whole-building commissioning; ongoing, retro-, and re-commissioning for existing buildings; fundamental and enhanced LEED Certification commissioning, measurement and verification; and energy assessments.
Commissioning at the very core is a quality assurance process that is used to validate a given design with construction, installation and equipment startup. The initial commissioning process is critical to ensuring that a new facility is turned over to the Owner with all systems functioning correctly and efficiently.
Envision’s commissioning team leverages extensive field knowledge, team communication, and problem-solving solutions to issues during the commissioning process. The unique experience that we provide ensures a successful commissioning project starting with the Owner Project Requirements through final completion of the project.
In addition to our vast New Construction Commissioning experience, our team thrives on commissioning existing facilities through Retro-Commissioning, Re-commissioning and Ongoing Commissioning. Envision has the experience of troubleshooting complex systems in all types of facilities from expansive hospitals to small office renovations.

New Construction Commissioning

ASHRAE 0-2005 defines the commissioning process as: A quality-focused process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that the facility and all its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the Owner’s Project Requirements.
Throughout the process, we do our best to avoid creating Master Issue Lists for the design and construction teams to solve or that the owner must deal with long after the project is complete. It is our goal to work closely with the design and construction teams to assist in resolving 100% of the issues prior to final completion of the project in a timely manner.
At its conclusion, the commissioning process yields a building that performs in a manner consistent with the design. However, this initial commissioning effort by itself will not ensure that systems will continue to operate in this manner over the life of the facility. Building systems and equipment will typically need ‘check-ups’ and ‘tune-ups’ periodically throughout the facility life-cycle.
Our commissioning experience provides expertise in:
• Hospital Facilities
• Education (K-12)
• Higher Education
• Laboratories

Retro-Commissioning

Retro-Commissioning (RCx) is a commissioning process applied to existing buildings in which no commission has been provided. This process seeks to improve how building equipment and systems function together. It often resolves problems which originated during building design or construction. Problems developed during the building’s lifetime can also be addressed.
Typically, this is the most challenging type of commissioning because of the age, documentation and condition of existing systems. This type of commissioning can also be one of the most rewarding commissioning types in both occupant comfort and operational cost savings.
Retro-commissioning begins with constructing as much existing documentation as possible, determining what changes have occurred, and reviewing this information with the maintenance staff and owners’ representation along with the actual operational conditions and facility requirements.
The RCx inspection, diagnostic, and repair process ensures building equipment and systems are operating optimally to meet current occupant needs.

Re-Commissioning

Re-commissioning is a re-optimization process for existing buildings previously commissioned or retro-commissioned. It provides a rigorous investigation to identify problems and integration issues. The primary focus is to identify “low cost/no cost” operational improvements based on the building’s current demands to achieve comfort for occupants and provide energy savings for owners. Re-commissioning can be performed alone or simultaneously with a retrofit project.
The initial commissioning process is critical to ensuring a new facility is turned over to the owner with all systems functioning correctly and efficiently; however, this initial commissioning effort by itself cannot ensure systems will continue to operate optimally over the life of the facility. Building systems and equipment will predictably need ‘check-ups’ and ‘tune-ups’ periodically throughout the facility’s life-cycle. Re-commissioning is performed in order to determine if the original (or modified) building systems perform well enough to meet the owner’s current operational needs. In the event these systems do not meet the demands of the building, re-commissioning will offer viable solutions.

Ongoing Commissioning

Ongoing commissioning is a continuous process that methodically identifies and corrects system problems to maintain optimal building performance. It includes regular measurement and comparative analysis of building energy data over time.
We believe Envision excels in Ongoing Cx. We have the experience to help assess existing equipment, reduce energy use/waste, teach and train facility maintenance personnel, and troubleshoot existing equipment. We also help the owner work within their budget to prioritize how to resolve issues and implement energy conservation measures to save energy.
From conversations with facility directors, we have identified that the inability to make necessary changes for system optimization results from a lack of time. Busy maintenance schedules and unforeseen issues can restrict knowledgeable and well-trained personnel from making vital improvements to resolve issues.
As a result, facilities look to third party consultants to focus solely on Ongoing Commissioning. Our commissioning team has the experience, skills, and knowledge to perform a deep analysis of system operation to ultimately improve systems and save energy while alleviating current and future maintenance issues.