Whole building design and commissioning takes a holistic approach to ensure proper operation, maintenance and performance of building systems. It involves integrated design of building envelope and mechanical systems using a multi-disciplinary team. Commissioning identifies deficiencies, ensures systems meet design intent, and provides risk management by detecting and correcting problems early. It results in lower operating costs, increased productivity and reduced liability.

1. Whole Building Design
& Cx Issues
The “holistic” approach to operating,
maintaining & commissioning a facility

2. Opportunity
“Commissioning America” in a decade is an ambitious
goal, but achievable and consistent with this
country’s aspirations to simultaneously address
energy and environmental issues while creating jobs
and stimulating sustainable economic activity.
(These benefits can only be realized through integrated
approach to designing and commissioning buildings)

3. Our Philosophy
• Buildings are made up of numerous components which should create
an integrated, efficient and easily maintainable whole. This integration
and the attention paid to achieving it is what makes buildings perform
as designed.
• We believe that it takes a “multi-disciplined” team to achieve this goal.
A complete understanding of how all of the components of a building
operate as a whole is critical to achieving a building that works.
• Our team consists of engineers, architects, test & balance personnel
and indoor air quality, building envelope, roof and other component
specialists. This allows us to practice strict quality control from the
design phase to final occupancy on both new and existing buildings.

4. Integrated & Holistic Approach

5. Commissioning as Risk Management
• Commissioning is more than “just another pretty energy-saving
measure.”
• It is a risk-management strategy that should be integral to any
systematic approach to garnering energy savings or emissions
reductions.
- Ensures that a building owners get what they pay for when
constructing or retrofitting buildings
- Provides insurance for policymakers and program managers
that their initiatives actually meet targets
- Detects and corrects problems that would eventually surface as
far more costly maintenance or safety issues.

6. Green Building Solutions
• Whether your goal is LEED, Energy Star, Green Globes or
simply having a building which is safe, durable, energy efficient
and environmentally responsible, we can help. Our staff
includes:
– L.E.E.D. Accredited Professionals (NC & EB)
– Energy Star Partners
– Certified TAB Professionals
– Board Certified Indoor Air Quality Professionals
– Building Enclosure Specialists
– Engineering & Architectural Support

7. What Is LEED-EB
• LEED for Existing Buildings maximizes operational efficiency
while minimizing environmental impacts. It provides a
recognized, performance-based benchmark for building owners
and operators to measure operations, improvements and
maintenance on a consistent scale. LEED for Existing Buildings
is a road map for delivering economically profitable,
environmentally responsible, healthy, productive places to live
and work.
• Our specialty is measuring and documenting building
performance. Our consultants are LEED AP’s with experience in
LEED-NC and LEED-EB

8. Why Commission?
Is There a Need?
Building problems (a.k.a. “deficiencies”) are pervasive
• Design flaws; Construction defects; Malfunctioning equipment;
Deferred maintenance
• Don’t shoot the messenger: problems a combined result of
fragmentation/specialization of trades, “value” engineering,
,increasingly complex building design and operation
requirements, lack of clear design-intent documentation and
performance targets, etc.
• Not attending to problems can cause:
– Discomfort --> Eroded productivity, absenteeism
– Indoor air quality problems
– Premature equipment failure
– Litigation
– Excessive energy and construction costs

9. Typical Approach to LEED and Building
Cx
• Most A/E firms approach LEED program and Cx from
an office based perspective
• Design, Submittal, O&M Review, electronic
submission of info to USGBC
• All of this is necessary and a valuable function.
• Typically done very efficiently by A/E groups.

10. Typical Void
• A/E groups typically leave field services to other
groups – Installing contractors, TAB group, ATC
group, CxA.
• Lack of field experience with installed systems and
most importantly, interaction of building envelope and
mechanical systems.
• Hidden problems typically STAY hidden until years
down the road.

11. Hidden Problems
• Long term problems that arise from seemingly small
items that go undetected for many years – envelope
air leakage adding unnecessary and unplanned loads
to HVAC systems, leading to condensation problems,
and eventually mold.
• May occur in buildings that have had LEED
certification

12. TAB Problems
• Many TAB reports that are
false – conflict of interest for
TAB specialist to work for
mechanical contractor
• TAB reports that are
accurate, but building
envelope has been
overlooked.

13. Potential Problems/Unresolved Issues
• Control systems don’t realize their full potential or
even design intent.
• Building Degradation & HVAC Systems premature
failure and underperformance.
• Nuisance repairs in year 1 warranty period that
typically address symptom and not cause.
• Chronic, long term enclosure degradation, moisture
problems, litigation, increased maintenance costs.

14. Save a Little Now, Pay A lot Later
A recent study of an
elementary school showed
that if $8,140 had been
spent over 22 years on
preventive maintenance,
$1.5 million in repairs could
have been avoided.
-Minnesota Dept. of
Education

15. Oversights Cost $$
• The cost of oversights during
and after construction can add
significant costs to the operation
& maintenance of the building.
• This image shows poor thermal
boundary (open to conditioned
space) A 2 mph draft was
measured in attic coming from
conditioned space. This adds to
energy inefficiency and also
creates building degradation
and IAQ issues.

16. HVAC & The Building Envelope
• Fundamental understanding of each of these
systems is critical
• Knowledge of how they should, can, and do interact
with each other.
• Knowledge of how to test their performance,
individually and interactively.

17. HVAC Systems
• Structural – system mounting, orientation
• Ducting –airflow
• Piping – water, fuel flow
• Refrigeration knowledge, compressors
• Venting, combustion, AFUE
• Controls & Automation
• Electrical power flow & requirements
• Performance Testing Knowledge

18. Skill Sets
• Mechanical systems are wide ranging in terms of
types and can be very complex.
• Designers and contractors typically have areas of
specific expertise.
• Many projects do not have their project requirements
matched with designers and /or contractors who have
specific expertise in those skill sets.
• This makes field performance testing a good value
for owner as it identifies inadequacies early.

19. HVAC Underperformance
• Various national studies by EPA, DOE, ASHRAE, NCI, BPI,
LBNL, and USGBC show staggering statistics on building
performance.
• Residential and Light Commercial HVAC systems perform within
10% of their design intent in less than 1% of American buildings
(when including impact of building envelope).
• Many operate at below 50% of design intent.
• Many installations have not considered indoor air quality.

20. You Can’t See Air
• Airflow problems in buildings are the single largest
contributor to HVAC system underperformance.
• Often times, even in Cx’d buildings, HVAC systems
do not achieve their potential because the building
envelope deficiencies go undetected.
• Airflows must FIRST be identified. Airflows cannot be
successfully controlled until they have been
successfully identified. This is a common failure in
TAB reports.

21. Commissioning Scope: Existing
Buildings
• Develop or update design intent documentation
• Plan
• Utility analysis, benchmarking
• Trend analysis
• Building modeling
• Findings
• Estimate benefits from interventions
• Update system documentation (e.g. control sequences)
• O&M improvements
• Capital improvements (grey zone)
• Monitor fixes
• Measure impacts
• Systems manual/re-commissioning manual

22. Cx Costs
Existing Buildings
• Cost: $0.27/ft2 • Median NEBs: $0.18/ft2
• Deficiencies: 11 per building
• Energy Savings: 15%
• Payback: 8.5 months
New Construction
• Cost: $1.00/ft2 • Median NEBs: $1.24/ft2
• Deficiencies: 28 per building
• Payback: 4.8 years
• Cost-effective over range of energy intensities, bldg types, sizes, locations
• Most successful: energy-intensive buildings
• Cost-effective outcomes harder in small buildings
• Energy savings rise with more thorough commissioning
– Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

23. Commissioning Provides Proper
Diagnosis
Avoid the “Quick Fix” Fixing
the symptoms of a building or
system problem without
determining and addressing the
root causes may provide
dramatic and immediate
savings, but these savings are
not likely to persist, and the
symptoms may reappear

24. Benefits of Total Commissioning
• Design intent met & • Entities are fully
documented accountable for quality
• Lower overall operating of their work
& maintenance costs • Meet owners project
• Reduced liability requirements through
• Increased productivity testing & verification

25. Affiliations

26. New Construction
• Don’t Assume!!
• This design allowed roof water
to runoff at wall. The lower roof
was designed to abut parapet
from larger roof. No kick-out
flashing was used to direct
water away from parapet.
• Result – damaged parapet
membrane, interior damage,
mold, litigation potential.
• This could have easily been
avoided.

27. Poor Design
• Staining in interstitial space
shows stains from moisture
running down sheathing and
steel stud framing.
N ! !!
• This exterior wall consisted of
brick exterior, 7/8” airspace, ½”
DE SIG
OR
gypsum sheathing, steel stud
framing with paper faced
fiberglass batts and ½ interior
PO
gypsum wallboard.

28. Poor Design
• Enclosure design allowed for
excessive air leakage, poor
thermal performance, no drying
capacity.
• Result – condensation damage,
structural degradation, mold,
indoor air quality problems.
• A plan review found inadequate
capacity of this wall system to
dry properly.
• This building showed everything
building science has found
causes problems.

29. Is There Help for Bad Design?
YES…Good Field Oversight

30. Envelope Commissioning Pays for Itself
A recent study (June 2005) by the US Department of
Commerce and US Department of Energy showed
the energy impact of improving envelope airtightness
in U.S. commercial buildings.
It predicted potential annual and cooling energy cost
savings ranging between 3% to 36% with the higher
savings in the heating dominated climates with
potential gas savings of greater than 40% and
electrical savings of grater than 25%.

31. Humidity Control
Architect and Owner should
recognize that the foundation of
humidity control is a tight
building. Without that
foundation, humidity control will
be very difficult and costly to
achieve, no matter how well-
designed the HVAC system
might be.
Humidity Control Design Guide for Commercial and Institutional Buildings. Harriman, Brundrett, and Kittler. American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. ISBN 1-883413-98-2.

32. The Missing Link?
The HVAC designer has a pivotal role in avoiding infiltration of
unconditioned air through the building envelope. Avoiding such
leakage is essential to preventing moisture damage to the
building, and essential to maintaining control of humidity in
occupied spaces
Humidity Control Design Guide for Commercial and Institutional Buildings. Harriman, Brundrett, and Kittler. American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. ISBN 1-883413-98-2.

33. What Is IAQ?
• Introduction and distribution of adequate ventilation air
• Control of airborne contaminants
• Maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity
For IAQ Problems, Four Factors Are Needed…
• A source of contaminants
• A person(s) affected by this source
• A pathway for the transport of the contaminant(s)
• A driving source (e.g. air movement) to transport the contaminant from source to
host
The HVAC System Plays a Critical Role in Three of The Four Requirements

34. How Does IAQ Affect You?
Failure to respond promptly and effectively to IAQ problems can have
consequences such as:
• increasing health problems such as cough, eye irritation, headache,
and allergic reactions, and, in some rare cases, resulting in life-
threatening conditions (e.g., Legionnaire’s disease, carbon monoxide
poisoning)
• reducing productivity due to discomfort or increased absenteeism
• accelerating deterioration of furnishings and equipment
• straining relations between landlords and tenants, employers and
employees
• creating negative publicity that could put rental properties at a
competitive disadvantage
• opening potential liability problems (Note: Insurance policies tend to
exclude pollution-related claims)

35. Energy v IAQ…Are Both Possible?

36. One Change; Affects Many Systems
Indoor air quality in a large
building is the product of
multiple influences, and
attempts to bring problems
under control do not always
produce the expected result.

37. De-Pressurization Problems

38. HVAC Design IS AFFECTED by
Envelope Leakage
Measured leakage rates in 70 commercial buildings (Cummings et al.1996)
Cummings, J. B. C. B. Withers,C.B, N. Moyer, P. Fairey, B. McKendry.1996. “Uncontrolled air flow in non-residential buildings.” Final Report of FSEC, FSEC-
CR-878-96. Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, Fla.

39. BE PROACTIVE!!!

40. Modeling Is Important in Design Phase

41. Getting The Performance You Pay For

42. Poor Design
• Roof draining directly into cast
stone façade.
• Added kick-out flashing to direct
water away from the cast stone
facing.
• This is one of the problems
when excessive roof lines are
used in design.
• Pay attention to the small
details!!

43. Poor Design
• Protrusions and gaps. This is
not good when it comes to
keeping moisture out of your
building.
• Water loves to enter buildings
from ledges where it can sit until
it gains access.
• The next slide shows the result
of such building practices.

44. Poor Design
• Infrared thermography used to
locate leakage before opening
wall.
• The O.S.B. sheathing was
found to be saturated, mold
covered and structurally
damaged as a result of water
penetrating from protrusion at
window trim.
• Costly design.

45. Poor Design Results

46. Understanding The Problems
• Why Buildings Leak
– Changes-in-plane
– Changes in materials
– Poor design
– Good workmanship based on poor design
– Poor workmanship based on good design
– Time weighted demise of critical components in the presence of
minimal maintenance
– Inappropriate material selection
– Value engineering (This is becoming all too common in Cleveland
Market)

47. Avoid Waste (Save Our Trees)
• Wasted dollars on wasted
materials
• Thermal bridging issues
(condensation)
• Convective heat losses
• Reduced whole wall R values
• This particular job was framed
in this manner throughout
• This IS NOT GREEN Building
technique!!!!

48. Understand The Problems
• Profit over Performance is the
precedent.
• Poorly trained technicians
• Poor oversight on the jobsite
• More difficult designs, less
qualified installers = poor
performing buildings
• Using the right materials and
trained installers could alleviate
many building problems

49. Corrugated Acoustical Roof Decking
Batts Insulation
Roof Insulation
Concrete Block Wall Air Pathways

50. Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
About 50% of total flow,
in this measured test by
Florida Solar Energy Center

51. Leaky Ducts in Unconditioned Space

52. Does Your Building Suck?

53. Air Leakage Is a Priority
• Many designers and inspectors
pay more attention to vapor
diffusion than to air leakage.
• Diffusion of moisture is small
compared to the amount of
moisture carried by air leakage.
• Air leakage is one of the
costliest deficiencies in
buildings.
• Results of excessive air leakage
are lost energy, building
degradation, mold and other iaq
issues.

54. Cx Trouble Spots During Construction

55. Thermal Bridging Concerns Addressed
During Envelope Cx

56. Moisture Management
• “Moisture Damage Contributes to 90% of All Building and
Building Material Failures” (ASHRAE)
• “Moisture Leading Cause of Building Problems Costing More
Than $9 Billion Annually in U.S.” (ASTM)
• “Moisture Will Replace Asbestos as the Most Frequently
Mentioned Topic in Building Litigation” (C. Gaal, NJ
Investigation Commission Counsel)
– Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (U.S.DOE)

57. Conception through Occupancy
• Moisture issues must be considered from the building
conception stage
• This consideration must continue through design, construction
and O & M phases
• Model building conditions and construction at design phase to
spot potential problem areas
• All flashings, laps, drainage planes, slopes, drip edges must be
clearly detailed and dimensioned in drawings
• Project oversight is critical during the installation of these critical
details (third party is best)

58. Don’t Rely on Prescriptive Methods
• Without third party verification of the performance of the building
enclosure there will likely be problems later on
• Don’t assume that items complying with the code will properly
function in the field
• Always assume that mistakes will be made during installations
(this is the reason for third party verification)
• Finding problems during commissioning is much more cost
effective that finding them after building is completed and much
cheaper to correct
• Pay special attention to the air barrier (this can reduce many
moisture and energy related concerns)

59. Looks Good, Performs Bad

60. Looks Good, Performs Bad

61. The Outdoor Connection

62. The Outdoor Connection

63. Hardiplank Siding Issues

64. Hardiplank Issues

65. HEALTHcare Facilities?
• The following photo’s were all taken during projects we have
performed in healthcare facilities.

66. Condensation Potential?

67. Frozen Refrigerant Lines in Ceiling

68. No Insulation = Condensation = Mold

69. Poor Maintenance = Poor Indoor Air
Quality (PTAK Unit in Nursing Home)

70. Poor Design of Refrigerator in Healthcare
Facility = Mold/Water Damage

71. Condensation Resulting From Leaky
Envelope; Un-insulated Plumbing

72. Façade Failure = Costly
Water/Environmental Problems

73. The Price of Procrastination

74. Early Signs of Water Penetration
Through Enclosure

75. Ensuing Damage From Unaddressed
Roof Leak

76. Outdoors WRT Indoors (Vinyl
Wallpaper)

77. Church (Classrooms & Nursery)

78. Moisture damage Due To Poor
Enclosure Design

79. Significant Damage Visible; More
Damage Hidden in Interstitial Space

80. More Cost Saving Results from Building
Management

81. We Covered Those Pesty Holes (Weeps)
in The Wall

82. Value Engineering…Lay-off Supervision

83. Condensation Potential?

84. Condensation Potential?

85. Condensation (Diffusion or Air
Leakage?)

86. All That Moisture (Air Movement =
Moisture) Requires “Holistic” Approach

87. Stack Effect

88. Inattention to Pressure Causes Major
Problems.

89. Envelope/HVAC Pressure Connection

90. Measure, Don’t Guess

91. Measure, Don’t Guess

92. TVOC Chart

93. Log All Conditions for Holistic
Evaluation

94. Modeling

95. Tying It All Together
• BAS Systems today can do
much more than controlling
HVAC systems
• Often plagued by problems
which lead to under utilization
and under performance
• Control issues lead the list of
systems found deficient during
commissioning
• A BAS can make
commissioning more precise,
can also aid in LEED issues

96. FACP Systems
• Fire Alarm Controls may
either be tied to BAS or
operate independently
• Additional layer of controls
which require commissioning
• Linked to HVAC system
operation, damper control,
elevator recall, etc.
• Problems here can also lead
to problems elsewhere

97. Daylighting & Controls
• Lighting control
commissioning is
critical to energy
savings
• Lighting control
failures are often
related to lack of
proper commissioning
• May or may not be
tied to BAS

98. Motor Alignment
• Poor energy
performance
• Premature wear
• Poor life-cycle
performance
• Excessive
maintenance costs

99. Why Are Buildings Failing?
• There are no easy answers to that question. Our experience indicates
that some of the more important reasons include:
– More difficult systems, less qualified installers
– Poor understanding of holistic building functions
– Single System approaches to energy, moisture problems, comfort,
etc.
– Poor understanding of building automation & controls
– Lack of Whole Building Commissioning Agents
– Limited building science and enclosure specialists
– First Cost mentality of many building owners
– Not fully grasping potential problems, costs and liabilities

100. Thank You!!