Persistent Commissioning – Residential Building Systems Optimization

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Define commissioning and differentiate between commissioning approaches.
• Understand regulatory requirements and their implications for multifamily housing.
• Identify commissioning tasks for unitary and centralized systems.
• Implement Persistent Commissioning practices to monitor, evaluate, and optimize building systems.
• Detect and remediate common anomalies in HVAC, DHW, and lighting systems.
• Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams to achieve energy efficiency goals. 

This course equips participants with the knowledge and tools to transform commissioning from a one-time event into a continuous process that drives long-term energy savings and operational excellence. Persistent Commissioning improves energy efficiency by ensuring that building systems, such as HVAC, domestic hot water, and controls, operate as designed and remain optimized over time. Keyways persistent commissioning achieves this include:

1. Functional Testing and Calibration: During commissioning, systems are tested to verify proper operation, set points are documented, and sensors are calibrated.  This ensures equipment runs efficiently and avoids energy waste.
2. Identifying and Addressing Anomalies: Persistent commissioning involves ongoing monitoring to detect inefficiencies, such as reheats running unnecessarily, unseasonal heating/cooling, or equipment cycling issues. These anomalies are investigated, remediated, and optimized to reduce energy consumption.
3. Optimization of System Operations: Commissioning allows for adjustments to system settings, such as dynamic discharge air temperature resets or variable flow pumping, to maximize efficiency while meeting operational needs.
4. Preventing Drift and Maintaining Performance: Regular re-testing and retro-commissioning ensure systems stay in commission and do not fall into sub-optimal operation, which can lead to increased energy use.
5. Data-Driven Decision Making: Tools like Energy Management Systems (EMS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS) provide continuous data streams that help identify inefficiencies and guide optimization efforts.

By maintaining vigilance, addressing deficiencies, and optimizing systems, persistent commissioning minimizes energy waste, reduces utility costs, and supports compliance with energy codes and building operators performance mandates.

Introduction to Commissioning:

• Definition and purpose of commissioning in general.
• Overview of commissioning types: Commissioning, Persistent Commissioning (PCx), Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx), Retro Commissioning.
• Key differences and unifying principles across commissioning approaches.

Regulatory Landscape:

• Energy codes, green building standards, and local performance mandates.
• ASHRAE guidelines and International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requirements.
• Benchmarking ordinances and performance disclosure laws.

Commissioning in Multifamily Housing:

• Challenges with unitary systems and tenant-controlled setpoints.
• Centralized HVAC systems vs. unitary systems: advantages, limitations, and commissioning focus.

Persistent Commissioning (PCx):

• Overview of PCx as a continuous improvement process.
• Monitoring, inspecting, evaluating, and optimizing site operations.
• Tools and techniques for sustained attention to building performance.

Commissioning Tools and Techniques:

• Energy Management Systems (EMS), Building Automation Systems (BAS), and ad-hoc data collection networks.
• Manual verification and physical inspections.
• Infrared cameras, combustion testing, and anomaly tracking.

Common Anomalies and Root Cause Analysis:

• Identifying and addressing issues such as reheats, unseasonal heating/cooling, and boiler plant inefficiencies.
• Understanding operational faults in split systems and DX units.

Optimization and Review:

• Strategies for optimizing remediated systems.
• Iterative review processes to ensure sustained performance improvements.

Planning and Team Building:

• Developing an effective MBCx plan with clear goals, roles, and deliverables.
• Building a collaborative team of energy managers, facilities engineers, and executive personnel.

building operators, building owners, property managers, maintenance team, residential energy auditors and energy managers, residential energy facility contractors, etc. 

Please Note: This is an intermediate level course. This 2000 level course, assumes attendees have at least a working understanding of building science topics like HVAC systems and building controls. 

Andrew Vaillencourt is a second-generation energy professional who walked his first facility at the age of twelve. As part of numerous consulting firms, utilities, and ESCO’s, Andrew has provided valuable and actionable energy efficiency services for customers in virtually every type of industry. A frequent speaker at energy events and conferences, Andrew explores the often-predatory marketplace of energy conservation in his book, Silver Bullets: (And Other Energy Efficiency Myths and Magic.  (Available from all fine online booksellers). As president and principal ofSRG Energy Efficiency Services, Andrew continues to serve the energy efficiency marketplace as a trusted consultant, trainer, and building-science subject matter expert. His clients cover a wide swath of the energy and sustainability landscape, including technology start-ups, ESCOs, and sustainability-minded companies all over the world.  In addition, Andrew leads a team that can help commercial & institutional customers with all levels of ASHRAE energy audits, feasibility studies, operation cost assessments, energy modeling, scoping, pricing, and project management, as well as provide owner’s (end user) representation.