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Posted on: 07/31/2001

Using the Building Automation System to Commission Buildings


Lyle E. Willis P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, and Frank Shadpour P.E., Member
ASHRAE
This article proposes a simple, logical process for commissioning hvac systems
through building automation systems (bas'). Commissioning has been widely
promoted as a valuable process to ensure that buildings' hvac systems perform as
originally envisioned. This is particularly true for complex buildings where
sophisticated hvac systems must maintain critical environments.
Commissioning offers the opportunity to integrate and fine-tune all of the building
systems to get the most efficient operation for the entire facility. However, the
commissioning process is only as good as the tools that are used in the process.
The reliability of the meters, gauges, and sensors used to validate the hvac system
directly determines the effectiveness of the commissioning process. With
appropriate design, setup, and validation, the bas is a valuable tool in the overall
building commissioning process. Significant improvements in building efficiencies
can be achieved along with better control of the building environment and fewer
complaints from the building occupants.
Specific examples are cited in this article to illustrate elements of the building
commissioning process using the bas. Specific projects noted include a cleanroom
semiconductor facility and a rare manuscript library housing a priceless collection of
rare books. The concepts presented can be applied for commissioning any facility.

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.

There is one item that is often forgotten or simply taken for


granted - the "bas as a tool for commissioning" the entire hvac
system.
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:
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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
Table 1. These project phases and the commissioning steps are
for
applicable to any project where building automation systems are
commissioningused as a tool in the building commissioning process. The specific
any facility.
tasks and target steps can be adapted to suit each particular
project.
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.

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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:
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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?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 general 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
Table 2. A summary of the four steps of commissioning ddc
provide an
systems.
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. ES

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).

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.

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