Commissioning

WHAT IS COMMISSIONING?
Commissioning is a process meant to ensure that the Owner’s requirements for the systems being commissioned are documented, and are accurately reflected in the design. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the commissioning agent to verify the commissioned systems are installed properly and perform according to the Owner’s intent.

WHAT CAN BE COMMISSIONED?
ANY building or campus system or feature can be commissioned.  A partial list includes:

• Building Envelope
• Conveying Equipment
• Fire Suppression/Fire Alarm Systems
• Plumbing Systems
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Systems
• Building Automation Systems
• Electrical Systems
• Communications
• Electronic Safety & Security
• Utilities
• Mass Notification Systems

Lutz Engineering specializes in the commissioning of mechanical systems and building automation systems, although we have commissioned many other types, including electrical systems and emergency power systems.  Our personnel hold the Certified Commissioning Authority designation awarded by the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG) and are LEED^® Accredited Professionals under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification program.  Our team consists of building and engineering professionals with unique experiences and expertise, providing a well-rounded team for our clients.

New Construction
Lutz Engineering has commissioned over 300 new construction and systemic renovation projects. Project types commissioned include K-12, higher education, municipal facilities, libraries, laboratories, hospitals, manufacturing plants, office buildings, retail spaces and mission critical facilities.

Existing Building/Retro-Commissioning:
Retro-commissioning is performed on buildings at any point following initial occupancy.  Occupied buildings, even those previously commissioned, frequently experience changes in use and operation over time that result in unsatisfactory building performance and unnecessary energy consumption.

Retro-commissioning is uniquely challenging in that the ‘design intent’ for the systems must be established before test plans can be created.  This process involves gathering all original and retrofit/renovation documents for the systems being commissioned, interviewing operations personnel when possible, and organizing the information so the design intent can be re-established and used as the basis for creating test plans.

LEED Commissioning
Lutz Engineering has provided Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning services on more than 30 LEED projects. We are adept at working with LEED Online and developing LEED documentation like the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) and Systems Manual.