Building commissioning: The key to quality assurance

This Guide is written to aid building owners and retrofit project managers currently participating in the Rebuild America program. The Guide provides information on implementing building commissioning projects that will optimize the results of existing building equipment improvements and retrofits projects. It should be used in coordination with Rebuild America`s Community Partnership Handbook. The Handbook describes, in detail, eight important steps necessary for planning and carrying out a community-wide energy-efficiency program. In step number 7 of the Handbook, commissioning is shown to be an integral aspect of implementing a building retrofit. The commissioning process ensures that a facility is safe, efficient, comfortable, and conducive to the presumed activities for which it was constructed. Rebuild America strongly encourages its partners to incorporate commissioning into their retrofit projects. By verifying the correct installation, functioning, operation, and maintenance of equipment, the commissioning process ensures that efficiency measures will continue to deliver benefits over the long term. Although commissioning can take place after the equipment has been installed, it is more effective when it takes place over the entire equipment installation process