Jun 17, 2010
A “Game Changer” for Commissioning Providers, Constructors and Engineers
I recently attended the ACG Annual Conference on Total Building Commissioning in Las Vegas, NV. One presentation provided information that was categorized as a “game changer” for commissioning providers, constructors and engineers alike.
Signed into law and effective January 1, 2011, California has adopted the California High Performance Green Standards Building Code. What is significant about this is that ASHRAE, USGBC, IES and ICC have developed an almost identical document published this year–ASHRAE Standard 189, Design of High Performance Green Buildings.
What is ASHRAE 189? Simply put, it is an ANSI standard developed in model code language designed to provide code-enforceable mandatory minimum requirements for high-performance green buildings.
“Applicable to new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, it will address energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water use efficiency, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. Standard 189P will become the benchmark for all sustainable green buildings in the United States because it is being developed for inclusion into building codes,” said ASHRAE President Terry Townsend.
The groups developing this standard–USGBC, ASHRAE, ICC, ICBO, BOCA and others–intend that this standard become an integral part of the next version of building codes published in the United States. Of course adoption of these codes in whole (or in part) is the prerogative of each municipality, yet the tenets of ASHRAE 189 will significantly impact the design and construction industry in the years to come.
Some highlights:
Many of the LEED components familiar to constructors and designers of commercial buildings will become code.
Comprehensive commissioning for buildings over 5,000 SF is required by code.
• All water-consuming elements must be commissioned including irrigation.
• The commissioning authority will verify all IAQ requirements through the construction process.
• Envelope commissioning is mandatory. Building envelope systems, components and assemblies to verify air tightness, thermal and moisture integrity.
• Measurement devices with remote communication capability shall be provided to collect energy consumption data. This requires that buildings be circuited segregating HVAC, lighting and process electrical loads so that energy can be monitored and projected energy performance can be verified.
Of course there are many other important elements to ASHRAE Standard 189 that affect all members of the design-build team. To learn more go to: www.ashrae.org/greenstandard
Raymond A. Dodd, P.E., CxA, LEED AP possesses a wide breadth of experience, totaling more than 25 years, in the mechanical facilities field with extensive knowledge of commercial, industrial, institutional and high-technology mechanical facilities systems. He is a skilled project manager proficient at handling the logistic, technical and communications challenges required in the commissioning, construction, design and sales process. He has been the owner of an HVAC service company, which has given him hands-on experience and provided him with additional insight into constructability of his designs as well as the issues faced by owners and facilities personnel throughout the commissioning process. He has worked as a consulting engineer and directed the engineering group for a large national mechanical design/build company and served as a LEED™ commissioning engineer.