Achieving LEED Certification with Commissioning Efforts

What is LEED?

LEED Requirements for Commissioning
LEED Commissioning Prerequisite: Fundamental Commissioning
- Review the owner’s project requirements (OPR), basis of design (BOD), and project design.
- Develop and implement a Cx plan.
- Confirm incorporation of Cx requirements into the construction documents.
- Develop construction checklists.
- Develop a system test procedure.
- Verify system test execution.
- Maintain an issues and benefits log throughout the Cx process.
- Prepare a final Cx process report.
- Document all findings and recommendations and report directly to the owner throughout the process.
- A sequence of operations for the building
- The building occupancy schedule
- Equipment run-time schedules
- Setpoints for all HVAC equipment
- Set lighting levels throughout the building
- Minimum outside air requirements
- Any changes in schedules or setpoints for different seasons, days of the week, and times of day
- A systems narrative describing the mechanical and electrical systems and equipment
- A preventive maintenance plan for building equipment described in the systems narrative
- A commissioning program that includes periodic commissioning requirements, ongoing commissioning tasks, and continuous tasks for critical facilities

LEED Commissioning Credit Opportunity: Enhanced Commissioning
Option 1 - Enhanced Systems Commissioning
Option 1 - Enhanced Systems Commissioning is comprised of two separate paths. Path 1: Enhanced Commissioning is worth 3 points and requires the commissioning authority to complete the following.
- Review contractor submittals.
- Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents.
- Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
- Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
- Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
- Verify seasonal testing.
- Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
- Develop an on-going commissioning plan.
- Include all enhanced commissioning tasks in the OPR and BOD.
Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning is worth 4 points if the team develops a monitoring-based plan to measure and evaluate the performance of energy- and water-consuming systems and all of the Path 1 requirements are satisfied. The procedures and measurement points in the monitoring-based plan must include the following.
- Roles and responsibilities
- Measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access)
- The points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring
- The limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values)
- The elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles
- An action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies
- Training to prevent errors; planning for repairs needed to maintain performance
- The frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly)
Option 2 - Building Enclosure Commissioning
Option 2 - Building Enclosure Commissioning is worth 2 points, bringing the total number of possible points for Enhanced Commissioning to 6 points. It can be completed with Option 1 or separately.
The team must fulfill the requirements of Fundamental Commissioning as they relate to the building's thermal envelope and complete the following commissioning tasks for the building's thermal envelope in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0 and ASTM E2947-16: Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning.
- Review contractor submittals.
- Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents for enclosure systems.
- For specialty enclosure systems with controls and automation:
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- Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
- Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
- Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
- Verify seasonal testing.
- Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
- Develop an on-going enclosure commissioning plan for maintenance, renewal, and revitalization cycles.
Frequently Asked LEED Commissioning Questions
What is a LEED commissioning authority?
To be compliant with LEED requirements, the CxA must have the following qualifications:
- Have commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work, from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy.
- Be an employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project's design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team.
- For projects smaller than 20,000 square feet (1,860 square meters), the CxA may be a qualified design or construction team member. The CxA must report their findings directly to the owner in all cases.
Is commissioning a LEED requirement?
What is the difference between enhanced and fundamental commissioning?
CxPlanner, be compliant and efficient with your commissioning process.
