Hacia una conciencia histórica de la docencia como profesión

Overview

This section is one of the most challenging sections because it is very technical. The Energy and Atmosphere category can earn more points than any other category; 33 points of 110 possible points, or 30% of the entire application. Once you master the concepts of designing and building LEED energy systems with balanced atmospheric impacts, you will better understand the relationship between mechanical ventilation and GHG impacts.

The knowing of how a building serves your productivity and comfort needs, grows your strength of confidence in joining the movement to evolve success for all beings; humans, their systems, and the planet (and her systems).

Therefore, Energy and Atmosphere addresses a number of areas:

 Energy Performance, How well your building’s energy performs in design versus the baseline case. Predicted.

 Tracking Energy Performance, including feedback devices; commissioning the building, and metering.

 Demand Response, Peak grid events. This is cutting edge, despite LEED’s 12+

years of market presence.

 Refrigerant Management, CFC-based refrigerants in buildings.

 Renewable Energy, On-site or community scale based renewables.

 Green Power and Carbon Offsets, Mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through the use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies and carbon sequestration projects.

Scorecard

The Energy & Atmosphere credit category has 4 prerequisites and 7 credits. Four of the credits build upon the prerequisites.

 EA Prerequisite 1: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification

 EA Credit 1: Enhanced Commissioning

 EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance

 EA Credit 2: Optimize Energy Performance

 EA Prerequisite 3: Building level energy metering

 EA Credit 3: Advance Energy Metering

 EA Prerequisite 4: Fundamental Refrigerant Management

 EA Credit 6: Enhanced Refrigerant Management

 EA Credit 4: Demand Response

 EA Credit 5: Renewable Energy Production

 EA Credit 7: Green power and carbon offsets

EA Prerequisite 1 | Fundamental Commissioning and Verification

The intent is to support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project to meet the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Following the trend that lots of green building techniques are now becoming minimum building code; Commissioning (Cx) is mandated in some parts of the country. In the past, project teams would say ‘We don’t want to do LEED because we don’t want to pay for an expensive energy model or commissioning.” Whereas now, qualified and

credentialed Commissioning Agents (CxA) are thriving around the quality assurance concept of a third party review of HVAC systems, domestic hot water, daylighting, and lighting controls. In 2015, there are buildings and institutions that may not pursue LEED, but they pay professionals for Energy Modeling and Cx services because they see the value in it.

Concept Process

First, the owner documents their expectations, or project requirements. The owner’s project requirements (OPR) is a written document detailing the functional requirements of a project and the expectations of the building’s use and operation as they relate to the systems to be commissioned.

Typical System List

 HVAC systems | Mechanical AND passive

 Electric Systems | Lighting and daylighting controls

 Plumbing Systems | Domestic hot water systems

 Onsite renewable energy systems | Wind, solar, gas-if applicable

 Building Envelope | Acknowledge in document, but implementation not required

 Optional | Life safety systems, communications and data systems, fire protection systems, and process equipment.

The Engineers ensure that the OPR is met in their drawings and specifications as they develop the basis of design (BOD). The basis of design describes the systems to be commissioned and outlines any design assumptions that are not otherwise included in the design documents, such as assemblies, and systems. The CxA joins here to begin drawing reviews.

The field-commissioning happens after the contractors build the building. The CxA functionally inspects all the systems in the BOD against the OPR. A report is made.

Referenced Standards

The standards used for the prerequisite is ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1–2007 for HVAC&R Systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability. This is the guide that will be followed when commissioning the required systems.

NIBS Guideline 3-2012 for Exterior Enclosures provides additional guidance on the requirements for exterior closures.

Requirements

The commissioning authority (CxA) must do the following:

 Review the OPR, BOD, and project design.

 Develop and implement a commissioning plan.

 Confirm incorporation of commissioning 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 commissioning process.

 Prepare a final commissioning process report.

 Document all findings and recommendations and report directly to the owner throughout the process.

The review of the exterior enclosure design may be performed by a qualified member of the design or construction team (or an employee of that firm) who is not directly

responsible for design of the building envelope.

Commissioning Authority

For fundamental commissioning, the commissioning authority must have experience in at least 2 building projects. The individual must be independent of the project’s design and construction team. The individual reports results and findings directly to the owner. If the project is less than 20,000 square feet (1,860 square meters) the commissioning authority may be on the design or construction team. In essence LEED is setting these rules to avoid conflicts of interest.

There are exceptions to these rules as you get into smaller projects, so be familiar with those rules if you plan to document the prerequisite. The matrix in your Reference Guide describes the conditions and qualifications for who can be a commissioning authority and their responsibilities. The commissioning authority provides third party verification, and if they are the ones doing the design your project will not get objectivity.

In the same sense, if they are the person installing the products, they may not be doing the balancing or testing required that a Commissioning Agent would look for. There is some separation needed. In general, LEED wants them to be contracted directly with the owner.

Ongoing Operations and Maintenance Plan

The CxA, with the help of the project team, must prepare and maintain a current facilities requirements and operations and management plan. This document facilitates transition from construction to occupancy. It is a technical manual describing how the facilities manager can operate the building efficiently. The plan needs to include:

 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; and

 a commissioning program that includes periodic commissioning requirements, ongoing commissioning tasks, and continuous tasks for critical facilities.

The O&M staff training plan should be developed by the contractor and reviewed by the commissioning authority to ensure that all systems to be commissioned are covered.

OPR Development and System Design

The Commissioning Agent and the Project Team coordinate a scope based on the owner project requirements. Remember those owner project requirements can start in simple narrative style. For instance, “This room will be a warehouse, workers stand and operate forklifts. I need it to be at least 68 degrees.” The owner would indicate certain light levels needed in the rooms and any other experiential descriptions. These are very basic criteria and then they get pushed into fuller descriptions in the basis of design.

The Owner’s Project Requirements should be developed either by the Owner or by the Commissioning authority with direct input from the Owner. If your project is going to attempt the Integrative Process credit the OPR would be developed alongside of this in one of the design workshops at the start of the project.

This document should describe the requirements of the project ranging from the building usage and area requirements, to the expected HVAC setpoints. The more information that is identified in this document, the better understanding the design team will have when developing the building size, layout, and systems for the project.

Some of the elements that should be included in the OPR are as follows: Applicable codes required, detailed anticipated occupancy schedule, number of expected occupants, temperature and humidity requirements, specific thermal zoning requirements, HVAC, lighting, plumbing fixture, and water heating system types preferred (if known), controls system requirements for lighting and HVAC, energy savings goals, LEED certification level desired, project schedule, budget considerations, and operations and maintenance requirements.

BOD Development

During the schematic design or design development phase of the project (depending on size/scope), the OPR should be consulted by the design team. This should lead to the design team creating the Basis of Design document. This document will indicate how the project building will meet the OPR. The document includes assumptions about the design decisions, and may include:

 Overview of system assemblies

 Expectations of systems and performance criteria

 Descriptions of systems and how they will operate

 Codes and standards the design was based off of

 Owner’s directives about how the facility will be used

 “Concepts, calculations, decisions, and product selections; the specific design methods, techniques, and software used in design; information regarding ambient conditions (climatic, geologic, structural, existing construction) used during design; and specific manufacturer makes and models used as the basis of design for drawings and specifications.”

 Revision history of the document

After the team has confirmed that the OPR can be met by the BOD, the design team begins the design process and moves towards the construction documents. Prior to the 50% construction document phase, the Commissioning authority should perform a thorough review of the progress drawings against the OPR and BOD documents. This will ensure that the design is on track to meet all OPR’s and provide a step in the process to ask questions about accessibility, functionality, energy efficiency, and other long-term Owner related issues.

Direction for the commissioning team is provided by assembling the documentation of the OPR at the inception of a project and the proper transfer of this information from one party to the next throughout the building delivery process. The Commissioning Process has been structured to coincide with the phases of a generic project with Pre- Design, Design, Construction, Occupancy and Operations phases. Beginning the commissioning process at project inception will maximize benefits and minimize the cost.

The entire goal of commissioning is to provide a building that is not only designed and built with the OPR in mind, but one that is maintainable and has the lowest possible operating costs following completion and turnover.

Commissioning Process

Document and commission all systems outlined in the prerequisite. Documenting system design is the responsibility of the design engineer. The CxA reviews the drawings and appropriate submittals against the ORP and BOD. Functional commissioning includes verifying proper installation of products, testing, and training on the products.

Everybody - owners, users, architects - should be involved in this process.

The commissioning plan is a document that describes the systems to be commissioned, the commissioning team and their roles and responsibilities, the schedule of events, equipment startup and functional performance test procedures, and O&M staff training requirements.

Incorporating the commissioning requirements into the CDs (construction documents equals plans and specs) includes adding commissioning specifications to the project.

This details contractor expectations to include in the project pricing, covering all the aspects of the commissioning plan. In addition to the commissioning specifications, the construction documents should also include in detail the components in the system necessary to allow Test and Balance and Commissioning of the system. This includes sensors, test ports, and control points that will make testing possible.

System verification checklists (startup forms) and functional performance testing procedures are created by the commissioning authority (or design team) for use in the construction process. This can be developed either before or after CDs, but early in the construction process. When created by the commissioning authority, these forms should be reviewed by the design team and contractor prior to incorporation into the construction process to ensure it matches both the design intent and best practices.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Designate commissioning authority

2. Establish Owner Project Requirements (OPR) and Basis of Design (BOD) 3. The commissioning authority reviews OPR and BOD

4. Develop and implement the Commissioning Plan

5. Incorporate Commissioning Requirements into the Construction Documents 6. Develop construction checklists

7. Develop a system test procedure 8. Verify system test execution

9. Maintain a log that documents issues and benefits 10. Complete a summary commissioning report

Timeline

The commissioning authority must be engaged by the end of the design development phase. That’s a requirement for the prerequisite. It needs to be someone that week-to-week is part of the team to get the best possible product.

Create transparency by incorporating commissioning into construction documents. This is formal set of plans used as the basis for construction. At the end of construction, execute the commissioning plan by verifying installation and performance of system. The design and construction team should remain engaged and perform any corrective actions as required in the initial findings. Then, publish a summary commissioning report.

This is a logical progression of what the owner wants. Design to their vision, then incorporate the vision into the documents, and execute a commissioning plan to ensure the vision is a reality. It is very advantageous to start the commissioning process as soon as possible in the project schedule. By having a Commissioning Authority involved in

the project early, that person can help ask questions of the Owner’s expectations and help steer the design process to match those expectations.

EA Credit 1 | Enhanced Commissioning

Who the commissioning authority can be is different between the credit and prerequisite.

For the credit, the CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm nor a subcontractor to the construction firm. It’s important to note the differences.

Requirements

In addition to the Fundamental Commissioning, you would implement extra steps for increased oversight and document review.

 Review Submittals

 Train Operations Team

 10 month post-occupancy visit

The commissioning authority must be leading, reviewing, and overseeing the commissioning process.

This credit has 2 options based on scope of systems.

Option 1 enhanced systems commissioning can earn 3 to 4 points.

And/or

Option 2 envelope commissioning can earn 2 points.

Option 1 – Path 1

Option 1 enhanced systems commissioning has 2 paths for achievement.

Path 1 enhanced commissioning can earn 3 points.

The commissioning authority must review and check submittals in accordance with the OPR and BOD. The review must be concurrent with the review of the architect or engineer of record.

Verify the systems manual. This is something is nice for optimal performance of the building.

While it's recommended in Fundamental Commissioning that you train people, it's mandatory and you have to verify that personnel were trained as part of Enhanced commissioning.

Occupancy Phase

The big part of Enhanced Commissioning is a 10 month follow-up after substantial completion. The idea behind this being is that it occurs within the warranty period for all of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing fixtures. In this process the commissioning authority goes through and determines how the system is working. This is a smart idea as far as tuning the building.

How many times have you seen buildings where you say, “Well, the designer put in these daylight sensor lights, but they're just not working.” During this 10 month period, occupants and facility managers have had enough time to kick around the systems and to see whether things are working correctly or not.

Or you may see energy bills after these first 10 months and say, “I thought we would be saving a lot more.” The Commissioning authority can help find out where some of the gaps are. This is another check to see how the actual performance rates compared to the design performance.

Option 1 – Path 2

Or project teams can choose Path 2 Enhanced and monitoring-based commissioning.

Monitoring based commissioning - or MBCx - is the integration of three components:

permanent energy monitoring systems, real-time energy analysis, and ongoing commissioning.

This path requires first achieving path 1. Projects can get additional points by installing the right monitoring devices and tracking points. The points must be measured and evaluated on an ongoing basis based on those tracking points that you’ve installed. This is a good option for projects that are energy intensive and need real time data to make adjustments, such as a data center. Monitoring based commissioning allows users to track energy consumption, detect faulty equipment, and see unusual energy patterns in real-time.

Continuous Monitoring

For monitoring based commissioning all of the procedures and measurement points need to be included in the commissioning plan. The following need to be addressed:

 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

 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 monitoring systems are looking at real-time energy analytics and ongoing

commissioning. Path 1 is a one stop process while Path 2 is ongoing. Knowing the real-time data and knowing how the building is currently performing, that can be helpful to clients. Utilizing metering equipment for monitoring is the ongoing process of

verification. It opens up the opportunity for continuous improvement.

Option 2 – Envelop Cx

Option 2 Envelope commissioning can earn 2 points. Fulfill the requirements in EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification as they apply to the building’s thermal envelope in addition to mechanical and electrical systems and assemblies.

Enhanced commissioning is generally pretty familiar to everyone. You can build on it from the prerequisite. Envelope commissioning is new. Many project teams may have expertise in option 1 but not in option 2. It’s a case where a project team may take a look hiring different companies for the different options. The work can be completed

independantly.

The Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) process is utilized to validate that the design and performance of materials, components, assemblies and systems achieve the objectives and requirements of the owner. The BECx process achieves this through experience, expertise, modeling, observation, testing, documenting and verifying materials, components, assemblies and systems to validate that both their use and installation meet the owner’s requirements. The process uses performance oriented practices and procedures to verify that the project is achieving the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) throughout the delivery of the project.

Requirements

Just like in Option 1, if you choose envelope commissioning the commissioning authority is going to complete the same things:

 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 operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.

In document Espacios de resistencia y profesionalidad. La experiencia de formación de docentes en Uruguay desde una perspectiva biográfica (página 93-96)