Architects Contracting for CalGreen Commissioning

Architects Contracting for CalGreen Commissioning

…what you don’t know is costing you money.

Architects contracting for CalGreen commissioning services in California are paying far more than is necessary.

Over the past forty years, I have been involved in the commissioning of hundreds of projects. I have seen the commissioning industry grow from a few concerned building owners to a critical part of the construction industry.

California became the first in the nation to codify commissioning for private buildings. The 2016 California Green Building Standards Code and its sister, the 2016 California Energy Code, required commissioning on all buildings over 10,000 square feet. There have been few changes to the commissioning requirements since that time.

Yet, nine years after the code came into effect, many architects still don’t understand the process. As a result, they are contracting for more scope than is required. Of course, this is not hard to understand. 

The language in the codes regarding commissioning is quite extensive. It takes some experience to clearly understand what is, and what is not, required.  

I get it. I spent five years working in the engineering department of HOK Architects in San Francisco. HOK is one of the largest architectural firms in the country. While there, I had a first-hand view of the massive amount of knowledge required by today’s architects. It’s insane! Stair details, door hardware, life safety systems, landscape, structural steel, fabrics and finishes, seismic bracing, lighting, concrete, waterproofing, plumbing fixtures, flooring, and many more. It’s enough to make the top of your head come off! 

During those five years I had the privilege of working with some of the most professional and knowledgeable architects in the world. Yet, even at that level, no architect can keep up with this every changing industry. Somewhere, way down in their list of priorities, is the lowly Green Building Code. I thoroughly understand why this is the case. They live in a world of information overload and their time must be prioritized to be effective.    

My goal here is to save you time by drilling down to the fundamental code requirements to help you make the right decisions for your projects. And by “right decisions” I mean by saving your budget for something more beneficial than commissioning – say year end bonus’s, for example!  

What You Are Over-Paying For?

If you’re reading this, I will assume you have a basic understanding of commissioning.

I will also assume you don’t have time to waste reading generalized crap designed to keep you on this web page longer to please the Google algorithm.

You are likely paying more for commissioning because your very competent and professionally responsible commissioning authority is providing you with a scope and fee in accordance with national standards. To be clear, there is no sarcasm here. There is no disrespect for these commissioning companies. They follow national industry guidelines and standards to protect the interests of the design team and the building owner. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

Well, unless you’d like to keep a little more of the budget in-house. 

The point is that neither the CalGreen Code, nor the Energy Code, requires the scope of national industry commissioning standards. Thus you may be spending more money than necessary. 

One caveat: If you have a very large project that includes a multi-discipline energy management system (integrated HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical systems), you absolutely need a national-standard commissioning process. 

However, if you have a 150,000-square-foot storage facility, a 20,000-square-foot winery, a 12,000-square-foot retail store, or a similar project, you do not need all the added scope of national-standard commissioning. 

For the purposes of this discussion, when I refer to “national-standard commissioning,” I am referring to the AABC Commissioning Group. This nonprofit group has set the standard for commissioning in the United States. As a former member of this organization, I know they set a high standard, which is why they have become the preeminent authority on commissioning for large, complex projects. 

However, when the California Energy Commission authored the CalGreen Code and Energy Code commissioning requirements, they understood that all very large projects would naturally be specified as requiring commissioning. Architects and engineers working on complex buildings such as high-rises, hospitals, factories, prisons, and similar projects will automatically specify commissioning for their added protection and the protection of the owner. 

The Energy Commission wanted to target the “in-between” projects by providing a simplified commissioning process that would give some benefit to the owner without the high costs of AABC commissioning. They chose projects over 10,000 square feet as the baseline. Then, they codified a system that did not require on-site inspections and provided a simplified oversight process. They understood that these less-complex projects rarely have complex building automation systems.

In fact, the Energy Commission has required built-in diagnostics on many of the new mechanical and electrical systems sold in California, which greatly reduces the need for commissioning. Much of the new equipment has LED screens that explain any fault in the unit. There is no need for an expensive commissioning process if the equipment itself will tell you what is wrong! 

They even created a new definition for the person in charge of the commissioning process. The term “commissioning authority” is used by AABC as the formal indication of an individual certified by AABC to perform commissioning services. The Energy Commission created the term “commissioning coordinator” and carefully defined it in the code. 

The Commissioning Coordinator

Here is the CalGreen Code’s definition of the commissioning coordinator (page 8-10 of the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code):

Selecting Trained Personnel (for Commissioning)
This code requires that “Commissioning shall be performed in accordance with this section by trained personnel with experience on projects of comparable size and complexity.” The trained personnel manage and facilitate the commissioning process. The trained personnel develop and implement the commissioning tasks and documentation identified in Sections 5.410.2.1 through 5.410.2.6. Trained personnel may include appropriate members of owner staff, contractor and design team as well as independent commissioning professionals. 

It is essential that there is a single person designated to lead and manage the commissioning activities. In practice, this individual has been referenced by various identifiers such as commissioning authority, agent, provider, coordinator, lead, etc. In this guide the term “commissioning coordinator” is used.

The designated commissioning coordinator may be an independent, third-party commissioning professional, a project design team member (e.g., engineer or architect), an owner’s engineer or facility staff, contractor or specialty subcontractor. Methods of evaluating the designated commissioning coordinator and trained personnel include review of the following:
1. Technical knowledge;
2. Relevant experience;
3. Potential conflict of interest concerns;
4. Professional certifications and training;
5. Communication and organizational skills; and
6. Reference and sample work products.

Selection of “trained,” qualified personnel is required by this code. In order to meet this requirement, the commissioning provider should be evaluated via the methods discussed above. In addition, various organizations have training and certification programs that may be a source for identification of qualified commissioning providers.

The code intentionally avoided the term “commissioning authority” to differentiate the requirements from the AABC commissioning process. To further clarify, they clearly defined the commissioning coordinator as noted above to avoid any confusion between the two.

Where the Commissioning Scope Differs

1. The CalGreen and Energy Code do not require on-site inspections by the commissioning coordinator. (AABC requires extensive on-site participation in project meetings, on-site inspections, observations of contractor testing, and more.)

2. The CalGreen and Energy Code require only six building systems be commissioned. These are the HVAC system, the lighting controls, the hot water heating system, the landscape irrigation controls, the windows and doors, and the building insulation. (AABC lets the consultant select the systems but it typically includes electrical generators, fire alarm, the BMS system, plumbing booster systems, and more.)

3. The California Codes allow the installing contractors to perform the functional testing and then provide formal reports for review by the commissioning coordinator. (In some cases the “commissioning authority” will also conduct the functional testing of the systems. As a minimum, they will spend some time on site observing the contractors testing.) 

While there are a few more differences, these are the major ones that effect the commissioning scope on projects. 

The delta between AABC commissioning and California code-required commissioning is significant in terms of cost. Typically, the CalGreen Code and Energy Code commissioning will cost 10% to 20% of the same project following the AABC process. 

If your commissioning consultant is using the term “commissioning authority” and charging a good percentage of the architectural budget, you may want to give us a call and check pricing or for more information.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Nothing in this article should be interpreted as criticism of AABC. They are a great organization with an established system to ensure complex buildings get turned over to the owner on time and with all systems working properly. I was a proud member of this organization for a number of years and have nothing but respect for the work they do. The intent of this article is to explain the differences between their standards and what is specifically required by the California Code. If a project team or building owner would like to exceed the minimum code requirements, I would absolutely recommend specifying AABC commissioning on your project!

Gary Welch

Email: gary@calgreenenergyservices.com

Phone: 707-328-5299