Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This 59 page report, sponsored by California Energy Commission Pubic Interest Energy Research (PIER), provides a comprehensive overview of the practice of commissioning as it pertains to energy performance in buildings. Commissioning is a type of risk management used to assess "access, safety, mechanical, landscaping, acoustics, water use, indoor air quality, and energy performance." The report's executive summary provides an overview of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's work on commissioning and an introduction to the report. The section "Commissioning: The Stealth Energy-Saving Strategy" provides a short history of commissioning and a "Hall of Shame," photos of common problems addressed by commissioning. "What Commissioning Is (and Is Not)" gives a clear definition of commissioning for both energy efficiency and as risk management. "Quantifying Commissioning: A Meta-Analysis" introduces data sources and analysis methods for measuring the effects of commissioning as well as providing information on caveats and conservatisms and the economics of commissioning. "The Impact of Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Saving Energy, Money, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions" outlines impacts in terms of energy, economy, and the environment. There is also a section on commissioning in high-tech facilities such as labs, data centers, cleanrooms, healthcare, and specialized research facilities. Finally, best practices for commissioning are explored, as well as a look at research frontiers and the future of commissioning in America.