Commissioning the BAS
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Transcript of Commissioning the BAS
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Commissioning the BAS
Following a thorough commissioning process that incorporates bestpractices is essential in delivering a building that meets userrequirements and design intent.
By Mike Eardley, PE, LEED AP, CCP, Cannon Design
10/18/2012
Commissioning of building systems is a process that verifies whether the operational building
that is delivered not only meets the requirements of the building owner, but also the intent
of the design. Successfully demonstrating that a buildings HVAC and building automation
system (BAS) is operating correctly is a key component of the process led by the
commissioning authority (CxA) in the functional performance testing phase.
However, in order for testing to be successful, a number of activities must be performed with
specific processes followed, verifying that all elements are in place and are working together
to support a successful demonstration. During the construction phase, these activities and
processes can include a review of in-progress equipment installation, verification that
adequate air and water flows meet the required heating and cooling capacities, and
documentation of complete equipment installation including all trades before final
confirmation that the HVAC system and related controls are performing according to owner
requirements and design intent.
The HVAC system, like many other building systems, is operated by a BAS that functions
according to a combination of automatic and manual inputs. The BAS is responsible for
controlling a number of individual elements so that they work in concert and function as a
system. Modern controls systems are highly sophisticated and complex even if the intent ofthis complexity is internalso that the net result to the operator is simplicity. The complexity
is due to the hardware that makes up the components of the automation, the controls
theory, the logic that monitors current conditions and predicts the most appropriate
response, and the sequences of operation that are defined by the specifying engineer to
provide functionality, comfort, and efficiency of design. The BAS is therefore a critical part of
the building systems commissioning process.
The BAS affects the commissioning of many other building systems and is a system that, in
itself, requires commissioning for successful operation. As noted, demonstration of successful
operation is just one of the later stages of the commissioning process. To maximize the
benefits of the commissioning process and have the highest positive impact on a building
throughout its lifecycle, commissioning must be performed early on as well as throughout
construction and designeven during the planning phases of a building project.
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Fundamentally, the HVAC system is required to provide adequate temperature, humidity,
filtration, air movement, and air quality to all spaces. The specific levels required of these
metricsduring both occupied and unoccupied periodsshould be documented in the
owners project requirements (OPR). Documentation of these and other requirements is one
of the earliest activities of the commissioning process. The mechanical equipment (boilers,
chillers, fans, pumps, valves, dampers) that modulate and ensure that interior environmental
conditions are met are controlled by the BAS. The BAS is required to sense the status ofbuilding operations based on the various sensors and other inputs that comprise the BAS,
and produce the appropriate response based on pre-programmed logic that modulates and
enables these mechanical components.
Because of the considerable amount of moving parts, the variety of conditions that the HVAC
system will be subject to, and the varying ways in which the HVAC system can respond to
any single condition, commissioning is a critical process that delivers a functioning controls
system and, therefore, HVAC system. Commissioning will test the functionality of individual
components, the operation of individual components working in tandem to achieve the
desired result, and the integration of building systems, such as electrical/mechanical,
emergency power and associated systems, and controls/mechanical.
Owners project requirements
As mentioned, one of the first steps in the
commissioning process is review of the OPR. The OPR includes project goals and the owners
measurable performance criteria. However, because the owner may not know the right
questions to ask or understand specific technical requirements that will be important to the
project, the owner will often require assistance from the design team or the CxA to help
develop this information. Owners of multiple buildings, such as university campuses, will
usually have a better collection of information on which to develop the OPR than an owner of
a single building.
Examples of information in the OPR that will be used in the commissioning of the HVAC and
BAS include temperature setpoints and occupancy schedules for different spaces. As
mentioned, modern controls systems are highly sophisticated, and there is a wide variety ofcustomization that may be available depending on the complexity of the buildings or the
operational goals.
A BAS that requires an exceedingly high level of operator skill or time commitment from the
facility staff reduces the functionality of the building system just as much as faulty
equipment does. For this reason, it is critical to define the level of complexity in interfacing
with the BAS that will operate the HVAC system early in the commissioning process, as well
as to verify that it is appropriately matched with the facilities staff responsible for the
operations of the building.
Factors to consider in this process on the user side are the experience and training of the
current staff, and any planned investment in future facility staff additions or training. Using
this information, the specified BAS should match the ability of the future user in terms of:navigating the graphical interface of the BAS, drilling down into individual components of the
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HVAC system, changing setpoints, modifying the sequences of operation, and setting up and
downloading historical BAS trend data to analyze the operation.
Basis of design
The basis of design (BOD) is the design teams response to the OPR. It is critical that the
BAS have a well-developed BOD. It should present the environmental assumptions, such as
climate data used to size the HVAC system, as well as summarize how the elements in the
design meet the OPR. The BOD should be broken down by system for easy reference.
Specifics to include in the BOD, with regard to controls, include the specified manufacturer,
the other building systems to be integrated into the BAS, capabilities for remote connectivity,
communication protocol such as BACnet or LON, integration requirements, type of sensors
included in the design (as well as the required accuracy), trending capability, and other
criteria for selection of various control components. Requirements for remote alarming may
also be specified, including the details of who should be given remote access and if
connection by mobile devices is desirable.
Design review
Once the OPR and BOD have been documented and the design progresses, the CxA willperform a design review against the OPR and BOD to verify that the progression of the
design is consistent with this information. Toward the end of the design phase, controls
diagrams are developed and will be subject to focused review by the CxA to confirm not only
that the specified components are adequate to meet the OPR and BOD, but also that the
controls points necessary to successfully and efficiently operate the building are provided and
integrated into the BAS.
Review will also include sequences of operation and alarm inputs. Many of the problems
encountered by the design engineer, owner, and integrator that cause many of the
shortcomings after installation, even though it conforms to original design intent, can be
eliminated during the design process.
Specifications
Specifications are critical components of the
documents that will be included in the design review. The controls section of the
specifications will be reviewed along with the sequences of operation for consistency with the
OPR and BOD. Issues to be identified throughout the review of BAS specifications include
adequate capacity for control points, memory and appropriate timeframes and frequency for
storing trends, and any desired remote access interface for the owner or any consultants the
owner may wish to provide access to (including the CxA). Server performance is also an area
that will certainly impact the performance of the BAS. In addition, any issues regarding
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integration and protocol for various control components and subsystems that will be required
to work in tandem will be identified.
Submittal review
The submittal review phase is a necessary part of any commissioning scope. The automatic
temperature controls (ATC) submittal is, in many cases, reviewed at a higher level of detail
than any other by the design engineer and CxA. The submittal process allows the design
engineer to verify that any substitutions are at least equal to that specified. The CxA does
not review with this specifically in mind, because the CxAs scope with regard to design
review is typically to conduct an assessment against the OPR and BOD. The ATC submittal is
highly relevant to the CxA because many controls-related details arent fully developed until
the submittal phase. Design specifications may provide an overview of how the system is
intended to function, but it is the ATC submittal that fully develops the sequence of operation
to be programmed into the BAS, and provides all of the necessary specific hardware
components.
The final approved submittals are also the basis for developing the commissioning
prefunctional checklists (PFC) and functional performance test (FPT) plans. Other control
elements, such as control valves, will receive focused review during the submittal processfrom the CxA. For instance, a valve working at above rated pressure might function for a
short period of time, but will fail prematurely. Too high of a pressure drop for control valves
is often ignored as long as the flow is reached. Cavitation will be an issue with upper limit
pressure drops across the valve.
Commissioning meetings
A difficult characteristic about BAS commissioning is that this system is one of the last
systems to be installed and finalized. This means that progress occurs slowly, if at all, early
in construction and rapidly toward the end, when all other systems and the building as a
whole is preparing for turnover. It is, therefore, very important that an elevated level of
communication occurs between the controls contractor, CxA, and the entire construction
team.
It is also important that the controls contractor attend and participate in regularly scheduled
commissioning meetings, even in the early stages of the controls installation. This
encourages communication and often leads to the identification and resolution of particular
issues before they become significant.
Another key point is that between the time of original design and equipment delivery, there
may be desirable enhanced features that have been incorporated into the controls
components to be delivered. During these commissioning meetings is an excellent time to
review such cases and determine whether to incorporate new features into the system
configuration with minimal effort.
Prefunctional checklists
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PFCs are a fundamental component of thecommissioning process and its documentation. All equipment in the commissioning scope is
required to have an associated PFC. The PFC verifies that the equipment has been fully
installed by all trades. Once the PFC is complete, the component is ready for final verification
testing. Each PFC with a controls component will have controls items on the checklists. And
the BAS itself may have a dedicated PFC, documenting that head-end graphics are complete,
applicable systems being controlled are fully integrated, and trends have been enabled.
Point-to-point verification is a critical task to be completed and verified. Control points
include the conversion from volts, amps, or pressure measurements into other variables
used by the BAS. There is, of course, opportunity for error in these conversions and formulas
and they must be verified so that the actual temperature, pressure, position, etc., matches
the conversion as recognized at the BAS.
Commissioning personnel should perform a sensor-to-controller-readout calibration accuracy
check sampling to confirm that the correct temperature is displayed. Actual measurements
should be done. A commonly observed issue is the interpretation of an analog signal to a
graphical value. For instance, a variable frequency drive for a fan or pump is displaying one
speed on the graphics, but the actual speed at the drive panel is different. The way in which
points are bound to the user interfacewhether directly or through some sort of
conversionimpacts the risk of this error.
Functional performance testing
FPTs are the most demanding part of the commissioning effort. FPT plans are developed by
the CxA based upon design documents, submittals, the OPR, and the BOD. FPTs are then
executed by the contractor and witnessed by the CxA for acceptance. Like PFCs, FPTs will
have strong controls components for most equipment and systems. The FPT generally
includes a demonstration of the expected sequence of operation as specified, alarms and
safeties, schedules, and setpoints for variables to be maintained such as temperature, flow,
and pressure.
Final FPTs are performed through the BAS with complete graphics. It is essential that all
work, including balancing of air and water systems, is complete before final FPTs are
performed. The CxA also should determine a list of points to be trended. The trends should
be made available before any functional performance testing occurs. Any anomalies observed
should be resolved before testing.
Issues log
The commissioning issues log is maintained through design, construction, acceptance, andeven the post-occupancy period. Controls-related issues, which are likely identified during
acceptance and post-occupancy, often include installation work not being complete, an
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operational sequence not occurring as expected, or graphical representations not matching
what is physically occurring in the controlled system. As with other items on the
commissioning issues log, items are tracked until resolution.
O&M training
Operations and maintenance (O&M) raining on the BAS is a major effort that must be
scheduled prior to turnover for the operator to effectively control the building. The training
should include a demonstration of the system through the BAS, but also allow the operator
being trained to take control and navigate the system in order to validate the capability for
operation after the contractor and CxA have completed their scope. A comprehensive agenda
should be developed for training, and it is not intended to be an open question and answer
session.
Post-occupancy, seasonal testing and warranty
While the goal is that all issues be resolved before project turnover, often problems are
identified only after a building has been occupied for a period of time, and when the seasonal
environment has altered the load on the building. Post-occupancy commissioning activities
include monitoring the building operation, occupant and operator interview, and analysis of
short-term trend data that is available through the BAS. This analysis of trends, createdduring the acceptance phase, is especially useful during the first heating and cooling seasons
when the HVAC system is first tested with the full force of the natural environment. Any
issues that arise can typically be addressed under the system warranty, and should be back-
checked prior to the commissioning end-of-warranty review.
Sensors
Sensor location is critical to successful
HVAC and control system operation. A sensor takes a measurement at a specific point that is
intended to be representative of a larger condition. For instance, the outside air sensor
provides a critical measurement that may drive a large number of subsystems within the
HVAC system. If this sensor is providing a measurement that is not true, the HVAC system
will perform inefficiently and inconsistently with the design intent. Reasons for inaccurate
readings may include locating a sensor near a false load such as an exhaust outlet, locating a
sensor in a place that receives varying amounts of sun throughout the day, or simply that
the sensor has not been properly calibrated.
Other sensors that can have significant impact are the air and water differential pressure
sensors in the ductwork and piping systems. These sensors are representative of the system
as a whole, and meeting pressure setpoint is intended to confirm that all air and water flow
capacities are met at each load. Typically, the design engineer will specify a general location
for such sensors, such as two-thirds of the distance down the duct or piping system. The
contractor then determines the specific location. For critical locations, it may be more
desirable to specifically locate such sensors in the design documents, or hold an on-site
meeting with the contractor and engineer to locate them.
Control points need to be verified to control the appropriate equipment. For example, roomtemperature that is specified to control the discharge air temperature of its associated air
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handling unit may be programmed to the wrong unit. These issues will not always show on
the BAS graphics as they may be buried in the control programming, but they may have a
significant effect on system functionality and energy consumption. The CxA should determine
a list of points that might be susceptible to such errors and need verification.
Control loop adjustment
Tuning of control loops is a process in the controls checkout and commissioning process that
may require a period of operation, monitoring, and trial and error adjustment. This tuning
process should be performed prior to project turnover and not during the post-occupancy
period. Any controls system generally requires input, decision, action, and feedback. For a
given set of inputs and outputs, the tuning process changes the proportional, integral,
derivative (PID) variables of the control loop to achieve the most effective system response.
By effective, we mean that we want the system to react quickly to any deviation in setpoint
(whether that setpoint is temperature, flow, pressure, etc.). It is also desirable for the
system not to overshoot and not to hunt back and forth excessively in trying to reach the
desired target.
Control components that make up such systems include sensors, valves, dampers, system
fluids, and heat transfer equipment. Each of these components responds differently, atdifferent time delays, thermal capacities, sensitivities, ranges of motion, and rates of change.
These elements are what lead to the complexity in control logic, and necessitate the process
of loop tuning in the commissioning of a controls system. Monitoring of such systems often
includes analyzing historical trend data. Plotting this data against time will demonstrate
whether there is hunting, cycling, overshooting, and other undesirable elements of system
inefficiency and instability. Varying loads and seasonal environmental changes will also
impact BAS response. It is therefore critical that post-occupancy verification, seasonal
testing, and warranty period review should be included in the commissioning scope.
Remote access
Remote access to the BAS has been noted as something
that may be desirable, either to the building operator to monitor or make revisions remotely,
or to the CxA or energy consultant to remotely monitor building operation in an efficient
manner. Most modern control systems are capable of this feature; the system can be
accessed anywhere in the world that is connected to the Internet. However, there is a level
of coordination required between the contractor, owner, information technology
professionals, and the party requesting access. The cooperation on the part of the owner and
information technology professionals has proven critical to success here. Security issues
must be coordinated for access, and it is also important to consider the level of access that isdesired. For instance, the operator may wish to make changes to schedules or temperature
setpoints, while a CxA or energy consultant could typically only be given the rights to
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observe and download historical trend data. Regardless of the specifics of who should have
access at what level, this requirement should be discussed early in the design and
documented in the OPR. If not planned for, this desirable aspect of a BAS that can
dramatically increase the effectiveness of the facility operations team can be difficult to
realize.
Network traffic
An important factor of an extensive control network that is often overlooked is the quality of
the network communication. Network bandwidth analysis and traffic variable configurations
may need special attention depending on the project configuration. Error, collision of rates,
and lost data are common aspects of the communication network, and will occur in a BAS
more frequently on a network with a broadband that is used at a higher percentage for other
uses. A common solution implemented is to increase the speed of the network or install fiber
optics. However, simply controlling the network traffic and reducing or eliminating
interference is a preferable alternative. Also the activity of the BAS as it relates to the HVAC
system can be adjusted. For instance, is it necessary to repeatedly transmit the same
variable that is used infrequently? Is it critical to see a 0.2 F change in temperature when the
precision of a sensor is 2%? The answers to these questions might not only resolve
communication issues but might be crucial for the future expansion of the network.
The CxA should be familiar enough with the control system limitations to foresee wiring
issues that may cause problems, such as separating power and control wiring as much as
possible. It may not be acceptable for a network cable and a power line to be in the same
conduit. Verifying that the proper wiring gauge is used for communication and control is
critical. Also, the process should verify the maximum wiring length between an actuator and
a controller, or the acceptable maximum length of a communication wire. Like many aspects
of commissioning, sampling may be acceptable for project goals and should be targeted
where expected issues might arise. Network traffic is certainly a larger concern with existing
buildings and networks rather than new or modern systems.
Emergency power
One aspect of commissioning and building controls that is not fully taken into consideration is
the aspect of emergency power. Often emergency power is simply thought of as the systems
and equipment that are on an emergency power circuit. While this is certainly important, it is
also true that the associated controls must be part of the emergency power system. For
instance, in the event of a power failure, an emergency generator will activate, energizing
the appropriate circuits for the applicable HVAC equipment. However, if the controls
associated with that equipment are not provided with power, the equipment will either not
operate according to specified requirements or perhaps not operate at all.
Building automation components are also sensitive to disruption and electrical
inconsistencies. Such criteria should be considered in the specification of controls
components, and any requirement for full system response in the event of a power failure for
critical areas should be considered.
Finally, the systems on emergency power should be tested by actually disconnecting power
at the building. This will not only allow the testing of the emergency generator and automatic
transfer switchconfirming that specified system voltage is achievedbut will also confirm
that the required HVAC components and applicable controls respond correctly and in the
required timeframe.
Mike Eardley is associate vice president and director of commissioning services at Cannon
Design where he manages project execution and staff activity on commissioning and energy
consulting projects across the firms 15 international offices. He is president of the Building
Commissioning Certification Board of the BCA (Building Commissioning Assn.) and is a 2012
40 Under 40 award winner.