Best Practices for Procuring Commissioning Services

Abstract

Owners are increasingly recognizing building commissioning as an effective means of ensuring quality and maximizing energy performance. The demand for commissioning new construction projects has increased substantially over a short period of time with the growing demand for leadership in energy and environmental design certified buildings. However, the pool of experienced commissioning providers hasn’t increased at the same rate. Many owners are procuring commissioning services for the first time and don’t know how to best procure these services. The objective of the research described in this paper was to identify best practices for procuring commissioning services for new construction projects and to compare them with current practices. Issues that were evaluated include the timing of the commissioning provider involvement, the independence of the commissioning provider, certification of the commissioning provider, selection criteria, and the importance of a clear definition of the scope of work. Research results indicate that there is variation between current practices and recommended best practices. It is important for building owners and industry professionals to understand and implement the best practices recommended in this paper to maximize the benefits of the commissioning process.