The Delphi Green Team

LEED™ Fundamental Commissioning

The purpose of requiring fundamental commissioning in the LEED™ rating system is to "verify and ensure that the fundamental building elements and systems are designed, installed and calibrated to operate as intended." To achieve this goal, the following requirements must be met for all LEED™ projects:

1. Your project must engage a Commissioning Authority
2. Review design intent and document owner's requirements and design basis for each commissioned system. these systems include:
• HVAC and controls systems
• Duct work and piping
• Renewable and alternative technologies
• Lighting controls and lighting
• Waste heat recovery
• Any advanced technologies
• Building envelope and TAB
3. Include commissioning requirements in the construction documents
4. Develop and utilize a commissioning plan. This plan should be created early in the process and evolve over time as additional details become available.
5. Verify installation, functional performance, training and documentation for each commissioned system or component.
6. Complete a commissioning report and submit it to the owner once the commissioning plan has been fully executed.

Upon completion of all LEED™ requirements, the Commissioning Authority must provide a letter to the U.S. Green Building Council certifying that the plan was successfully executed and the design intent for the building was met.

LEED™ Additional Commissioning

The intent of the Additional Commissioning credit is to "Verify and ensure that the entire building is designed, constructed, and calibrated to operate as intended." This credit can be achieved by performing commissioning tasks that go beyond the fundamentals described above. These tasks include:

1. Complete a focused design review prior to the construction documents phase, using a 3rd party (non-design firm) commissioning authority, to evaluate whether or not the design will meet the owner's goals for the building systems as stated in the design intent, i.e., energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, etc.
2. Complete a focused design review of the construction documents, also using a 3rd party commissioning authority, and provide feedback regarding whether the commissioning requirements have been adequately included in the drawings and specifications.
3. Complete a selective submittal review for commissioned equipment. This ensures the selected equipment meets the owner's requirements stated in the design intent.
4. Create a re-commissioning management manual, in addition to the traditional O&M Manual. This provides the building owner with in-depth tools and strategies for keeping the building running in optimal condition.
5. Contract for a warranty or post occupancy review with the commissioning authority, to return to the building at the 10-month point to review it's operation for warranty issues.