Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers, Inc. (BGCE) has launched a new division, Commissioning Agents USA, which is devoted to providing a variety of commissioning services, including total building commissioning services for new buildings, re-commissioning services for existing buildings, LEED commissioning services, and building systems performance and energy audits.
Total Building Commissioning is a process of documentation and verification of design intent that begins at pre-design—incorporating input from owners, prospective occupants, operations and maintenance staff—through construction and start-up, to several checkpoints during the initial years of operation.
A study of 60 buildings by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory found that 50% suffered from control problems; 40% had HVAC equipment problems; 15% had missing equipment; and around 25% had malfunctioning system efficiency components. Commissioning Agents USA will be re-commissioning buildings such as these to identify specific deficiencies and recommend remedial strategies.
