Building Commissioning Specialists
Compass Commissioning is dedicated to our clients' requirements and best interests. We're there when you can't be and we challenge commissioning team members throughout all phases of the project—providing results that exceed expectations.
Commissioning Services
New Building Commissioning
New buildings typically have
commissioning requirements to
meet LEED, Green Globes, ASHRAE,
CSA Standards or Guidelines. These
frameworks provide confidence
that building systems meet the
owner’s project requirements and the commissioning process.
Envelope Commissioning
Envelope commissioning validates an envelope’s construction and performance— which helps to reduce energy consumption, to protect the indoor environment, and to meet the owner’s requirements. LEED NC V4 has been a driving factor to incorporate envelope commissioning as part of new building projects.
Retro Commissioning
Existing buildings that have never been commissioned benefit from retro-commissioning. This process helps to reduce energy, to improve occupant comfort, and to make sure any changes in the owner’s requirements are being met.
Recommissioning
Recommissioning helps “tune up” previously commissioned buildings to make sure the building systems still meet the current facility’s requirements. This process typically takes place every 3-5 years to address equipment wear, changes in space requirements, or lack of maintenance.
Benefits of Commissioning
Through our commissioning expertise, we explore opportunities to help clients realize a building that is more energy efficient, improved indoor environments, and reduced operational problems.ASHRAE completed a study on 60 existing commercial buildings that have not gone through a commissioning process and the following results are staggering:
- 50% of buildings had issues with temperature control
- 40% of buildings had issues with the operation of HVAC equipment
-
30% of buildings had sensors not working
-
15% of buildings had missing equipment that were specified
Case Scenarios
Compass Commissioning staff has encountered and solved similar challenges. A few examples of what we have found before are outlined below:
Design Review: Air Ventilation
The Situation: We identified a design concern related to an outdoor air ventilation system in an ice rink. The outdoor air was delivered into the rink unconditioned. In the summer months, the warmer and more humid outdoor air could potentially condense on the cold ice surface, causing frost issues on the ice surface. It would also cause indoor air quality issues due to high humidity.
Our Solution: Through our early identification of this issue, the designer was able to specify new equipment to be included in the design. This avoided a costly change order that would have resulted when the issue was discovered during construction or occupancy.
Design Review: Heating System
The Situation: Early design of a heating system was controlled to maintain a high supply water temperature to unit heaters and in-floor heating system throughout the building. This high supply temperature led to a higher than necessary return water temperature, and the return water would be too hot to take advantage of the waste heat recovery system (ice rink chiller).
Our Solution: To achieve maximum efficiency, we suggested a control system change for the supply water temperature (and return water temperature) to be as low as possible based on building requirements (demand control). This change allowed the system to recover significantly more waste heat (~30%) with no changes to equipment or increase system cost.
Functional Performance Testing: Cooling System
The Situation: During functional performance testing, the cooling system was operating as intended, but the pumps were always operating at 100% speed due to control code and could further be optimized.
Our Solution: Following an investigation, we recommended a control sequence change to allow the cooling loop temperature to rise to its highest limits while maintaining the efficiency of equipment served by the loop. This optimization reduced the required pump speed by 50% of one 15 hp pump and one 10 hp pump. The estimated energy saving due to less pumping was $2,500 per year (or $60,000 over the system's life).
Functional Performance Testing: Air Handling Unit
The Situation: An Air Handling Unit (AHU) was intermittently shutting down during morning start up. This issue was identified before functional performance testing procedures were started as the AHU needed to operate during construction to cool the building. We determined a high limit supply duct pressure sensor was being tripped, caused by the concurrent start-up of the downstream Variable Air Volume Boxes (VAVs) and AHU. The VAVs opened too slowly, blocking air-flow and causing the duct pressure to rise when the AHU was started.
Our Solution: A delayed AHU start-up allows the VAVs time to open before starting the large AHU fans. By making this switch, the problem was solved. Our timely collaboration and coordination with the contractor and manufacturer representative limited the impact on construction schedule, and kept the building cooling system operational.
Key Team Members
Keith Estey, P.Eng., CBCP, CMVP
Senior Commissioning Engineer
Keith has more than 10 years of experience in energy audits, building commissioning, mechanical design, and multidiscipline project management. He has work on projects that range from institutional buildings to residential homes. His experience in commissioning and recommissioning projects involves ASHRAE, CSA, LEED, Green Globes, and Hospital Standards and Guidelines. He is a Certified Building Commissioning Professional and has recently received his Certified Measurement and Verification Professional designation from the Association of Energy Engineers.
Contact: keith.etsey@compasscommissioning.com
Justin MacDonald, P.Eng., CEM, CMVP, CBCP, LSS-GB
Senior Commissioning Engineer
For over 10 years, Justin has been designing, implementing, and commissioning energy projects within numerous sectors ranging from ice rinks and industrial refrigeration to commercial and institutional projects. Justin has routinely implemented innovative, complex, and technically detailed energy projects that have resulted in significant utility and carbon emission reductions.
Charline Cormier, CET, LEED AP BD+C, ID+C, GGP, BECXP & CXA+BE
Sustainability Manager
Charline has over 30 years of experience in the architectural/ construction field. She specializes in sustainable facilitation (LEED and Green Globes), building assessment, asset management, building envelope assessments and envelope commissioning (BECx). She is a certified Building Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider and Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure Provider and has led building envelope commissioning for LEEDv4 projects.
Michael MacDonald, P.Eng.
Commissioning Engineer
For over 10 years, Michael has developed his skills in building commissioning, mechanical design, and machine design. He prioritizes sustainability through his commitment to green building projects targeting LEED and Green Globes certifications. He is an active associate member of the Building Commissioning Association and stays current on the latest technology, codes/standards, and practices in the field.
Cloud Based Commissioning
To ease the commissioning process for our clients, we have incorporated cloud based commissioning software. This innovates the commissioning documentation process and removes the need for paper. The benefits of the using Cloud based software includes the following:
- All documentation in one location and is accessible by all team members
- Customizable email notifications to commissioning team members
- Real-time feedback on commissioning status
- Access to the software is via computer browser, iOS or Android smartphones or tablets.
- When internet is not available at your building site offline access is available.
About Us
Compass Commissioning Inc. is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company was incorporated in 2019 by close colleagues who previously worked together at an international consulting firm.
The standards and guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) were used to build the foundation of our commissioning process and then refined based on our years of experience.
The team has more than 50 years of collective experience in building science, architecture, engineering, and commissioning. The team has worked on projects beyond North America and span from simple small projects all the way up to large complex projects like hospitals and data centers.
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