Remote Monitoring Commissioning
Bringing Clarity, Accountability, and Savings to a K-12 School District
Background
A public school district (Owner) and their Owner’s Representative struggled to find clarity and completion on previous and current construction projects, including the major renovation of the 350,000 sqft high school building where 95% of the space was modified with an additional 10,000 sqft of new construction. In past projects, they had been left with unresolved issues, limited documentation, and no clear path to resolution. The Owner’s Rep began searching for a better way—and discovered the value of Remote Monitoring Commissioning (Cx).
Although they weren’t fully familiar with the commissioning process, the Owner’s Rep had seen Remote Cx implemented successfully elsewhere (also known as Monitoring-Based Commissioning). They were curious: Could this process save money? Could it bring more accountability to a complex construction team? And most importantly—was it too late to apply it on this current project?
“We didn’t have a view into the details of the actual progress of the HVAC / controls contractor. We historically rely on what the contractor tells us. Synergy helped provide clarity.” Curt Weibelhaus, Building Solutions, LLC
The Challenge
When Synergy was brought into the project, construction was nearing completion. Equipment had already been ordered and installed, with most major systems nearing startup. Even though integrating building commissioning early in design and pre-construction saves the client the most headaches, Remote Commissioning can still provide radical transparency in the midst of a busy project.
Neither the Owner, Owner’s Rep, nor the contractors had been through a full commissioning process before. There were questions around timing, roles, and responsibilities. Contractors were unfamiliar with expectations like pre-functional checklists, issue tracking, and closing the loop on equipment installation start up.
The Owner was clear on one thing: they wanted accountability. They didn’t want to rely on unmeasurable verbal assurances that assets were working—they wanted quantifiable proof that all system’s performance (air handling units, chillers, heating hot water systems, exhaust and relief fans, blower coil units, terminal equipment, room air conditioning units, electric cabinet heaters, and seasonal testing) were running smoothly. This is where Remote Commissioning shines as the Owner’s advocate at a fraction of the investment required with traditional boots-on-the-ground building commissioning.
“(Synergy) provided the confidence that the HVAC system is operating as intended…less frustration and reduced the chance of the project staying open longer than it needed to be as a result of chasing symptoms or issues as the cycle of seasons change.” Curt Weibelhaus, Building Solutions, LLC
Our Approach
Synergy’s Facility Intelligence team tailored a Remote Commissioning plan to fit the school’s budget and schedule. The key elements including:
