Spending more time in the Energy space has emphasized how much opportunity that there is in the world to use data to improve outcomes. I have found almost identical concepts to adaptive learning in the education space, so I wanted to take a minute and introduce constant commissioning to my LinkedIn friends! (and for those in the Energy space that want to learn more about Adaptive Learning – see here).
According to the World Resources Institute, 40% of the world’s energy is consumed by buildings, and on average a commercial building wastes about 30% of the overall energy it consumes. One of the top ways to combat this matter is through constant commissioningbuildings in order to reduce overall energy waste, which also has the benefit of improving building owners bottom-line and increasing asset value in the process, I think of this as a win-win-win. So, what is constant commissioning?
Taking a Step Back
Before we dive into the specifics of constant commissioning, let’s take a step back and consider what it means to commission a building and the factors that make commissioning necessary to begin with.
First, there’s the reality that most buildings start behind the efficiency curve due to Low-bid contracting and not being set up properly in the first place often leads to validate that they are performing to their design. The result is often buildings operating off how they should be from day one.
Simply put, to commission a building (for this piece we are focusing on just the buildings HVAC systems) means examining its performance and energy-consuming systems to ensure that they are operating as intended. And why wouldn’t they? Because, as it turns out, most systems lose their energy efficiency by 20% every one to two years. If left unchecked this drift can translate into some serious consequences with regards to safety, comfort and energy waste (which leads to excess spend).
This article is continued over @ LinkedIn here.
