Agenda

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CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
Sunday
10/5/08
6:00P-10:00P Opening Night Dinner
President's Award
Monday
10/6/08
7:30-8:30 Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:30-10:00 Opening Plenary Session:
BCA Best Practices in Commissioning: Existing Buildings and New Construction
10:00-10:30 Exhibit Hall Open Break
10:30-11:30 Commissioning Process in the Eyes of Architects A Building Revisited: The Recommissioning of a Building
11:30-1:15 Lunch in Exhibit Hall
1:30-3:00 An International Perspective on Commissioning Comparing Commissioning Across LEED Products
3:00-3:30 Break
3:30-4:30 Commissioning Your Communication Quantifying the Benefits of Building Commissioning
4:30-6:00 Exhibitors' Reception
Tuesday
10/7/08
7:30-8:30 BCA Building Certification Program
8:30-10:00 Owners' Project Requirements and Basis of Design Keeping High-Performance Buildings High-Performance
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 Commissioning Systems Serving Multiple Buildings Commissioning Multifamily Buildings
12:00-2:00 Planning Roundtable Lunch - BCA Attributes
2:00-4:00 BCA Committee Meetings
Wednesday
10/8/08
8:30A-12:00P CCP Exam Writing Session
 

Detailed Session Descriptions

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Sunday

6:00 pm–10:00 pm

TOP

Opening Night Dinner
President's Award

Monday, October 6, 2008

Monday

8:30 am–10:00 am

TOP

Opening Plenary Session

  • Kevin S. Law, President and Chief Executive Officer, Long Island Power Authority

BCA Best Practices in Commissioning: Existing Buildings and New Construction

As the commissioning industry grows, both in new construction and in existing building (also known as retrocommissioning), standardization of processes is quickly becoming a necessity. To address market demands, the BCA has authored Best Practices in Commissioning Existing Buildings and is currently creating the Best Practices in Commissioning New Construction. The term “Best Practice” generally refers to the best possible way of doing something and is derived from the process of taking the most successful elements from many different sources and combining them to create the optimal process or approach. These Best Practices are intended to provide a practical process that provides guidance and assists in the standardization of the Commissioning industry. A culmination of over two years of research and work, these practices were formulated through input by dozens of commissioning-industry professionals, multiple industry associations, utility-program personnel and comment by the public.

  • Mark Miller, Strategic Building Solutions, LLC

Monday

10:30 am–11:30 am

TOP

Commissioning Process in the Eyes of Architects

The commissioning industry is changing rapidly and, more than ever, has become a team effort that brings professionals from all aspects of building to the table. Understanding how each discipline views the process is key to communication, effective planning, and on-time deliverables. This session will explain how architects view the commissioning process through the AIA’s recently introduced Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach. IPD is similar to the commissioning process and the Cx community has the opportunity to further work with architects on the development of this approach, which focuses on close cooperation between groups rather than on silos of individual responsibility.

  • Michael Chelednik, TranSystem Corporation

Monday

10:30 am–11:30 am

TOP

A Building Revisited: The Recommissioning of a Building

The Pratt Recreation Center at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University (LIU) opened in April 2002. The 77,000-square-foot recreational facility contains a 3,000-seat gymnasium with three full-size basketball and volleyball courts, an eight-lane swimming pool and fitness rooms.

HEA commissioned the facility during the original construction, which was a design build project. HEA provided commissioning services for all mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems, as well as such distinctive sports-themed elements as the bleachers and scoreboard. Only six months were required for LIU to receive a return on its investment in commissioning the facility, and they also received NYSERDA and LIPA funding for a portion of the commissioning fee. Commissioning identified approximately $44,000 in annual energy-related cost savings by detecting and correcting system deficiencies. HEA was able to respond to the challenges that the commissioning process faced, which were to be expected from a design build construction project.

Now, six years later, LIU has made the decision to recommission the facility to be proactive in ensuring the efficiency of the building systems and because some of the intended uses have changed. The university has done an excellent job of maintaining the facility; however, issues that are not apparent in the operation and maintenance process do arise during the commissioning of an existing building. Once again, LIU was able to get funding for recommissioning the Pratt Recreation Center with a utility grant from LIPA.

HEA will explore the changes that were made to the facility as well as discuss how the facility has been altered over the years of operation. In addition, we will discuss the methodology of recommissioning a six-year-old facility, as opposed to new construction, and how to address and implement the issues found.

  • Michael English, Horizon Engineering

Monday

1:30 Pm–3:00 Pm

TOP

An International Perspective on Commissioning

Commissioning is going global! The speakers will discuss commissioning projects in both Germany and Canada and detail their experiences during the design phase, performance testing, and the outcomes from the monitoring phase. They’ll share their challenges and lessons learned as well as compare commissioning abroad to commissioning in the United States.

  • Oliver Baumann, Ebert & Baumann Consulting Engineers, Inc.
  • Herb Hunter, Hunter Facilities Management, Inc.

Monday

1:30 Pm–3:00 Pm

TOP

Comparing Commissioning Across LEED Products

This panel discussion will outline and compare commissioning requirements for the following LEED products: NC, EB, OM, CI, and CS. Each LEED product is unique and you will leave with an in-depth knowledge of the submission requirements, the overall commissioning requirements for pre-reqs and credits, and increased knowledge of which product might be best suited for your building.

Moderated by:

  • Emmillee Hogan, Liberty Engineering LLP

Monday

3:30 pm–4:30 pm

TOP

Commissioning Your Communication

Use your commissioning model and skills to enhance your communication on the job. This O&M session will illustrate how communication systems, like building systems, are interrelated, complicated, and depend on constant verification and testing in order to function optimally and meet your OPR’s. You’ll learn the elements involved in developing your communication OPR & BOD, as well as develop your Cp (Communication Plan). We’ll concentrate on two major facets of communication and develop PFTs & FPTs around those specific components. The information you receive will resolve the issues you’ve been dealing with during Cx meetings and give you skills to make your communication optimal.

  • Kathy Luker and Tony Sparks, TestMarcx

Monday

3:30 pm–4:30 pm

TOP

Quantifying the Benefits of Commissioning

  • Lia Webster, Portland Energy Conservation, Inc.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Tuesday

7:30 am–8:30 am

TOP

Breakfast Session: BCA Building Certification Program

Grab some breakfast and spend time learning about a proposed BCA certification program. After an overview of the program, which is based upon BCA Standards and Best Practices, you’ll have the chance to ask questions and provide input to help further the development of the program.

The intent of this program is to unite the existing deliverables of the BCA and further establish the BCA as the commissioning authority in the industry.

  • Shannon Steward, EMC Engineers, Inc.

Tuesday

8:30 am–10:00 am

TOP

Owners’ Project Requirements and Basis of Design

The OPR and BOD are two important tools every commissioning professional should understand. Properly utilized, these documents add to project efficiency by promoting team collaboration, facilitating a common understanding of the goals and requirements, and enhancing the exchange of knowledge.

Unfortunately, OPR and BOD are not always understood. Inexperienced project teams may separate the development of these documents from overall project production and therefore may not apply them most effectively. Suitable for commissioning providers, architects and owners, this session will describe the development of OPR and BOD, detail their relationship, and discuss why systems are based on these important documents. Participation is encouraged and attendee’s views and experiences will be discussed.

  • Gerald J. Kettler, AIR Engineering and Testing, Inc.

Tuesday

8:30 am–10:00 am

TOP

Keeping High-Performance Buildings High-Performance

Using data sets culled during retrocommissioning projects, this session will address how the use of typical learned energy conservation habits used in older facilities can ruin the intended energy efficiency of the HVAC design. Several operator myths will be debunked and you’ll have a greater understanding, through lesson learned and analysis of energy use and thermal environmental comfort data, of why proper operation with high performance equipment is critical.

  • Steven M. Caulfield and William A. Turner, Turner Building Science & Design, LLC

Tuesday

10:30 am–12:00 pm

TOP

Commissioning Systems Serving Multiple Buildings

This interactive presentation discusses the opportunities and challenges in the simultaneous construction of a performing arts center and athletic arena. Join both the commissioner and the owner as they focus on the motivation for commissioning this unique facility, the owners concerns and interests throughout some of the more challenges parts of the project, integrating energy modeling in the commissioning effort and meeting the master project schedule.

Participants will gain insight into techniques to test geothermal systems and controls of multiple buildings and have a better understanding of the value of Cx. LEED Cx Scope of Work.

  • Mark Warren, SEi Engineering
  • Joseph Rocco, Assistant Program Manager, Commercial Construction Program, Long Island Power Authority

Tuesday

10:30 am–12:00 pm

TOP

Commissioning Multifamily Buildings

Though commercial building commissioning has been occurring for decades, it is a relatively new practice in the multi-family residential sector. This session will review the status of multi-family commissioning as done through programs across the U.S. through Austin Energy, Seattle City Light, Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), NYSERDA and others; and compare the multi-family commissioning measures encouraged or required through these programs, as well as successes and lessons learned. In addition, Austin Energy's experience in implementing commissioning as a program requirement will be discussed, including experience with prescriptive vs. general commissioning requirements for multifamily buildings. Recommendations are made for organizations interested in developing commissioning programs for multi-family buildings.

  • Anne Johnson, Austin Energy

Tuesday

12:00 pm–2:00 pm

TOP

Planning Roundtable Lunch - BCA Attributes

Moderated by:

  • Kent Barber, Keithly Barber Associates
  • Liz Fischer, Building Commissioning Association

Tuesday

2:00 pm–4:00 pm

TOP

BCA Committee Meetings

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wednesday

8:30 Am–12:00 pm

TOP

CCP Exam Writing Session