Engineering Inc. - September/October 2006 - 25

the line was rerouted relatively easily. Had it gone unseen, Boyer says,
the problem would have cost more, required shutting off the AC system for
six to eight hours and affected patient care. Based on that experience,
Boyer hired a Cx agent to oversee the design of a generator expansion
project, as well as both the electrical and HVAC start up. He now uses Cx
on every construction project. Who Benefits? Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
SGH is a Mende says all projects can benefit from Cx, but the greatest
national design and consulting engineering firm advantage comes with major
projects where there are multiple disciplines in the design and
construction processes. He recom- that applies advanced engineering to
buildings. mends Cx on any energy-related project, including central
plants We are always looking for talented engineering and energy-driven
mechanical systems upgrades, and for building candidates for all of our
offices. To learn more envelope systems, including insulation, roofs and
walls. about these opportunities and to apply, please Healthcare
facilities, research centers and university campuses visit our website at
www.sgh.com/careers. also are good candidates. While residential and
retail buildings still do not undergo commissioning, federal buildings,
pharmacies, biotech facilities and schools increasingly do, says
Leafstedt, who SGH is an equal opportunity employer and values sees 30
percent or more of new buildings being commissioned. diversity in our work
force. We offer excellent Each building that is commissioned benefits in a
different compensation and benefits in a corporate culture way. Engineers
incorporate cutting-edge ideas to boost energy based on learning and
growth. efficiency, Leafstedt explains, but there are always little
hiccups. Even in the Las Vegas school district, which now builds dozens of
schools a year based on a 1998 prototype, new problems continue to surface.
Each building involves a different group of contractors, project manager,
controls company or site orientation. Even on identical buildings, you run
into unique problems, he says. Where's the Payback? Coyne says studies have
documented a 20-percent total utility savings from building commissioning.
With today's energy prices, the three- to four-year payback on a facility
commissioned in 2004 has now dropped to one year or less. Other studies
found between $3 and $11 in savings for every dollar spent on commis-
sioning, Coyne says. Some findings show considerably more savings. In one
project, Leafstedt says, the Cx team discovered one chiller cycling on
more often than it should. That problem was traced to a microproces- sor
that made the chiller think it was much smaller than it really was. That
fix alone paid for the Cx team in three or four months, he says. Further,
developers can charge a premium if they can dem- onstrate they have a
sustainable facility that has been checked for indoor air quality and
operates at peak efficiency, says Coyne. Some local governments are
requiring developers to accredit their projects through the U.S. Green
Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED
certification pro- gram, which requires commissioning. Operational issues
can be minimized, too. Boyer's maintenance staff tells him that they love
commissioning. They learned how to maintain some of our systems a little
better because of com- missioning agents being on the job. n 25 SEPTEMBER
/ OCTOBER 2006 ENGINEERING INC.
Engineering Inc. - September/October 2006

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