ASHRAE Journal - January 2021 - 18

TECHNICAL FEATURE

associations working to improve their standards of care,
ethics, means and methods, procedures and education, such as American Institute of Architects (AIA),
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Florida
Bar, American Medical Association, ASHRAE, AABCACG, BCA, NEBB, Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers IEEE, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES),
etc. Cx process standards of care and guidelines are provided by ASHRAE.
Cx procedural standards of care and guidance are also
provided by other organizations. Several for-profit (and
ASHRAE, a non-profit) organizations do provide procedural Cx standards, continuing education and certification; some are listed below:

AABC/ACG
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

CxA: certified Cx authority;
CxT: certified Cx technician;
CCE: cleanroom certified engineer;
AEE (Association of Energy Engineers);
CBCP: certified building Cx professional;
CBCPM: master's level CBCP;
CBCF: certified building Cx firm; and
EBCP: existing building Cx professional.

ASHRAE

* BCxP: Cx process management professional.

BCA

* CCP: certified Cx professional;
* ACP: associate Cx professional; and
* CCF: certified Cx firm.

NEBB

* BSC CP: building systems Cx certified professional;
* RCx CP: retro-commissioning certified professional; and
* CPT CP: cleanroom performance testing.

Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)
* Commissioning supervisor. 

University of Wisconsin

* Qualified commissioning process provider;
* CxAP: accredited commissioning process authority
professional;
* CxM: accredited commissioning process manager;
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ASHRAE JOURNAL

ashrae.org

JAN UARY 2021

* CxTS: accredited commissioning process technical
service provider; and
* GCxP: accredited green commissioning process
provider.
Professionals have similar basic characteristics, such
as having had a high-level education, being certified with specialized training and continuing education, being responsible, being accountable, having
high levels of cognitive skills and having autonomy.
( " Autonomy " is the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the
influence of desires.)
In contrast, I would argue that the opposite of a " professional " is an " amateur, " which typically describes
someone who " is learning and acquiring experience " or
does not get paid for their work. This is not a description
of a CxP or firm.

What Level of " Body of Knowledge " and Experience/
Education is Required to Perform These Services?
The very nature of " building Cx " makes it an overly
broad and encompassing profession. Like medicine and
law, there are so many " disciplines " of building Cx that
need the requisite " body of knowledge " and specialty
experience/expertise to perform at a minimal level of
acceptance.
For example, some disciplines of building Cx include,
but are not limited to, the following:
* HVAC&R;
* Building enclosure/envelope;
* Electrical;
* Lighting;
* Plumbing;
* Structural;
* Communications;
* Fire and smoke protection/life safety systems;
* Energy and indoor air quality;
* Power (normal, emergency and UPS systems);
* Architectural; and
* Civil.
Professional CxPs and firms perform their professional
services in many types of buildings, which include, but
are not limited to the following:
* Schools;
* Health-care and medical facilities;
* Cleanrooms (pharmaceutical, medical, electronics,
aerospace, etc.);
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ASHRAE Journal - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - January 2021
