It’s pretty unusual for a concept to achieve more and more prominence within an industry while avoiding any formal or consensus definition, but that’s what commissioning has done over the past 15 years or so. Of course, Rebecca Ellis, P.E., has contributed a tome of best practices, ideas, and insights about the process for ES readers over that same timeframe, but that’s still “only” the input of an experienced professional, as much as we might wish otherwise.
Now, however, it looks like ASHRAE is hastening the end of commissioning’s Wild West days that much more quickly, as it transforms what was Guideline 0-2005 into full-fledged Standard 202P, Commissioning Process for Buildings And Systems. I’m mentioning this here because the public review process started in mid-August and by the time you read this, there will only be two or three weeks left until it ends.