Top 10 Elements of Commissioning — No. 4: Begin Early
The earlier the commissioning professional can review design documents and provide feedback on compliance, the less potential rework the design team may need to do.
If a third-party commissioning professional is not introduced to a design and construction project until the end of construction, it’s not “commissioning;” it’s “testing.” That’s why the next in my list of Top 10 Elements of Commissioning is No. 4: begin early. Commissioning is a process that should begin as soon as possible in a project’s life, because the earlier commissioning starts, the more value it will bring to the building owner and entire project team.
Regardless of when commissioning is started, one of the first activities should be the development of the owner’s project requirements (OPR) document. At a minimum, from a commissioning perspective, the OPR should identify the performance requirements and/or acceptance criteria for the systems to be commissioned. This is critical, even at the end of construction, to ensure the design team, contractors, and commissioning professional are on the same page regarding the owner’s expectations.