Although the commissioning process has served project teams well within the realm of standard building systems, this realm has typically been defined within the walls of an occupied facility. The standard scope of commissioning services may not include commissioning of the central utility systems (e.g., chilled water, hot water, steam, power, etc.) that have such a significant impact on the operation of numerous buildings on a campus. I argue that a similar but slightly modified process can benefit the design, construction, startup, and operation of campus central utility systems.

The relatively new need for commissioning various building systems results from several factors including: