flexiblefullpage -

HORIZONTV FEATURING BD+C: WATCH EPISODES ON DEMAND AT HORIZONTV

Menu View Full Menu
Subscribe Here
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Calculating the ROI of building enclosure commissioning

Calculating the ROI of building enclosure commissioning

A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory calls building enclosure commissioning “the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today.”

By C.C. Sullivan | June 28, 2013
Continue Reading
According to Evan Mills, PhD, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, building enclosure commissioning, or BECx, should be viewed as “the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today.”
 
(This article excerpted from BD+C's June 2013 AIA/CES course on cladding and exterior insulation. Take this free course at BD+C University.)
 
Mills studied the benefits of BECx, noting that commissioning only costs about $1.16/sf for new construction and $0.30/sf for existing buildings on average, with a payback period of as little as 14 months. Savings associated with using BECx from both maintenance and energy savings average about 16% for existing buildings and 13% for new construction. The main benefit is that whole-building energy savings are guaranteed, thanks to the pivotal role of the enclosure in determining efficiency performance.
 
“Further enhancing the value of commissioning, its non-energy benefits surpass those of most other energy-management practices,” including major first-cost savings through right-sizing of HVAC equipment, Mills has testified. “When accounting for these benefits, the net median commissioning project cost was reduced by 49% on average, while in many cases they exceeded the direct value of the energy savings.”
 
The National Institute of Building Sciences published its NIBS Guideline 3-2012 on enclosure commissioning last year. The U.S. Green Building Council has allowed the application of BECx to earn an innovation credit in the LEED rating system, and BECx was even considered as a prerequisite, but that proposal lost momentum, says Rob Kistler, AIA, NCARB, Committee Chair for NIBS Guideline 3 and Principal, The Facade Group.
 
It appears that LEED v4 will not explicitly encourage the detail review, onsite testing, and observation that some enclosure experts say is what makes BECx effective, notes Tristan Roberts, with BuildingGreen’s LEEDUser service. Instead, the new LEED draft language directly quotes NIBS Guideline 3, which describes the following techniques as part of proper BECx for enhanced building commissioning:
•  Devise a plan early in the project cycle that describes testing requirements, acceptance criteria, and documentation.
•  Review details in the construction documentation to check for overall performance, continuity of weather barriers and insulation, and constructability.
•  Conduct observations on the job site as required for critical milestones in enclosure installation, from field mockups to trades startup to field testing.
•  Use mockups to benchmark workmanship requirements and ensure compliance with specifications and manufacturer’s installation requirements.
 
The NIBS committee for BECx, which Altenhofen serves on, recommends including a consulting enclosure expert for the building project, especially in the construction administration phase. The expert will help ensure proposed cladding materials and systems are integrated properly into the design process, followed by visual observations of a statistical sampling of installation of work. Toward the end of the CA phase and before acceptance, a blower-door test will check whether the air infiltration levels are equal to or better than standard.
 
As noted in the summary of NIBS Guideline 3, BECx helps reduce the chances that inadequate cladding work will be discovered during the punch list phase: “The performance of the enclosure cannot be verified until the entire building is completely enclosed. At this time it is not possible to tune or dial in the performance. To access a nonperforming subsystem or assembly might be very expensive.”
 
(This article excerpted from BD+C's June 2013 AIA/CES course on cladding and exterior insulation. Take this free course at BD+C University.)

Tags

Related Stories

Aerial rendering of new pediatric hospital and campus. Image:
Hospital Design Trends | Feb 14, 2024

Plans for a massive research hospital in Dallas anticipates need for child healthcare

Children’s Health and the UT Southwestern Medical Center have unveiled their plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus and research hospital on more than 33 acres within Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District. 

PierLuca Maffey, new design head at Carrier Johnson + Culture
Architects | Feb 13, 2024

Pierluca Maffey joins Carrier Johnson + Culture as new Firmwide Head of Design

Carrier Johnson + Culture (CJ+C) has hired Pierluca “Luca” Maffey, International Assoc. AIA, as the firm's new Firmwide Head of Design and Design Principal.

K-12 school design trends for 2024: health, wellness, net zero energy 
K-12 Schools | Feb 13, 2024

K-12 school design trends for 2024: health, wellness, net zero energy 

K-12 school sector experts are seeing “healthiness” for schools expand beyond air quality or the ease of cleaning interior surfaces. In this post-Covid era, “healthy” and “wellness” are intersecting expectations that, for many school districts, encompass the physical and mental wellbeing of students and teachers, greater access to outdoor spaces for play and learning, and the school’s connection to its community as a hub and resource.

Thoughtful tech workplace design
Office Buildings | Feb 13, 2024

Creating thoughtful tech workplace design

It’s important for office design to be inspiring, but there are some practical principles that can be incorporated into the design of real-world tech workplaces to ensure they convey an exciting, sophisticated allure that accommodates progressive thinking and inventiveness.

The front façade departures hall at Zayed International Airport, Terminal A. Photo: Victor Romero, courtesy Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
Airports | Feb 13, 2024

New airport terminal by KPF aims to slash curb-to-gate walking time for passengers

The new Terminal A at Zayed International Airport in the United Arab Emirates features an efficient X-shape design with an average curb-to-gate walking time of just 12 minutes. The airport terminal was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), with Arup and Naco as engineering leads.

College student in wheelchair having discussion with other students
Higher Education | Feb 9, 2024

Disability and architecture: ADA and universal design at college campuses

To help people with disabilities feel part of the campus community, higher education institutions and architects must strive to create settings that not only adhere to but also exceed ADA guidelines.

Image by Suzy from Pixabay
Codes | Feb 9, 2024

Illinois releases stretch energy code for building construction

Illinois is the latest jurisdiction to release a stretch energy code that provides standards for communities to mandate more efficient building construction. St. Louis, Mo., and a few states, including California, Colorado, and Massachusetts, currently have stretch codes in place.

Top 10 Telecommunications Building Architecture Firms for 2023, Photo by Charlie Fitzgerald on Unsplash
Giants 400 | Feb 8, 2024

Top 10 Telecommunications Building Architecture Firms for 2023

Arcadis North America, CSArch, Interior Architects, and TETER top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest telecommunications building architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Photo by vnwayne fan on Unsplash, Top 50 Public Library Architecture Firms for 2023
Giants 400 | Feb 8, 2024

Top 50 Public Library Architecture Firms for 2023

Quinn Evans, McMillan Pazdan Smith, PGAL, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Gensler top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest public library architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Photo by Radek Grzybowski on Unsplash, Top 60 Performing Arts Center and Concert Venue Architecture Firms for 2023
Giants 400 | Feb 8, 2024

Top 60 Performing Arts Center and Concert Venue Architecture Firms for 2023

Populous, DLR Group, Gensler, HGA, and Perkins Eastman top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest performing arts center and concert venue architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.  

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -

Top Articles

native1 -

More In Category

halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021