Commissioning

Commissioning is the process of verifying building’s systems operate as intended and according to the owner’s requirements. Group14 has commissioned over 600 projects across a wide variety of industries.  We have a team of 17 commissioning professionals with expertise in MEP, HVAC, Power Distribution, Building Enclosures, Building Automation, Lighting, Life-Safety, and Low-Voltage Systems.

• Our team provides Fundamental Commissioning, which focuses on installation and verification of the mechanical and electrical systems during construction, as well as Enhanced Commissioning.
• Enhanced Commissioning includes all the components of Fundamental Commissioning with added participation during the design, development and post-construction phases.
• Group14 utilizes a full suite of cloud-based commissioning tools, which places the entire process in the cloud, providing real-time transparency.

Group14 was one of the first adopters of Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) in the country. We also remain ahead of the curve when it comes to its latest uses and innovations. MBCx can enhance the commissioning process by providing remote real-time monitoring from equipment startup through warranty. It is also utilized to enhance the testing process and evaluate equipment operation over time. Additionally, Monitoring-Based Commissioning provides credit toward LEED v4.

• Our experience is rooted in the industry-leading SkySpark software which draws on monitored data available from the building automation system (BAS), energy meter(s), and weather stations to quickly analyze equipment operation during commissioning and beyond.
• Group14 has implemented SkySpark for over 24,000,000 SF of building area.
• Our MBCx services are deployed throughout the life cycle of a building from new construction to ongoing monitoring. This includes 24/7 access to our cloud hosted server to keep equipment operation optimal year after year.
• Group14 has developed a sophisticated toolkit called Re:Tune.
• The toolkit contains more than 100 SkySpark rules, as well as extensive analytics and dashboards for energy data visualization.
• SkySpark MBCx software allows us to evaluate 100% of equipment over multiple seasons, finding issues and achieving optimal operation.

Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) is a quality-based process for evaluating the performance of a facility envelope to determine if a project is meeting the requirements set by the owner. Enclosure issues, specifically uncontrolled air and water in filtration, are some of the most common and costly sources of building failures. For this reason, our clients are increasingly requesting that BECx be included in our overall commissioning plan. 

• BECx is especially critical when it comes to measuring energy performance. Furthermore, LEED v4 allows two points when the building envelope is included in the commissioning process.
• Our staff includes a certified Commissioning Authority + Building Enclosure (CxA+BE) Professional and a Enclosure Commissioning Process Provider (BECxP).
• Group14 understands BECx’s incorporation in codes and industry-recognized guidelines. 

Retro-commissioning (RCx) is a deep investigation of equipment operation with a specific focus on optimizing buildings controls. Testing and data analysis help to identify operational issues and detect opportunities to optimize control sequences. 

• The RCx process can help identify low-cost opportunities with typical energy savings of 8-15% in annual energy costs.
• In addition, retro-commissioning can improve occupant comfort and indoor air quality by correcting the operation of equipment.
• Group14’s sophisticated RCx process includes a combination of site testing and detailed data analysis using SkySpark software with our Re:Tune toolkit applied. This allows our teams to evaluate building operation over varying seasons, as well as catch more issues and energy saving opportunities.