development or 65 percent construction
document development level. Enhanced
commissioning also requires that the
commissioning agent provide a user-friendly manual describing how the systems are intended to operate. Random
system retesting is also required 10 months
after substantial completion and initial
commissioning.
Courtesy RMF Engineering Inc.
Eddy-current testing of the chiller tubes ensures
no ‘thin’ areas are present in the tubes. As part
of the commissioning process, it also establish-es a baseline of tube thickness that can help
operators determine when it is appropriate to
replace failing tubes.
Measuring Success
Is commissioning worth the cost?
In some cases, plant owners have found
that just one of the comments made by
their commissioning agent during design
review saved them enough money to cover
the cost of the commissioning effort. It
is also not unusual for some plant owners
to find it hard to pay for the process initially but to later become eager proponents
of commissioning as they see it provides
them with energy savings and better end
products. Repeat commissioning clients
often add more commissioning services
to subsequent projects after they realize
the value that the process can add.
But the value of commissioning
may be measured in other terms as well.
When plant owners are asked how they
would define success in commissioning,
they almost always answer that the effort
has to “deliver a plant that works.” Whether
constructing a new central energy facility,
or expanding or renovating an existing
one, more and more plant owners are
experiencing how can successful commissioning helps improve overall construction
quality – and ensure that what is built
today will help address environmental
concerns and tomorrow’s energy needs.
Though not everyone is incorporating commissioning into their plants, it is
gradually becoming more commonplace.
The push for energy efficiency and the
increasing number of owners who have
experienced successful commissioning
are helping the industry recognize the
benefits of the process. It’s another tool
for district energy system owners and
operators to consider in their pursuit of
achieving and maintaining “a plant that
works.”
Barney York, PE, CBCP, is proj-
ect manager for RMF Engineering
Inc., where he has been employed
for 11 years. Throughout his tenure
he has designed, constructed and
commissioned various large central
energy plants and associated distribution networks,
focusing solely on commissioning these types of
projects during the past six years. York holds a
bachelor’s degree in engineering from North
Carolina State University. His email address is
byork@rmf.com.
