Commissioning: More than a Code Requirement

For project teams, commissioning requirements in the energy code can sometimes feel like another item on a long compliance checklist, but its value goes well beyond checking a box. When incorporated into a project effectively, commissioning can help teams identify problems earlier, reduce project risk, avoid costly fixes, and ultimately deliver a building that works as intended.

Commissioning verifies that building systems operate as designed and meet the owner’s requirements. It is required under the 2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code for most buildings over 10,000 square feet.  

What commissioning includes 

The process begins early in design with a commissioning plan, and typically includes design reviews, equipment submittal reviews, construction observations, testing coordination, documenting problems, and confirming that those problems have been corrected.  

Commissioning is a more holistic process than individual testing activities such as Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) or Functional Performance Testing (FPT). These activities can support commissioning, but commissioning is the broader process that connects to design, installation, testing, documentation, and operation.

Finding problems earlier saves time and money 

Commissioning activities early in the construction process can help identify and correct design deficiencies before construction begins, which is much more cost-effective than addressing construction defects later.

Think about the difference between identifying incorrectly sized equipment during a design review compared to discovering it after the equipment has been purchased and installed. Finding the issue earlier can give the project team more options to address it while reducing the potential for rework, delays, and unexpected costs.

The case for commissioning  

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) conducted two studies in 2009 and 2018 examining the costs and benefits of building commissioning, including both energy and non-energy impacts. The findings show that commissioning can provide value beyond energy savings alone. For new construction projects included in LBNL’s 2018 data set, the median commissioning cost was $0.82 per square foot, or approximately 0.25% of total construction costs. LBNL research also found that non-energy first-cost savings could offset a portion of commissioning costs and, in some cases, exceed the value of operational energy savings.

Commissioning should not be viewed simply as paperwork completed at the end of a project. Its greatest value comes from integrating it into the project early enough to identify and resolve issues before they become bigger problems.

For project teams, that changes the conversation around code compliance. Commissioning is not just something a project team has to do to comply with the energy code; it is a tool that can help the team manage risk, save time and money, and deliver a better building with fewer surprises.