Building commissioning provides documented confirmation that building systems function according to criteria set forth in the project documents to satisfy the owner’s operational needs. Commissioning is a quality-oriented process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined objectives and criteria.
Commissioning is an all inclusive process for all the planning, delivery, verification, and managing risks to critical functions performed in, or by, facilities. Commissioning ensures building quality using peer review and in-field or on-site verification. Commissioning also accomplishes higher energy efficiency, environmental health, and occupant safety and improves indoor air quality by making sure the building components are working correctly and that the plans are implemented with the greatest efficiency. Commissioning is a quality assurance-based process that delivers preventive and predictive maintenance plans, tailored operating manuals and training procedures for all users to follow.*

Commissioning for Existing Buildings (sometimes referred to as retro-commissioning) is a systematic process for investigating, analyzing, and optimizing the performance of building systems by improving their operation and maintenance to ensure their continued performance over time. This process helps make the building systems perform interactively to meet the owner’s current facility requirements.*

EBS' energy rating services provide a standard measurement of a building's energy efficiency and can be used to determine cost effective improvements to existing structures. Furthermore, an ENERGY STAR qualified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by EPA and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers. Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of all energy consumption in the U.S. at a cost of over $200 billion per year, more than any other sector of the economy. Commercial and industrial facilities are also responsible for nearly half of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to global warming. For more than a decade, EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strategic energy management practices. To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a building or manufacturing plant must score in the top 25 percent based on EPA's National Energy Performance Rating System. To determine the performance of a facility, EPA compares energy use among other, similar types of facilities on a scale of 1-100; buildings that achieve a score of 75 or higher may be eligible for the ENERGY STAR. The EPA rating system accounts for differences in operating conditions, regional weather data, and other important considerations.*

The coordination of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems is a major challenge for complex buildings and industrial plants. The process involves locating equipment and routing connecting elements for each building system. This multidiscipline effort is time-consuming and expensive and requires knowledge regarding each system over the project life cycle. Current practice requires representatives from each MEP trade to work together to identify and resolve interferences. Effective MEP coordination requires recalling and integrating knowledge regarding design, construction, operations, and maintenance of each MEP system. Currently, designers and constructors use tailored CAD systems to design and fabricate MEP systems, but no knowledge-based computer technology exists to assist in the multidiscipline MEP coordination effort.*