Strategies for Commissioning Processes to Ensure Sustainable Building Performance

Building commissioning has developed over the last decades starting in the US as a quality insurance methodology, but it has increasingly been applied in other countries, including Denmark where this study was undertaken. The purpose of the paper is to investigate, how commissioning can be applied – not only during the building process but also during building operation, and to develop recommendations for strategies concerning implementation of commissioning processes to ensure sustainable building performance for both new and existing buildings.

The study included a number of expert interviews as well as a case study of a Facilities Management (FM) organisation and one of their new office and laboratory buildings recently occupied. The case study included both quantitative investigations of energy consumptions and qualitative investigations based on documents and interviews.

The research shows that commissioning has great potential to improve the sustainable performance of buildings, but it is important for FM organisations to develop strategies for their commissioning processes for the whole building life cycle. For new buildings, it is important to have particular commissioning processes in place for trouble shooting in the period from contractors handing over the building until a steady operation is established, but an ongoing commissioning process is also important to ensure continuous sustainable performance.

The paper has implications for researchers by paving the way for a new field of research focusing on how to ensure sustainable building performance by implementing commissioning processes during the whole life cycle of buildings. It also has practical implications by providing specific recommendations for building clients and FM organisation concerning strategies for commissioning process that can ensure sustainable building performance and support SDG 11 and 12.