ICC Guideline for Building Commissioning Will Ensure Design, Performance Reduce Emissions

The International Code Council will develop a Guideline for Building Commissioning to meet the need to increase the efficiency of commercial buildings. A committee of global industry leaders and technical experts will be appointed to develop the Guideline. Commissioning is a new process required by the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), CalGreen and LEED certification.

“Commissioning, or the verification of how a building performs once the certificate of occupancy is issued, is the only way to ensure the design and performance of the building is being maintained and therefore reducing emissions,” said ICC CEO Richard P. Weiland. “Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. This new Guideline once again shows that ICC is committed to its mission to provide the highest quality building safety products.”

Codes do not provide specifics on how testing should be performed; what methods of testing and reporting are acceptable; or what are specific qualifications a local jurisdiction needs to require of a commissioning agent. The new Guideline will provide a minimum level of quality to safeguard health, property, and public welfare, and ensure performance.

Guideline provisions will apply to the commissioning of buildings, who commissions them, and how. The document will complement the IGCC, CalGreen, LEED, and the like so as not to create conflict in the marketplace or with current regulations.

The Guideline will be aimed at those responsible for providing building commissioning from jurisdictions, to building inspectors, contractors, architects, engineers, designers and others with functions in the international development community and those who will enforce commissioning from a regulatory perspective.

The purpose of the Guideline is to provide regulators and third parties with a guide to determine who is competent to be a commissioning agent. It would include skill sets and how to enforce commissioning from a regulator’s perspective, with an eye toward creating an ICC certification program.

The adoption of IGCC, CalGreen and other green codes and standards will be the main driving force for the Guideline. Both IGCC and CalGreen require levels (architectural, structural, HVAC, energy, water, etc.) of commissioning.

“As the construction industry recovers, it is expected the market will drive the demand for commissioning experts, both public and private,” Weiland said. “The Guideline will provide a standard to ensure consistency in the market place for commissioning personnel and how commissioning will be enforced by regulators.”

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council. The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.