PNNL

Abstract

Many buildings today use sophisticated building automation systems (BASs) to manage a wide and varied range of building systems. Although the capabilities of the BASs seem to have increased over time, many buildings still are not properly commissioned, operated or maintained. Lack of or improper commissioning, the inability of the building operators to grasp the complex controls, and lack of proper maintenance leads to inefficient operations and reduced lifetimes of the equipment. If regularly scheduled manual maintenance or re-commissioning practices are adopted, they can be expensive and time consuming. Automated proactive commissioning and diagnostic technologies address two of the main barriers to commissioning: cost and schedules. Automated proactive continuous commissioning tools can reduce both the cost and time associated with commissioning, as well as enhance the persistence of commissioning fixes. In the long run, automation even offers the potential for automatically correcting problems by reconfiguring controls or changing control algorithms dynamically. This paper will discuss procedures and processes that can be used to automate and continuously commission the economizer operation and outdoor-air ventilation systems of an air-handling unit.