Is the glass half full or half empty when 61 percent – or should I say only 61 percent? – of facility professionals say that commissioning is not a priority in their organizations? In the latest FacilitiesNet survey, commissioning is very important to 28 percent of respondents and somewhat important to 11 percent – at least those were the numbers the day I looked at the results.So what to make of them?
Commissioning receives a lot of attention in magazine articles and conference programs. It’s a proven way to reduce energy costs and improve the operation of building systems, many of which are installed to some extent incorrectly. Commissioning is so critical a part of green design that it’s required for any building certified under the LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – New Construction) green building rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Viewed from that perspective, the fact that 61 percent of respondents don’t consider commissioning even somewhat important is disheartening, at least to those who consider commissioning simply good practice. The results would seem to be one more sign of the short-term outlook that often takes over the construction process. Organizations are evidently not willing to invest in commissioning, even though the added up front cost should bring long-term savings as well as improved operations.But that’s not the whole story. Estimates I’ve seen say that only a small percentage of construction projects use commissioning. If 28 percent of facility professionals think that commissioning is very important, that could be taken as good news. Maybe it’s a sign that the idea of commissioning is gaining more widespread acceptance among facility professionals. If that’s the case, perhaps the glass is half full — or at least a bit more than a quarter full.Champions of commissioning, any success stories to share? Those who don’t think commissioning is a priority, why? Is it only cost? Or isn’t it worth the money?