12 Building Commissioning Guide

Commissioning is included in the design and construction process of newly constructed nonresidential buildings to verify that the building’s energy systems and components meet the owner’s or owner representative’s project requirements.

Commissioning under Part 6 is required for nonresidential buildings of 10,000 square feet and larger, excluding healthcare facilities (which instead follow a procedure specified in Chapter 7 of the California Administrative Code, Title 24, Part 1). Commissioning is also required for nonresidential portions of mixed-use buildings when the total space of these portions is 10,000 square feet or larger.

Newly constructed buildings with less than 10,000 square feet of nonresidential area are only required to perform a design review, though they may elect to perform a more complete commissioning process. Design review is discussed in Section 12.4.

Part 6 does not require retrocommissioning of existing buildings; neither commissioning nor design review are required for building additions or alterations. That said, this guide may still be useful for projects engaging in retrocommissioning.