Best Practices

Avoid purchasing any “green” cleaning product without documentation demonstrating that the product complies with the requirements of IEQc3.3, obtained either through the supplier or through personal research. Note that just because a company claims that its product is green, does not necessarily mean that it is Green Seal certified. Products must be certified to comply with the credit requirements.

Assign at least one in-house operations staff person to work on the commissioning and auditing project to ensure that lessons learned through the

The ASHRAE Level II Audit includes the following components beyond the ASHRAE Level I Walkthrough: proposed changes to operations and maintenance procedures; savings and cost analysis of all practical measures; potential capital-intensive improvements.

Coordinate Level II Audit efforts with those implemented in support of the ASHRAE Level I Audit for EAp1: Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance. It’s a good idea to perform these audits in tandem and they can be conducted by the same contractor if desired.

Select a commissioning provider with experience with your building type and contact references to help evaluate competing firms.

Assign at least one in-house operations staff person to work on the commissioning and auditing project. They should have expertise surrounding the building system controls, HVAC equipment, and lighting.

Twenty-four hours of training per staff person per year is recommended, and training must be provided to all employees and contractors involved in building operations and maintenance, including facility managers, engineers and major-systems equipment operators.

Use actual data of the implementation costs and energy cost savings where possible and extrapolate to anticipated annual savings. 

If your building will undergo commissioning, incorporate refrigerant inspection and maintenance tasks into

Preventive maintenance and inspection is key to minimizing ongoing refrigerant leakage. It’s a good idea to add appropriate items to the building preventive maintenance plan (developed for EAp1: Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices—Planning, Documentation and Opportunity Assessment).