I have two specific questions:
1. Just to confirm, is it necessary that the 2 projects of experience for the CxA are LEED certified (or persuing LEED)?
2. Is it mandatory that the CxA have experience as CxA literally? I wonder this because the possible CxA for my project has experience in the design, management and specialist of the equipment startup in more than two projects, this is more than the responsibilities of the CxA, however, strictly speaking, he wasn't the CxA literally (he hasn't this title for those projects). So, he can be the CxA for my project? I think he can.
Please advice.
Thanks in advance.
Scott Bowman
LEED FellowIntegrated Design + Energy Advisors, LLC
LEEDuser Expert
519 thumbs up
April 16, 2013 - 10:06 am
Without specific information on experience, it is hard to determine if this would be acceptable, but I have also not had GBCI push back on any of our projects. What we do internally is much as we would do with any engineer in our firm. We have them gain experience on several different commissioning projects, working in various detail until they have completed a couple of projects as a CxA under one of our senior staff who are there to help and guide them through the process. Then they can use those projects in the required on-line template to be the main CxA for projects from that point on.
To my knowledge, and I am sure that someone else will correct me if I am wrong, the two commissioning projects do not have to be LEED or Certified. About half of our commissioning work is LEED, and the rest is because it is the right thing to do. Typically we use LEED projects when we are submitting, as we are assuming that someone at GBCI could look them up and see our names on those projects (either as submitting, or as someone involved in the project)…just one way to make it as easy to approve as possible.
Ron Dean
Sumac Inc.21 thumbs up
April 16, 2013 - 1:52 pm
Thanks for the reply Scott.
For one thing, something I was wondering about is how the GBCI reviewers will check and approve the information of the projects in which the CxA participated (his experience) in case those projects aren't LEED Certified. So I'm kind of confused about that.
For another, Scott, according to the case of the engineers of your firm, I understand that the CxA must document experience as CxA and not as other roles that may be important in a project too.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
April 16, 2013 - 2:03 pm
Ronald, to back up Scott's point, the project experience does not have to be on LEED.I would say that the requirement is to have the CxA have CxA experience literally, although as Scott discusses, you can get this experience under someone else's wing.
Ron Dean
Sumac Inc.21 thumbs up
April 16, 2013 - 3:08 pm
Thanks for your response Tristan. I'll have it into consideration for my project.
Scott Bowman
LEED FellowIntegrated Design + Energy Advisors, LLC
LEEDuser Expert
519 thumbs up
April 16, 2013 - 3:32 pm
Ronald, I have often wondered myself how GBCI confirms the projects listed, and up to this point I think it is on the honor of the person filling out the submittal. We have certainly not been questioned up to now. I just told how we do it in the firm; our standard practice. Our Cx Plan and final reports always list everyone from our team that worked in the commissioning role, so that is what I meant by if they do look back to one of the projects listed, they will see my name or the engineer we are developing as a CxA doing most of the CxA work under my direction. So yes, we make sure that our engineers assigned know all the commissioning tasks, not just that they worked on the project. That is one of the benefits of a firm of our size, we have that ability to staff and train.