For the above referenced project we have a question regarding who may perform the fundamental building commissioning (Pre-requisite EA-1) and the Additional commissioning credit (EA-3). We have reviewed all the CIR\'s that pertain to both of these credits and wanted to be absolutely sure that we meet the requirements of both the Pre-requisite and additional commissioning credits. Is the following interpretation correct? Employees of the design firm, who are not responsible for project design, construction management nor supervision, may perform the fundamental commissioning while another firm (an independent commissioning authority) performs all tasks associated with the additional commissioning, the project is eligible for both the prerequisite (EAp 1)and credit (EAc 3) associated with commissioning.
Your interpretation is technically correct, according to LEED requirements. However, it is NOT recommended to have more than one commissioning agent for EAp1 and EAc3 tasks. Taking such an approach potentially compromises the continuity and quality of the commissioning process. EAp1 tasks can be conducted by a person from a design team firm that is not directly responsible for project design or construction management. Alternatively, EAp1 tasks can be conducted by an independent commissioning authority. EAc3 tasks 1, 2 and 3 can only be conducted by an independent commissioning authority - one that is independent of the design firms. Please see EAc3 CIR ruling dated 10/26/01 for specific quotes from the LEED-NC v2.0 Reference Guide. Applicable Internationally.