Unlocking the Power of Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx)

As technology innovations continue to augment building management and energy efficiency efforts, Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) has emerged as a transformative tool. Unlike traditional commissioning – which is iterative, typically tied to construction and only focused on representative samples of high-density equipment –MBCx focuses on continuous monitoring and advanced diagnostics across all connected equipment.

Often delivered as a combination of software application (for connection to the data-producing equipment and algorithmic processing of all this information) and managed service (through engineers who monitor the system and make recommendations to other service providers and internal teams) MBCx ensures equipment continues to operate as intended through all the real-world use cases it encounters. While MBCx is becoming a necessary part of an optimized portfolio, success in managing an ongoing program such as this requires strategic planning, effective implementation, and sustained engagement across multiple service providers and internal departments.

The Challenge: Ensuring MBCx Project Success Beyond the First Year

A 2018 market survey conducted by the Building Commissioning Association revealed that only 10% of MBCx projects were renewed after the initial year of implementation. This underscores a critical challenge for facility managers, vendors, and engineers: achieving measurable and sustained value from an ongoing MBCx program is not a given. Overcoming this issue requires a nuanced understanding of project goals, robust energy auditing practices, and strong stakeholder engagement.

The Keys to MBCx Success

Strategic Project Planning

One of the foundational steps in MBCx is defining clear project goals. Some questions for program teams to consider:

• What are the primary outcomes each stakeholder hopes to achieve?
• Are outcomes focused on energy savings, regulatory compliance, ou system optimization?
• Which teams will be involved in the ongoing management of the MBCx program and which are only involved in procurement efforts?
• Who is responsible for the change management aspects of the program? Are incentives incorporated for actions taken or issues resolved?

Establishing these objectives is pivotal, as is determining how the impact will be measured. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) must be aligned with these goals to track progress effectively. Technology vendors and service providers can help answer these questions, but the program, including change management, should be defined by internal stakeholders from all impacted departments.

Comprehensive Energy Auditing

An on-site energy audit should be integral to every MBCx project. Energy audits traditionally provide valuable insights into the current performance of HVAC systems and other energy-intensive equipment. These efforts also have unique benefits for ongoing optimization – they provide an opportunity to establish relationships that will fuel success later, and they typically identify initial opportunities that facilities can focus on while the data is modeled for analysis.

In one example, a comprehensive energy audit of a large office building uncovered that each of the facility’s 60+ air handling units was installed with an advanced static pressure reset routine. This is a great energy saving strategy, but left unchecked it can miss its intended marks and if ignored, this existing energy-focused routine could represent a missed opportunity to improve what was there rather than start from scratch on the sequence of operations. Through interviews with the operations teams, InSite learned that the setpoints didn’t ever actually change like they were supposed to given the logic in the advanced statis pressure reset routine. The operations team was aware this wasn’t functioning as designed but when their controls vendor looked into optimizing this routine they determined that it was functioning optimally.

InSite’s engineers were tasked with utilizing this MBCx program to identify opportunities for additional energy savings to help this building qualify for rebates and increase its operating income. Knowing that the static pressure reset programming was in place, the AHU Static Pressure readings did not look right. Drilling in on the data, the InSite team focused  on the zones that might be driving the reset and determined there were several VAV boxes with rogue actions that were preventing the AHU sequence from deploying. Within a day,  on-site teams were able to correct all VAV terminals reporting rogue action and the static pressure reset immediately took effect across all impacted zones.

This represented an immediate savings opportunity and a very quick win for the MBCx program at this facility.

Optimization through FDD

Fault Detection and Diagnostics (sometimes expanded to Automated FDD or AFDD) plays a crucial role in MBCx success and often serves as the technological underpinning of an MBCx program.

When implemented effectively, FDD helps identify inefficiencies in real time, enabling proactive interventions. When delivered as part of an MBCx service offering, it is not necessary for a building owner or its operations teams to procure and manage a separate technology, but it is important to understand how it can be utilized by internal and service-provider teams.

Recommendations for leveraging FDD (as part of an MBCx program or standalone in a managed services package) include:

1. Focus on High-Impact Equipment: FDD does not need to be implemented on all equipment all at once – prioritize systems with the greatest potential for energy savings, such as large chillers or dense HVAC networks and expand the deployment as internal buy-in and usage grows.
2. Adopt a Phased Approach: Implement the out-of-the-box solution first then gradually introduce new rules and allow time for tuning. This helps avoid overwhelming systems or personnel.
3. Commit to Continuous Refinement: Dedicate the first 6-12 months following implementation (when the system is fully available to all users) to refining FDD parameters and aligning them with operational realities.
4. Utilize a trusted partner: FDD is most typically installed through a technology procurement process and purchased direct from the application developer. This requires a dedicated internal resource who is committed to upskilling colleagues and implementing a usage advocacy program to ensure the full system value is realized. If internal resources are a constraint, consider incorporating FDD technology into your managed services agreements so your teams can have access to the system without having to be solely responsible for its adoption.

Engaging Stakeholders: The Human Element of MBCx

The success of MBCx is as much about managing relationships as it is about managing systems. Particular emphasis should be given to the importance of fostering collaboration among building engineers, vendors, and MBCx administrators.

Tips for effective engagement include:

• Encourage Participation: Creating a successful project ecosystem looks different for all organizations but always requires involvement by all relevant parties. Be sure to include vendors who might be involved in implementation or ongoing management as much as possible as early as possible.
• Empower Building Engineers: Recognize the expertise of your building operations staff and involve them in the decision-making process to ensure alignment and long-term commitment.
• Leverage Service Contracts: Include tasks identified by the program in routine service visits, being sure to highlight successes and give accolades to responsible parties.

Implementing Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs)

All successful MBCx programs have one thing in common – they deliver results. For most, this involves a detailed and ongoing list of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs), their estimated time to implement and a reasonable judgement on how much money will be saved by doing this work.

This ECM list typically includes:

• ECM Prioritization: Not all ECMs are created equal and prioritizing them effectively can make or break an MBCx initiative.
• Lifecycle Monitoring: Tracking of each ECM through its lifecycle, from initial implementation to long-term refinement.
• Drift Capture: Regular monitoring for performance deviations and address them promptly to maintain gains.

The MBCx Administrator

Continuous or Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) requires dedicated resources in project management, technology, and operational systems expertise. Effective programs involve holistic oversight to ensure all aspects of implementation and performance remain optimized.

Key components of a successful MBCx program include:

1. Planning Ahead: Define project goals, establish KPIs, and conduct thorough energy audits before implementation.
2. Leveraging Technology: Use tools such as Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) to identify inefficiencies and fine-tune systems.
3. Engaging Stakeholders: Foster collaboration among building engineers, vendors, and partners to maintain alignment.
4. Continuous Monitoring: Ensure Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) receive ongoing attention to maintain effectiveness.
5. Adapting and Refining: Adjust strategies based on system performance data and stakeholder input.

This article was written and submitted by Matt Gelnett.

About InSite

Matt Gelnett is the Director of Engineering at InSite Intelligence. Founded in 2013, InSite is a leading solution partner for optimization in buildings, extracting value from data to engineer meaningful outcomes for its clients. We deliver financial and operational impact by harnessing our team’s expertise in engineering and building performance optimization. Our Engineered for Results approach combines an intelligence platform that collects and analyzes data for single buildings and entire portfolios with our program management teams who transform data into prescriptive recommendations.  

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