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Commissioning or Strategic Engineering?
Integrating Operational Realities with Functional
Performance Requirements and Using Commissioning to Assure It!
J. Patrick Carpenter,
P.E., Vanderweil Engineers
The goal of this seminar is to promote an understanding of the importance
of making engineering decisions based on more than just what is
adequate and efficient. The urgency of commissioning for most owners
and operators derives from a long-term trend that has left them
with many buildings that simply don't seem to serve their needs.
The systems don't "work" correctly because the operators
don't know or don't agree with the engineers on what "correctly"
really is. Unless the design engineers on projects take primary
responsibility for achieving effective designs that meet operational
realities, the application of the commissioning process ends up
dealing more with the symptoms than the causes. Instead of just
expecting the commissioning process to help make sure their "adequate"
designs deliver required capacity, engineers should use the occasion
of commissioning as the chance to truly deliver systems that meet
the operational needs of normal building dynamics. These dynamics
include not only the usual variations of weather and occupancy but
also the changing needs of corporations, societal influences, equipment
failures, maintenance requirements, and other economic pressures.
Commissioning can make any system "perform"
by delivering its intended capacity. Unless the engineering has
developed systems that integrate operational realities of normal
building dynamics with the performance requirements of capacity
and efficiency, building owners and operators will continue to complain
about systems that don't meet their needs—they will characterize
a poor design based more on ineffectiveness than on insufficient
size!
The expectations and objectives of commissioning,
especially those understood as part of LEED® certification,
are to more clearly define and assure the delivery of the "Owner's
Project Requirements." This presentation will show how the
most effective use of commissioning lies in completely integrating
concepts with operation.
Labs21 Connection:
Technology seems to have driven the evolution and acceptance of
increasing complexity and sophistication in building system concepts,
sizes, arrangements, and controls. Many engineered systems, even
those supposedly based on simpler concepts, fail to connect with
users/operators because the "strategic" but fundamental
operational necessities are either ignored or considered secondary.
This session will demonstrate the importance of integrating what
most operators find are daily realities and necessities into the
engineering decision-making and design detailing. It will also identify
a basic process and series of considerations that when applied as
part of the development of functional performance requirements,
will balance the operational requirements and constraints. By using
the commissioning process to assure the continuity of the concepts
from their formation through to their effective operation and not
just their efficient performance, the value of commissioning can
be greatly enhanced. This presentation will illustrate how this
more holistic approach not only better serves sustainable goals
but creates a focus more responsive to owner's needs that should
improve their commitment to the process.
Biography:
J. Patrick Carpenter, P.E., Principal with Vanderweil Engineers,
in Princeton NJ, is a nationally recognized leader in engineering
systems for laboratories, animal facilities, data centers and other
high technology facilities. He graduated from the University of
Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
and is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey.
He has over 35 years of experience engineering the mechanical and
electrical systems in facilities and has focused on the design of
high technology projects for the corporate, government and institutional
markets for over 25 years. He has been responsible for the conception,
development, commissioning and troubleshooting of MEP systems for
numerous laboratory, vivarium, and data center projects. He is knowledgeable
in all facets of mechanical engineering for facility design ranging
from strategic planning and programming, through conceptual development
and documentation to start-up and operational training and troubleshooting.
His holistic view of engineering for multi-faceted performance emphasizes
safety, reliability, operational effectiveness, energy conservation
as well as flexibility and material sustainability of engineering
systems.
His experience includes projects for U.S. Department Agriculture
(USDA), University of Colorado Health Science Center (UCHSC), University
of MD - Frostburg, Rutgers University, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institutes for Health
(NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), U.S. Navy, Cornell University,
Merck & Co., DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Wyeth-Ayerst,
Aventis, Pfizer, Glaxo, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, MedImmune,
Exxon, ARAMCO, Rohm & Haas.
Patrick has been active in professional organizations such as ASHRAE,
AIHA (American Industrial Hygiene Association), ISPE (International
Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers), and BCA (Building Commissioning
Association). His ASHRAE activity includes over 20 years involvement
with Technical Committees involving Laboratories and Clean Spaces,
Industrial Air-Conditioning and Industrial Ventilation and Energy
Calculations,. He also served for 8 years on the Standards Project
Committee which rewrote the ASHRAE Standard 100.5 dealing with Energy
Conservation in Existing Buildings - Institutional and served on
the Standards Project Committees (SPC) for the 1995 and 2006 editions
of ASHRAE Standard 110 dealing with the Performance Testing of Laboratory
Fume Hoods. He has participated in all Labs21 Conferences over the
last seven years making nine presentations and moderating several
sessions and roundtables.
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