Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the construction industry has faced unprecedented challenges in the supply and distribution of equipment and materials. Costs soared, lead times increased, and delays became commonplace—especially for electrical equipment. Among the most significant delays was the availability of main switchgear, which is essential for establishing permanent [...]
Historical buildings are a unique component of our communities. Preserving these culturally significant buildings, either by adapting or reusing them for a new purpose, is an excellent way to improve sustainability and longevity while maintaining a vital piece of history. Depending on the age of these buildings there may be little to no modern [...]
The emergency generator system often falls within the commissioning agent’s (CxA’s) scope of work, requiring the CxA to oversee field quality control testing such as load bank tests and equipment startups. Functional testing typically involves transitioning a building from normal power to emergency power and back, validating that all systems reliant on emergency power [...]
Since 2008, Sustainable Engineering Solutions has been delivering building systems and equipment that are efficient, effective, and finely-tuned. We’ve grown and learned a lot over the last 15 years, and while our commitment to our work and our clients is timeless, we felt it was time for a new look that reflects the ways [...]
For any project with commissioning, the functional testing portion of the commissioning process is arguably one of the most important and rigorous activities. Unfortunately, if the commissioning process is not properly organized and executed, the functional testing portion of the project may leave the commissioning team with an overwhelming laundry list of issues. However, [...]
In our previous article, “What is Retro-Commissioning?”, we covered some of the signs that may indicate that your facility could benefit from Retro-Commissioning (RCx). In this article, we’ll dive deeper into some of those signs, discussing what they mean and what problems they may be symptomatic of. Increased energy consumption It is not the [...]
As a facility manager, you're likely always looking for ways to improve your building's performance and reduce energy consumption. One of the ways you can accomplish this is to implement a retro-commissioning program within your facility. Retro-commissioning, or RCx, involves identifying and fixing problems in an existing building's systems to optimize performance and reduce [...]
When the COVID-19 outbreak hit the northeast, Connecticut was quick to take initiative and implement measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. One of these measures was to conduct studies on the indoor air quality and ventilation rates of the state’s educational facilities. While the numerous companies assisting with these studies and corrections [...]
There’s no one size fits all solution for selecting and sampling envelope testing specimens. Each project is a different size with differing types of windows and owners with unique needs and goals. All these variables play a factor when approaching envelope testing on a project. Specifications might outline exactly how the testing should be [...]
While you could wait until construction starts before bringing a Commissioning Agent (CxA) onboard, you’d be missing out on significant benefits by waiting until that point, and could even be doing your project a disservice. Involving a CxA early in the process will help you make sure your goals and needs for the project [...]
