Commissioning arose from the need for third-party review and oversight of mechanical system design, installation, and performance verification. In much the same way, these items gave rise to commissioning building enclosure systems. Despite the similarities, commissioning building enclosure systems requires a different approach. Many third-party certifications and enclosure commissioning standards include remnants from commissioning standards developed for mechanical and other systems. This does owners, commissioning providers, and the industry as a whole a disservice. This presentation explores how enclosure commissioning differs, reviews the differences in standards and third-party certifications related to enclosure commissioning, and defines a reasonable minimum level of acceptable work for enclosure commissioning that owners should require for projects and mechanical commissioning firms should expect when soliciting sub-consultants.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key differences between mechanical and enclosure commissioning processes.
2. Define the differing requirements third-party certifications and commissioning standards place on enclosure commissioning.
3. Recognize how performing enclosure commissioning tasks intended for commissioning other systems devalues the experience and industry.
4. Describe expectations for appropriate enclosure commissioning scopes.