Involving in-house staff in your RCx project
Sep 16, 2013
Retro-Commissioning has the potential to save a building thousands or even millions of dollars annually on energy and utilities costs. However, involving your own in-house staff in the Retro-Commissioning project can also result in lasting savings, as doing so can help your team better understand the building’s functions and daily operations.
Some building owners may be tempted to leave the entire Retro-Commissioning project in the hands of the commissioning provider. After all, the provider has the expertise and skills needed to carry out the project in full. But when in-house staff is included in the project, building owners can lower the project’s budget while also increasing the knowledge and experience of their facility staff.
In fact, most building owners will find that members of their in-house staff already have the skills and experience needed to carry out certain tasks, such as analyzing energy and utility bills, recognizing opportunities in the building’s equipment and daily operations, and knowing how to maintain equipment. In some cases, if facility staff needs extra guidance with assigned tasks related to the project, the Retro-Commissioning provider can step in and lend additional expertise.
A Retro-Commissioning project that involves in-house staff can also help engender a sense of ownership when it comes to routine maintenance and daily operations, especially when facility staff is directly involved with the implementation and installation of new equipment and systems. In most cases, in-house staff can gain a complete understanding and working knowledge of a building’s systems when they are involved with the project from the start.
If a building owner lacks in-house staff who can assist with Retro-Commissioning, owners have the option of looking into hiring an outsourced contractor who would be responsible for the building’s HVAC, electrical systems, and controls. Outsourced contractors can be a major asset when involved in a Retro-Commissioning project, especially if they will be directly responsible for performing scheduled maintenance on the building’s systems and equipment on a routine basis.
sys-tek currently provides Retro-Commissioning services to building owners to create High Performance Buildings. Contact sys-tek today to learn more about how Retro-Commissioning can help improve your building’s energy efficiency and daily operations.
