Man 04 - Commissioning and handover

Commissioning – Monitor and specialist commissioning manager - KBCN00051

The commissioning monitor is typically a project team member who will monitor the systems commissioning and testing programme for the building. The individual may combine that role with that of the specialist commissioning manager to deal with complex systems if they have the necessary knowledge. However, if the building has several specialist systems it is unlikely that the same person would be able to carry out all of the commissioning and more than one specialist would most likely be required.

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Commissioning – Role of the specialist commissioning manager - KBCN0604

The specialist commissioning manager for a complex system will generally be be a specialist contractor. They must provide independent design review, oversee the commissioning and independently verify the work carried out by the installer, in line with the criteria. It may be possible for the specialist commissioning manager to be part of the principal contractor's organisation, provided it is demonstrated that they are independent of the design and installation and that any potential conflict of interest has been managed.

22 Nov 2021 - Wording updated to clarify the intent.

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Fabric testing and inspection in hot climates - KBCN0790

The requirements for thermographic survey and air tightness testing are applicable to both, cold and hot climates. A suitably qualified professional will advise on the appropriate testing conditions and specific methods in order to address this issue in different climatic conditions. Building fabric air tightness is important in different climates in order to ensure than no additional energy is consumed due to increased heating or cooling demand originating from the lack of integrity of the building fabric.

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Project budget - KBCN0893

The project budget is required as evidence to demonstrate that an amount of money has been set aside for the commissioning and testing programme, responsibilities and criteria. It is appreciated that, for confidentiality issues, the principal contractor might not be willing to the project's overall budget with all stakeholders. In such cases, compliance with this requirement will be met where it is clearly demonstrated that the costs related to sustainability measures, which may involve members of the design team, have been included in the overall budget. A wish-list that will later be value-engineered out of the project will not be deemed acceptable. The costs relating to sustainability measures included in the brief must be costed.

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Testing and inspecting building fabric – Untreated spaces - KBCN0972

Untreated spaces, which are not subject to compliance with statutory energy performance regulations, can be excluded from the scope of the 'Testing and inspecting building fabric/thermographic survey/air pressure testing' criteria.    

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Testing and inspecting the building fabric – Shell Only - KBCN0573

For Shell Only assessments with spaces which are intended to be treated post-assessment, imposing the requirement for a thermographic survey on a future user is not acceptable, as it may be difficult and unreasonable to expect them to remediate any defects revealed by the survey. Therefore the credit is still applicable even if building services have not yet been fitted. While we appreciate that it may be more challenging to achieve this credit for a shell only assessment compared to shell and core and fully fitted buildings, please note that the credits within the Management category do have a higher weighting for shell only assessments and there are also fewer credits applicable. Therefore each credit in the management category is worth more, as a percentage of the final score, than they are for shell and core / fully fitted buildings. This, therefore, helps to justify any potential additional burden felt by shell only assessments for this credit.

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Thermographic survey – Seasonal constraints - KBCN00031

Where seasonal constraints prevent the thermographic survey from being completed prior to certification at the post construction stage, the requirements can be satisfied with:

• Evidence that a Suitably Qualified Professional (SQP) has been contractually appointed
• Written confirmation by the SQP that the seasonal constraints prevent the survey at an appropriate time before certification
• The survey is scheduled to take place at the earliest opportunity after the handover, and
• There is a specific contractual agreement in place to remedy any identified defects before the defects liability period expires.

Thermographic surveys are designed to map the thermal efficiency of buildings and to detect areas where there are breaches in the thermal envelope. Surveys need to be conducted when temperature differences between the external areas of the building and surrounding air can be detected after the envelope is sealed. There may will be instances where the survey cannot be done before certification after the envelope is sealed and as such, the survey would take place after certification. 

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