THE EDGE
• • Pre-commissioning can be carried
out in the BIM model to provide
indications of how the systems will
perform at varying conditions prior to
the actual commissioning happening
on site
• • Commissioning of individual
modules in both the BIM model and
factory before delivery to site can save
time in the installation process
• • Linking all the equipment and
system data to the BIM model creates a
path for tracing the history of the design
and installation to avoid errors with
equipment selection and commissioning
Integration and resiliency
The resiliency and redundancy of a data
centre is the mission critical objective for
stakeholders and building operators in a
sector where up-time is a critical metric.
The introduction of a high quality, multi-
disciplined commissioning management
specialist ensures the interrelationship
of the engineering services and its
component parts are fully understood and
set to work accordingly.
Ensuring the resilience required to
maintain essential supply in the event
of not only primary failures but also
secondary failures is considered from
the very beginning of a project and re-
evaluated at each and every key stage of
the commissioning process.
Operation, maintenance
and training
The operating and maintenance (O&M)
manuals play a vital role in enabling the
building operators to safely and effectively
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Issue 02
operate their building and sustain its
performance over the long-term. The
commissioning management specialist will
ensure that the correct information and
documentation is included by independently
verifying and managing the production.
Further benefit is realised by allowing the
commissioning management specialist
to appoint a third party for the production
of this document. A well-developed
O&M manual and training regime allows
building operators to be able to take safe
and effective control of the data centre
immediately upon handover.
Linking this data to the BIM model, or 2D
drawings if a BIM model is not available,
improves the ease of accessing this
information and decreasing the possibility
of errors.
Initial occupation and post-
occupancy aftercare
During the initial period of operating,
the commissioning specialist observes
and monitors the building and system
performances. When combined with
the feedback received from the building
operators, this insight will enable the
commissioning specialist to determine if
performance outcomes are in accordance
with the design intent and working as
efficiently as possible.
The commissioning specialist will
also work together with the building
operators to troubleshoot any plant
performance issues and fine-tune the
building’s engineering services. Carrying
out activities such as set points and re-
adjusting cooling coil flow-rates.
EXPERIENCE
SHOWS THAT
PROJECTS CAN
OFTEN TURN
OUT TO BE MORE
COMPLEX THAN
ORIGINALLY
THOUGHT,
PARTICULARLY
WHEN IT
COMES TO THE
INTEGRATED
PERFORMANCE
OF THE BUILDING
AND ITS
ENGINEERING
SERVICES.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
During the post-occupancy aftercare
stage, the commissioning specialist
will undertake seasonal commissioning
works and fine-tune engineering
services as the data centre loads,
layouts and usages evolve. This
stage also provides an opportunity to
understand the reasons why building
performance may have exceeded, met
or failed to meet the design intent and
expected efficiency.
A data centre that was commissioned
during the winter months may perform
differently and inefficiently during the
summer months, further cementing the
importance of seasonal commissioning
activities. The commissioning specialist
will record and detail these changes
ensuring they are incorporated into future
designs and lessons learnt.
All of these activities combined will help
building operators get the best out of
their data centres, help reduce energy
consumption and ensure that wider
sustainability objectives are met. ◊
www.intelligentdatacentres.com
K