DCM Energy empowers you to take control of building energy consumption by maximizing the ongoing opportunities to improve your building’s energy performance.

We provide comprehensive analysis, data, design, and implementation services for new and existing buildings throughout their lifecycle. Our integrated engineering approach can help you reduce your carbon footprint and lower your operating costs.

Commissioning
Commissioning (Cx) services are essential to the delivery of a quality energy efficiency project, whether on an entire building or for major new installations. As your Commissioning Agent (CxA) DCM tests energy systems and equipment in new construction projects to ensure that all energy related systems are operating according to their optimized design specifications and meet the owner's requirements in the most energy-efficient manner possible. Our services fulfill both the fundamental and enhanced commissioning requirements under the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED Core and Shell program.

Retro-commissioning
Retro-commissioning (RCx), or re-commissioning, consists of assessing existing facilities’ systems after several years in service to recommend measures to improve efficiency operations. As an RCx agent for owners and operators, we apply proven investigative techniques to identify underperforming operating systems and equipment and to determine the root cause of persistent operational problems. We then work with building owners, managers, ESCOs, the owner's contractors and others to establish clear goals prior to the design and implementation of equipment, control systems, or operating procedures. The Retro-Cx process typically identifies low- and no-cost energy savings measures that provide high value and quick ROIs.

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Modeling Services
LEED modeling services help building owners to achieve USGBC LEED certification. Nexant provides technical support for projects pursuing certification by the USGBC LEED program. Our LEED modeling services help facility owners and developers achieve certification under the LEED New Construction, LEED for Core and Shell and LEED for Existing Buildings O&M rating systems.

We support LEED credits in three categories:
(1) Energy and atmosphere,
2) Indoor environmental quality and
(3) Innovation and design process. Our services will fulfill both the Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning requirements under the LEED Core and Shell program.

DCM is a strong advocate of better building design through Commissioning and LEED certification.

Successful Building Automation
6 Things you MUST know
By Robert Benson PE, CxA
Director of Engineering


Building automation is an effective tool to centralize useful building systems data, which can help reduce costs, both operational and capital. To obtain these savings, your building’s systems need to be able to communicate with one another. Achieving that kind of integration requires specialized knowledge and planning from a specialist with the rare combination of engineering knowledge and hands-on field experience.

Building Automation Systems (BAS) regulate and manage multiple building functions such as HVAC and lighting, allowing you to identify and diagnose operational issues early on and preventing costly breakdowns that interrupt business operations. BAS can also help you save between 5 and 30 percent on building energy costs. To enable your building’s various systems – produced by different manufacturers – to talk to each other, the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry established Building Automation and Control Networks (BACnet), a data communication protocol standard.

But even the best systems and tools need to be used effectively to maximize results. At DCM Energy, we regularly encounter situations where BACnet integration is not performing optimally, resulting in intermittent inter-system communications, inability to perform expected functions, or worst case scenario, a total lack of communication between building systems. When DCM performs commissioning for our clients, we flag potential issues for early correction – during pre-planning, pre-design and/or specification – saving our clients from downtime and costly change orders.

Successfully integrating complex systems requires an informed, integrated approach and clear communication between owner, design engineers, field technicians, and manufacturers. Involving an expert Commissioning Agent early on in the design process can help ensure your building’s systems successfully communicate with each other consistently; enabling you to reap the full benefits of building automation.



Here’s how to avoid the most common problems with that we’ve encountered on commissioning and retro-commissioning projects:

1. Select BTL-listed Devices
Start with what’s been proven to work. No matter what a manufacturer claims, if a product has not been successfully tested and listed by a BACnet Testing Laboratory (BTL), there is no way to know whether it will correctly integrate. Utilizing non-listed devices all too often leads to a communications dead end for both the BAS and everyone involved.
You can see whether a device is BTL listed at www.bacnetinternational.net/btl/.

2. Ensure BBMD Compatibility
Check for broadcast capability. The BACnet/IP Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) enables BACnet devices to operate as a system across a wide network. It is critical to learn during the design phase whether specified devices and equipment support BBMD so that the DDC contractor knows to furnish and install the appropriate gateway to achieve the desired functionality. Missing this step can result in costly change orders down the road.

3. Enable Proprietary Services & Objects
Ensure field implementation. While BACnet is an “open protocol,” certain services and objects within a manufacturer’s device are allowed to be proprietary. If desirable functions are “hidden” within proprietary services and objects, another manufacturer, including the controls firm, cannot turn on these functions in the field. If proprietary services or objects are allowed, the specification should call for submittal of these proprietary items so that another party can enable complete system integration to implement them.

4. Identify Exact Points to be Mapped
Be precise. Even when dealing with BTL-listed products, you need to rigorously define the sequences to support basic desired functions. During the specification process, it is imperative that the engineer identify the exact points to be mapped via BACnet – from the field device to the front end, and to specify the functionality of those points – e.g., read vs. read/write.

5. Ensure Specifications Comply with Equipment
Be realistic. Engineering design must respect the limitations of available products. If a ductless mini-split system does not allow changing set points and schedules via BACnet from the front end, then you cannot specify that requirement. No matter how elegant the engineer’s design, manufacturers can only be asked to provide functionality that is within their products’ capacity.

6. Unit-furnished vs Field-mounted Controls
Understand the costs – in dollars and hours – of your selections. There are costs associated with integrating equipment controls via BACnet (unit furnished) versus having the DDC contractor furnish his own field mounted. While it is cheaper to install and wire unit-furnished controls, their field coordination is more time consuming. Some unit-furnished controllers are not freely programmable, and any changes beyond what was initially specified require two separate software changes: one by the field technician for the unit; and one by the field technician integrating the points to the front end. When this happens, you’ll usually end up paying two companies: the unit manufacturer who changes the program; and the BMS company who adds the new points to the front-end graphics.
In summary, the key to successful building automation is engaging a specialist with knowledge and planning expertise in both engineering and commissioning field operations. DCM is that specialist and we are happy to assist you in making your building(s) operate efficiently and effectively.

Federal Office Building
Building Retro-Commissioning
Philadelphia, PA

Special Features: HVAC Engineering, Design-Build, Secure, Occupied Federal Office Building, Energy Star Certification

As a result of the re-engineering of this large building’s sequence of operations and by modifying existing equipment, Energy Star Certification was achieved without the purchase of any major new equipment. The building went from an energy rating of 52 to 78. Today, energy savings are near 40% compared to the previous three years!

Energy Saving Measures

• Air balanced and set new performance parameters of 250 Variable Air Volume Boxes
• Retro-Commissioned (4) 50-ton Air Handling Units
• Implemented New Sequence of Operations
• Installed Variable Frequency Drives
• Optimized Chiller Plant