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  • Home
    • What's New
  • Blog
    • Blog Support
  • SketchUp Models
    • SketchUp Resources
    • Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise
    • Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt
    • Chilled Water Plant System Diagram Exercise
    • The HIjend Hotel >
      • Chilled Water Plant Scoping Exercise
      • Ballroom AHU Scoping Exercise
      • Cooling Tower Scoping Exercise
  • Tools
    • Altitude Correction Factor
    • Economizer Evaluation Checklist
    • Eikon for Educators and WindLGC
    • Effective Duct Length Tool
    • Excel Third Axis Tool
    • Excel Time Value Conversion
    • Insulation Savings Tools
    • Logic Diagram Tool >
      • Logic Diagram Example - Discharge Air
      • Logic Diagram Example - CHW Plant 01
      • Logic Diagram Example - VAV AHU
    • Mixed Air Calculations
    • Monitoring Plan Spreadsheet
    • Pipe Friction Chart
    • Plot Digitizer >
      • Plot Digitizer Pump Curve Example
    • Square Law Spreadsheet
    • System Diagram Symbols
    • Thermodynamic Diagrams Spreadsheet
    • Universal Translator Data Analysis Tool
    • y = (m * x) + b Spreadsheet
  • Useful Formulas
    • Affinity Laws
    • Circular Equivalent Duct
    • Effective Duct Length
    • FT Guide Appendix C
    • HVAC Equations and Concepts
    • Hydraulic Diameter
    • Pump Power and Energy
    • "Square Law"
  • What's That Thing?
    • Cooling Towers
    • Pumps
    • Valves
  • Resources
    • Bill Coad's Writings
    • Data Logging Resources
    • EBCx Skills Guidebook
    • Energy Design Resources
    • Fisher Controls Valve Cavitation Bulletin
    • Functional Testing Guide
    • Honeywell Gray Manual
    • MCC Powers Bulletins
    • NBCIP Reports
    • PEC Tool Lending Library
    • PID Resources
    • Pneumatic Control Resources
    • Resource List
    • Scoping Resources
    • TAB Resources
    • Vintage Carrier Design Manual
    • VRF Systems
    • Williams' Wisdom
  • Videos
    • Bureaucratic Affairs HHW Logic Answers
    • Cooling Tower Flow Variation
    • Economizer Stratification
    • Functional Testing
    • Induction Principles
    • Monitoring Plans
    • CW Pump Deadheaded by Tower Lift
    • Ripple Effects
    • Testing a Pump
    • The Garden of Low Entropy
    • Variable Flow Systems
  • Training
    • Materials from Classes and Presentations >
      • ACEEE
      • ASHRAE
      • ASHRAE - Engineers Notebook
      • BCxA and NCBC
      • BEST Institute
      • Case Studies
      • ERDC 2020 RCx Academy
      • ELPNW
      • ICEBO
      • Marriott AEP
      • Magazine Articles
      • NAVFAC
      • Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes
      • Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review
      • Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series >
        • EBCx Workshop Series 12
        • EBCx Workshop Series 13
        • EBCx Workshop Series 14
        • EBCx Workshop Series 15 >
          • Student One On One Discussions
        • EBCx Workshop Series 16
        • EBCx Workshop Series 17
        • EBCx Workshop Series 18
      • Portland General Electric
      • U of W >
        • U of W Archive
    • On Demand Training >
      • Benchmarking UCA and Scoping
      • Loads and Psychrometrics
      • Induction Motor Principles
      • Introduction to Functional Testing
      • Scope of Work Documents
      • System Diagraming
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Introduction to Functional Testing

These videos were put together for classes I help support for the Pacific Energy Center and the  Construction Engineering Research Lab (the folks behind RCxU).  The provide an overview of the functional testing process, primarily from an EBCx (Existing Building Commissioning) perspective.  But since the technical concepts are generally the same no matter if you are doing new construction commissioning (NCx),  EBCx, or ongoing commissioning (a.k.a. operating the building properly) you  may find them relevant no matter what process you are involved with.

These videos are basically a more comprehensive version of the presentation I made at the National Conference on Building Commissioning in 2013.  You will find additional information related to the case study like the system diagram, test procedure and control system logic modifications we made on that page.

Note that all of the videos have a table of contents feature and hot links that allow you to jump to points of interest in the videos and also to supporting information.  The opening sequences of the videos describe how these things work, so once you "get it", you may want to jump to the point labeled "Start of Technical Content" or in one case "(Somewhat Dramatic) Introduction".
This first video contrasts the NCx vs. EBCx perspective on functional testing, contrasts where functional testing fits in to the NCx vs. EBCx timeline, and contrasts forced response with natural response testing.

The second video builds off of the first video. It starts by looking at the hierarchy for a functional testing process in an NCx environment and then focuses in on how, for an EBCx process, functional testing is how we ask the building questions (note the title of the website home page), including examples of how you might want to frame up the questions (tests) you use in an EBCx process.
The third and fourth modules are a case study that look a how a functional test was developed to ask a building about the thermal inertia represented by the piping circuit associated with its chilled water system.  The test was undertaken to solve an operational problem (i.e allow the building to fulfill its mission with out wrecking the compressors serving the chilled water system due to short cycling).  But, in solving the operational problem, the door was opened to an energy conservation opportunity.

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