Scope of Work Documents
This video was put together for classes I help support for the Pacific Energy Center and the Construction Engineering Research Lab (the folks behind RCxU).
Frequently, commissioning providers, and facilities engineering teams performing existing building commissioning and ongoing commissioning do not have the luxury of an engineering budget to support full blow plans and specifications for implementing improvements they have identified for their systems via the commissioning efforts.
All is not lost however because most providers and facilities engineering folks have the information and basic skills needed to define their scope of work because ultimately, it is simply description of the project as they envision it based on their field work and analysis. For instance, if they have identified that a variable speed drive is the best optimization strategy for improving the efficiency of an oversized pump, then by adding some details to their request for a price, including how they want it to be controlled, the preferred variable speed drive manufacturer, and the desire for including a VFD rated motor with shaft grounding in the price does not take much additional time. And the added detail will go a long way towards clarifying their intent, leveling the bidding playing field, and ensuring they get what they really need to succeed.
The video is based on the scope of work documents that would be used to procure pricing for the installation of a new, more efficient evaporator pump for the Hijend Hotel chilled water plant. An overview of the various pump optimization strategies that were considered is provided along with information regarding why the pump addition option was ultimately selected compared to throttling (the as found condition), an impeller trim, and a VFD. Climate, utility rate structure, and the Owner's financial perspective all came into play in the decision.
The video concludes by discussing how the scope of work document that was used to procure pricing (illustrated above) could be improved upon to eliminate uncertainty and ensure that important details were addressed. Examples of what the improved scope of work documents discussed in the video would look like can be found here.
Frequently, commissioning providers, and facilities engineering teams performing existing building commissioning and ongoing commissioning do not have the luxury of an engineering budget to support full blow plans and specifications for implementing improvements they have identified for their systems via the commissioning efforts.
All is not lost however because most providers and facilities engineering folks have the information and basic skills needed to define their scope of work because ultimately, it is simply description of the project as they envision it based on their field work and analysis. For instance, if they have identified that a variable speed drive is the best optimization strategy for improving the efficiency of an oversized pump, then by adding some details to their request for a price, including how they want it to be controlled, the preferred variable speed drive manufacturer, and the desire for including a VFD rated motor with shaft grounding in the price does not take much additional time. And the added detail will go a long way towards clarifying their intent, leveling the bidding playing field, and ensuring they get what they really need to succeed.
The video is based on the scope of work documents that would be used to procure pricing for the installation of a new, more efficient evaporator pump for the Hijend Hotel chilled water plant. An overview of the various pump optimization strategies that were considered is provided along with information regarding why the pump addition option was ultimately selected compared to throttling (the as found condition), an impeller trim, and a VFD. Climate, utility rate structure, and the Owner's financial perspective all came into play in the decision.
The video concludes by discussing how the scope of work document that was used to procure pricing (illustrated above) could be improved upon to eliminate uncertainty and ensure that important details were addressed. Examples of what the improved scope of work documents discussed in the video would look like can be found here.
