Cx Associates commissioned Unilever’s 36,600 SF Seventh Generation headquarters facility in Burlington, VT, which contains offices and labs. Commissioned systems included the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), domestic hot water, and lighting and lighting controls. The commissioning process included Owner’s Project Requirement (OPR) facilitation and two design reviews, along with full construction phase commissioning. The owner is pursuing LEED Gold certification (v4 ID+C Commercial Interiors) for this building.

Cx Associates has provided design and construction phase commissioning projects for several large Vermont Army National Guard projects. These projects include the following:

Cx Associates provided design, construction and occupancy phase commissioning services to VTANG’s new LEED Gold Certified Security Forces Building. We commissioned mechanical and electrical systems, including ground source heat pumps and solar PV. Our commissioning engineers found several issues during construction phase, such as sensors installed too high and poorly programmed controls sequences. We estimate that the resolution of these issues saved the facility $7,000/yr. in energy and maintenance costs.

Cx Associates provided lead commissioning services for a LEED Gold certified renovation and expansion of VTANG’s Fire-Crash-Rescue facility in South Burlington, VT. Our commissioning work with this high-performance building included mechanical and electrical systems, air and water source heat pumps, a geoexchange wellfield, and a 27.63kW PV array on the roof of the station. We developed and coordinated a Measurement and Verification Plan in compliance with LEED-NC 2.2 credit EA C5 to monitor all energy consuming systems through a DDC Base Meter Monitoring System (BMMS).

Cx Associates provided commissioning services for this new waterfront boutique hotel which holds 126 guest rooms. Our early involvement in the project allowed us to identify design improvements that resulted in improved building performance and energy cost savings such as $10,000 first cost savings from a lower cost roof top air handling unit, 63,000 kWh and $8,000/year from variable speed pump installations, and 1,750 CCF and $2,500/year from separating the domestic hot water from the heat pump loop heating.

After providing commissioning services for ECHO, Vermont’s first LEED certified building, in 2003, Cx Associates provided retrocommissioning (RCx) services for ECHO in 2014. We provided services to help ECHO achieve their goals to improve the performance of their pumping and air systems. In addition to reducing the operations staff's time required to maintain the building, the measures we identified included savings of 64,150 kWh annually across a couple of upgrades and improvements.

Cx Associates provided commissioning for the renovation of the historic building that is used as Middlebury College’s president’s residence. The building has been recognized for its energy efficiency, winning Efficiency Vermont’s top award for a major renovation of a commercial building. As a result of our early involvement in the project, we were able to identify an opportunity for the engineer to modify sequences and piping to ensure the heating boiler was not damaged by missing logic. Our follow up on the issue resolved a lack of communication that could have resulted in a voided boiler warranty.

Cx Associates was retained by Champlain College to commission the college’s renovation of Roger H. Perry Hall. Built in 1859 by lawyer and diplomat Edward Phelps, it is one of only 11 houses in the South Willard Street Historic District that predates the Civil War and is an Italianate-style brick home with elements of Greek revival. The college’s plan for the building included energy-efficient climate control systems, including a geothermal pump from Perry Hall's deep wells. The building was renovated to LEED standards which recognize performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Cx Associates provided commissioning services for the renovation of this three-story historic mansion. The systems included in our commissioning were HVAC, domestic hot water, lighting and lighting controls. We identified a number of issues during the commissioning process, including variable refrigerant flow controls that didn’t meet specified sequences of operation, an isolation damper that was not opening properly to allow outside air into the heat recover unit, and water pooling around the roof top units. The identified issues were resolved, removing the potential for future issues.

Cx Associates provided commissioning for the new squash center on Middlebury College’s main campus, which includes nine squash courts, an entrance to the main athletic complex, and seating for hundreds of spectators. Cx Associates was retained to assist in the pursuit of LEED certification for the project. Commissioned systems included HVAC, domestic hot water, and lighting and lighting controls. Our early involvement during the design phase allowed us to develop close relationships with the college and the contractors which helped ensure the controls for the ventilation system and lighting system met the design intent and needs of the college.

Cx Associates provide design and construction phase commissioning for Middlebury College’s new Field House. Our review uncovered several issues that, when corrected, reduced first cost and increased energy efficiency. During the construction phase, we corrected over 50 issues with the rest of the team, each found during commissioning. Correcting these problems improved equipment access and maintainability, improved sequences of operation and other equipment programming, and resulted in improved environmental quality.

Cx Associates provided commissioning during Champlain College’s two-phase dormitory project to build three new residence halls on their campus. Our work ensured that the buildings conformed with the project Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR), Basis of Design (BOD), and contract documents. The project included energy efficient design elements such as heat pump systems connected to a ground source wellfield serving a multi-building district.

Cx Associates is commissioning this four-phase construction project, including the Congress Street Clinical Building, East Tower Vertical Expansion, Existing Visitor Garage Vertical Expansion, and Central Utility Plant Chiller. We are providing design, construction, and occupancy phase commissioning services for this project as well as occupancy phase monitoring-based commissioning. In addition, we worked with Maine Medical Center to develop an in-depth facilities Owner’s Project Requirements document that they are now using to inform other projects.

Cx Associates led the development of the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR), and then provided commissioning services for Design, Construction, and Post-Occupancy phases of the project. Our design reviews resulted in over $220,000 in first cost savings and we identified and suggested solutions for over 200 issues during construction.

Currently we are providing measurement and verification services in compliance with LEED 2009-NC Version 3.0 – EAC 5 for Measurement and Verification. This work includes commissioning metering devices, building a public-facing web page that charts the Energy Use Intensity of the building, writing and executing a measurement and verification plan, and developing an energy model to measure actual building energy performance in comparison to baseline.

The University of Vermont (UVM) Davis Center was the first student center to receive LEED Gold certification for new construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. This cutting-edge, 186,000 square-foot building features a 19,000 square-foot green roof, built-in compost storage coolers, waterless urinals, and an energy efficient HVAC system. It diverts more than 60 percent of its waste from the landfill. In 2010, the Davis Center received the Innovative Achievement Award, sponsored by American Campus Communities. The Davis Center represents UVM's commitment to the environment and green building practices.

Turning LEED Silver Into LEED Gold

In 2011, Cx Associates began working with Hypertherm, a world leading plasma and laser cutting equipment manufacturer located in New Hampshire. We provided LEED consultation; building envelope, HVAC, and electrical commissioning; and measurement and verification (M&V) planning and implementation services for this $35 million, 160,000 square foot LEED project.

Cx Associates served as both the Commissioning Authority (CxA) and LEED Consultant for the new Academic Facility at the CCV campus in Winooski, VT. The building recently received a Vermont Green Building Network Going Green Award because its energy use is proven to be less than half of the regional average for commercial buildings on an annualized per square foot basis. This 65,000 square foot facility uses only 48,000 BTU/SF/YR while serving over 2,000 students throughout the year.

Fletcher Allen Health Care dedicated its new Radiation Oncology Suite on August 21, 2010. The $19 million, 23,000-square-foot facility embeds state of the art technology — two new linear accelerators with up to 18 million electron volts of potential — in a soothing, patient-centered environment. It also pursues LEED Silver certification. Built into a hillside to reduce the need for heating and cooling year-round, the Radiation Oncology Suite features a "green" roof with a vegetable garden and plantings to reduce heat build-up and storm water run-off. Natural light filtered through skylights saves on energy costs and provides patients with a sense of connection to the outdoors. The project includes efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems that reduce energy consumption by 20%, as well as water efficient plumbing fixtures.