Implementation Phase—Verification

For any innovation used in a new or existing building, verification of performance is important. Integrating new technologies without increased performance will merely add cost to a project, with no benefit. Several options need to be considered during any project with a performance goal. Depending on the level of performance needed, and the extent of the project, one or more of these options may be appropriate.

At a minimum, a quality installation checklist should be used to ensure proper installation of the innovation. This checklist should include—

• Construction details designed for optimal performance.
• The manufacturers’ installation instructions, which will often be linked to warranty requirements.
• Any code requirements identified during the feasibility review.

For a more rigorous level of verification, some technologies can be tested to ensure that they are working properly. For example, if air-sealing innovations are used in a building, a contractor can conduct a blower door test to ensure that the desired target for air tightness has been reached. For lighting innovations, a foot-candle test can be conducted to measure the achieved brightness of the lighting. When specific testing is not possible, inspections of the installers work can help add more assurance that the innovation was properly installed. These inspections could be conducted by a third party inspector, or they could simply be conducted by an internal inspector as part of a quality program.

Finally, verifying the actual performance as the innovation is used by the occupants can help determine if the innovation is working as advertised or as designed. For example, a building owner who pays tenant utilities may be interested to see the actual energy reduction resulting from a new, efficient lighting system. Monitoring equipment could be installed to measure the actual energy use by that lighting equipment. For a new dehumidification system, occupant surveys could be conducted before and after installation to determine the effect on comfort. For a homeowner using a new innovation, simply taking notes on the noted performance of the innovation will help keep a record of how well it worked.

Congratulations, you have completed the knowledge section of the course.

You may now complete the course by successfully passing the course quiz.