DCs' 2013. Trend #8. COMMISSIONING

But is wise to have the commissioning services in a Data Centre?

Well as a ship (where was the original concept taken) before going to the sea, this activity give to the owner/investor the certainty that everything inside the building will perform as has been required by them.

Commissioning stages:

• Planning
• Design
• Construction
• Operation
• "Retrocommissioning"

Are -depending if are ASHRAE or other entity-  the basics, the idea is to keep an eye in each stage to avoid:

• misunderstanding
• failures
• over sigths
• discretionary changes  
• over cost

to assure that every Data Centre need has been understood by the DESigning / CONstruction / OPEration teams, here it will necessary to have a commissioner that has the knowledge, experience how the facility works and has to be operated in a day to day basis.

Commissioning is not:

Designing
Surveillance
Supervision

Today the USGBC  has pushed a lot into this activity for commercial buildings, as a best practice is one that in Data Centres (no matter size, classification rate system, market,.....) should be used by the owner / investor; the commissioning team is hired directly by them  so they are the eyes, brains, ears of how, when, what their resources are used by the designing, construction & operation teams. They look deeply since the idea of a refurbish or new facility is just an idea until that idea is an actual data centre facility (or building)

 

 It adds cost?  YES, however the financial evaluation must be done by the comptrollers/financial guys in order of how much of those resources (Money, Time, Talent) will be save and best use with a commissioning team instead of having Movement, Add & Changes during the construction and operation, because since the designing the needs from the business were not taken into the executive project.

It will be great that commissioning start with the DC´s concept, however a lot of times now days the activity is started when the facility is going to be released for production (day ONE) ; this situation is not the best one, because everything have be done and it will cost (Time, Money, Talent) sometimes more than the actual cost.

Which DCs should be commissioned?  In my envision every one, they could arise the need to hire one professional or maybe a team;

What should be subject to commission?

Architecture / civil works, Automation,  Cooling, Energy, Safety, Security, IT transport systems

When?

DES/CON  since the concept / idea is set  up to day one,

OPEration every time a MAC  is intend to do.

Whom should do?  professional with knowledge, experience in each system field with the credentials that assure that they have got both situations.

How?

exist a commissioning methodology that can fit for each system (ASHRAE, BICSI, UTI, EU CoC etc.)

This is a BEST PRACTICE activity up to date it is NOT an standard nor a code around the globe.

or what do you think?

roberto sanchez, RCDD
México