CSA Standards, a leading standards-based solutions organization, today officially announces Canada’s first edition of the new national standard on commissioning of buildings. The new CSA Z320 Building Commissioning standard will provide a comprehensive, integrated and coherent process for achieving and documenting the optimal performance of a complete building and its major systems to meet the basis of design and operational requirements of the owner.

Building commissioning is the process of ensuring that all systems, including the mechanical, electrical, control and integration, architectural, vertical and horizontal transportation are operating as intended by design.

The standard applies to both new constructions and renovations of existing buildings or facilities and is intended to serve as a national standard to provide a consistent approach for commissioning.

Not only does a commissioned building operate more efficiently than a non-commissioned building through its entire life cycle, it also maximizes energy savings through energy efficiency. Additionally, by meeting the expectations of the owners’ project requirements and delivering buildings as they were designed, they provide a healthier environment to live and work in with regards to air temperature and quality.

Intended users of CSA Z320 include those who perform technical functions associated with major building systems, as well as those who have an interest in building safety and related quality assurance. The standard will also facilitate certification of green building rating systems, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®).

The Z320 standard also includes non-mandatory annexes to provide further explanatory information, with sections on re-commissioning and retro-commissioning. These annexes are written in mandatory language to allow referencing in a project specification.

To support use of the standard, NRCan’s Office of Energy Efficiency funded the development of the web-based electronic checksheet application. These checksheets include access to more than 200 templates in Microsoft® Excel that can be updated, completed and saved locally and printed.

A consortium of stakeholders funded the development of the CSA Z320 standard, including the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) and its provincial and urban affiliates, Defence Construction Canada (DCC), Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), The Canadian Construction Association (CCA), The Mitchell Partnership, and Mulvey & Banani International Inc.

The standard and its accompanying electronic application is now available for sale online at http://shop.csa.ca or by calling toll free at 1-800-463-6727.

About CSA Standards

CSA Standards is a leading standards-based solutions organization serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in North America and the global marketplace. Focusing on standards and codes development, application products, training, advisory and personnel certification services, the organization aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. CSA Standards is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca

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Anthony Toderian
Manager, Media Relations
CSA Group
416-747-2620
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