Commissioning, Retro-Commissioning and Related Services

RFP 121-060226DC-CRx
Department/Agency Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Project Title Commissioning, Retro-Commissioning and Related Services
Service Commissioning Agent
Commissioning Agent (Cx) and Retro-Commissioning Agent (RCx) and related
services that are to be provided as per the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Scope of Services/Work for Commissioning Agent (Cx) and Retro-Commissioning
Agent (RCx) Services Scope of Work which is attached (Attachment A) on a routine or
Scope as needed basis for small, miscellaneous projects under $500,000. Annual fees may
not exceed $150,000 in total value and no single project shall exceed a $36,000 fee.
The base contract will be for a period of one year, with one possible one year
extension.
Contact Ronda Holland
Telephone 704-216-3455
Email collegeenvironment@rccc.edu
Total Project Budget $150,000
Source of Funds State &/or local &/or private
Approved OC-25 #
N/A
Publish Date June 2, 2026
Closing Date July 14, 2026
Electronic submissions only (Read Receipt Requested) to:
Submittal Packages should be
emailed to: Em ail: c olleg eenvironment@rccc.edu
Subject Line: 121-060226DC-CRx
In order to offer architectural, engineering, or landscape architectural services in response
to this solicitation, the proposing firm must be properly licensed to practice Architecture,
Engineering, or Landscape Architecture in the State of North Carolina. More information
on the North Carolina state boards may be found at the following websites:
NC Licensing Statement NC Board of Architecture: (http://www.ncbarch.org)
NC Board of Examiners for Engineers & Surveyors: (http://www.ncbels.org) NC
Board of Landscape Architects: (http://www.ncbola.org)
HUB Certified Firms are encouraged to submit a proposal.
It is the intent of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to select up to two (2) firms to act as Commissioning Agent in support of
the occasional needs in the construction and operation of its facilities.
SELECTING CRITERIA
In selecting a Commissioning Agent, the College's Selection Committee will take into consideration qualifying factors addressed below with
their relative weighting:
1. Expertise and previous experience in Building commissioning (Cx), Retro-commissioning (RCx), integration into New and Renovation
Projects. 25%
2. Demonstrated understanding and implementation of integrated design, facilities audits, acoustics in the educational environment, indoor
air quality, WELL Building Standards. 20%
3. Demonstrated mastery of the following critical concepts in the design and construction of public educational facilities: The North Carolina
Energy Efficiency Code, the North Carolina State Construction Manual and related forms. 10%
4. Technical expertise including mechanical test and balance, building envelope testing, peer review of building design packages, BIM,
Microsoft Project GANTT chart scheduling, life-cycle costing, and conceptual estimating. 10%
5. Demonstrated understanding of the College's Facilities Design Manual. 10%
6. Qualifications and experience of proposed staff and consultant team. 10%
7. Quality of the proposal, including inclusion of all the Submittal Requirements addressed below. 10%
8. Proximity to and familiarity with the College's service area (Rowan County and Cabarrus County). 5%
9. After Selection Committee Members votes have been tallied and averaged, one (1) additional point will be awarded to Historically
Underutilized Business (HUB) certified proposers with an additional one half (1/2) point for each HUB certified subconsultant necessary
to support the effort of this contract. A maximum of two (2) additional points may be granted under this criterion.
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RFP 121-060226DC-CRx
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposing firms must submit one (1) electronic copy of the complete submittal package in Adobe.pdf format to the
email address provided: collegeenvironment@rccc.edu Hard copies are not accepted at this time.
Firms must be registered and active with the North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal prior to submitting a
proposal. https://evp.nc.gov/ Failure to register may result in disqualification.
1. A Letter of Interest - no more than one page. Letter of interest should include Engineering License Number, E-
Procure number, SCO Vendor Number.
2. An approach for commissioning a typical informal project from Schematic Design through Close-out, including
Owner Designer/Contractor/SCO/Cx Team organizational chart.
3. An approach for providing Peer Review Services for design plans of various informal projects.
4. Three (3) single page (front and back counts as a single page) examples of appropriate commissioning projects,
including; photos and/or renderings, a description of key elements and challenges, Owner, Architect, CM/GC
point of contact (with phone number).
5. 3 letters of recommendation from prior institutional clients within the State of North Carolina, on their letterhead.
6. Resumes of key staff (Commissioning Agent, Commissioning Technician, Architectural Plan Reviewer, Structural
Plan Reviewer, Mechanical Plan Reviewer, Electrical Plan Reviewer, Administrative Assistant, Electrical
Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, and Civil Engineer) proposed to support the effort of this contract. Ensure
Commissioning and peer review experience are highlighted.
7. A listing of key sub-consultants to support the effort of this contract (Architects, Engineers, Building
Envelope Consultants, etc.).
8. Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Certification for any entity proposed to support the effort of this contract.
9. Signed copies of all addendums issued to this advertisement.
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ATTACHMENT A
ROWAN-CABARRUS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Commissioning Agent Services
Scope of Services/Work
08/15/2024
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1. Perform Commissioning Agent Services (CxA) for new construction and remodels/renovation
projects.
1.1. Perform commissioning agent services to satisfy the requirements of the enhanced
commissioning required by the State Construction Office.
1.2. Services shall be provided in four (4) phases: Design, Construction, Acceptance, and Post-
Acceptance.
1.3. The CxA shall coordinate participation of the Owner's Representative in all commissioning
process activities. Schedule the commissioning process activities and integrate them into the
master project schedule as prepared and maintained by the General Contractor.
1.4. Prior to the commencement of the Design Phase, the CxA shall:
1.4.1. Review the A/E Design Team's and the Owner's Project Requirements, The Form 3-1 Project
Budget, the RCCC Facilities Design Manual and the Commissioning Requirements to develop
the Project Objectives Document.
1.4.2. Develop a Commissioning Plan encompassing the four (4) phases outlined above.
1.5. Design Phase: During the Design Phase the CxA shall complete the following scope of work:
1.5.1. Perform Peer Reviews of each submission of the Design Team's plans (Schematic Design,
Design Development, Construction Documents, Final "For Construction" Permitted Plans)
to ensure compliance with the Owner's Project Requirements and the College's Facilities
Design Manual, the Project Goals, and any other required criteria, acting as the Owner's
Plan Reviewer. Peer reviews will include review of Architectural, Civil, Structural,
Mechanical, and Electrical plans by individuals licensed by the State of North Carolina to
perform design in those areas. Peer Review will occur in addition to State Construction
Office Design Review on Formal Projects (in excess of $2,000,000 in construction value).
Complete a thorough review of the construction documents. Submit written comments to the
Owner, the Owner's Representative, and the AE design team. With each subsequent
submission incorporation of previous comments will be tracked and documented.
1.5.2. Develop commissioning specifications for all appropriate equipment and systems.
Coordinate this with the A/E design team and Owner. The specifications shall follow the
intent of ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005, The Commissioning Process. The commissioning
specifications shall include definitions of key terms; a detailed description of the
responsibilities of all parties; details of the commissioning process; reporting and
documentation requirements (including formats), alerts to coordination issues, deficiency
resolution, construction checklist and startup requirements, the functional testing process,
and specific functional test requirements including testing conditions and acceptance criteria
for all equipment to be commissioned.
1.5.3. Ensure design correctly represents ADA compliance of all accessible routes and public
amenities.
1.5.4. Ensure design correctly represents compliance with NC Energy Efficiency Code.
1.6. Construction Phase: During the construction phase the CxA shall complete the following scope
of work:
1.6.1. Organize the commissioning process components and participate in the pre- bid meeting
where the commissioning process requirements are reviewed with the bidders.
1.6.2. Coordinate, direct and document commissioning activities in a logical, sequential and
efficient manner using consistent protocols, clear and regular communications and
consultations with all necessary parties, updated timelines or schedules, and technical
expertise. Conduct a pre-construction commissioning process meeting.
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1.6.3. Perform site visits, as necessary, to observe and document component and system
installations. Accomplish a statistical review of construction focusing on the Owner's design
intent and quality requirements. Attend selected construction progress and pre-installation
job-site meetings to obtain information on construction progress. Review construction
progress meeting minutes for revisions/substitutions related to the Owner's design intent.
1.6.4. Assist in resolving any discrepancies.
1.6.5. With necessary assistance and review from the installing contractors, develop and write
construction checklists. Submit to the contractors, Owner and Owner's Representative for
review and approval.
1.6.6. Organize, conduct and document periodic commissioning team meetings to plan, develop
the scope, coordinate, schedule activities, and resolve problems.
1.6.7. Review submittals of systems to be commissioned, concurrent with the A/E design
professional's review. CxA's reviewed shop drawing submittals must be submitted to A/E
consultants before the date set for consultant's final approval of shop drawings.
1.6.8. Work with contractors to complete construction checklists and track completions.
1.6.9. Statistically sample completion of construction checklists on a periodic basis to verify that
contractors' quality processes achieve the Owner's project requirements.
1.6.10. Approve systems startup by reviewing start-up reports and by selected site observations.
1.6.11. With necessary assistance and review from installing contractors, write the test
procedures. Submit to the contractors, the Owner, and the Owner's Representative for
review and approval.
1.6.12. Coordinate witness and recommend approval of manual functional performance tests
performed by installing contractors. Coordinate retesting as necessary until satisfactory
performance is achieved.
1.6.13. Recommend approval of air and water systems balancing through statistical sampling of
the report and separate field verification.
1.6.14. Maintain a master issues log and a separate testing record. Provide the contractor, the A/E
design team, the Owner and the Owner's Representative with written progress reports and
test results with recommended actions.
1.6.15. Document corrections and retesting of non-compliance items by the contractors.
1.6.16. Review, recommend pre-approve, and verify the training proposed by the contractors for
compliance with the project requirements.
1.7. Acceptance Phase: During the acceptance phase the CxA shall complete the following scope
of work:
1.7.1. Review and inspect, on a sample basis, the testing, adjusting and balancing work that has
been carried out by another agency.
1.7.2. Direct the execution of the tests by the contractors.
1.7.3. Conduct functional performance testing of sub-systems, systems, and interactions between
systems, leading to acceptance of the completed work. Document results of all tests
witnessed.
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1.7.4. Conduct functional performance testing of seasonally deferred equipment test. Document
results of all tests witnessed.
1.7.5. Coordinate and organize the training of the Owner's personnel.
1.7.6. Videotape the Owner's personnel training sessions. Provide record disks to the Owner.
1.7.7. Develop and review the Systems Manual for compliance with the Owner's project
requirements.
1.7.8. Verify delivery of the final, approved Systems Manual to the Owner.
1.8. Post Acceptance Phase: During the post-acceptance phase the CxA shall complete the
following scope of work:
1.8.1. Conduct functional performance testing of sub-systems, systems, and interactions between
systems that could not be carried out prior to acceptance due to unsuitable weather or load
conditions, or Owner occupancy requirements.
1.8.2. Prepare and submit a final Commissioning Process Report to the Owner.
1.8.3. Return to the site 10 months after the final Substantial Completion date. Review with Owner
facilities staff the current building operation and the condition of outstanding issues related
to the original and seasonal commissioning. Also interview Owner's facilities staff and identify
problems or concerns they have with operating the building as originally intended. Make
suggestions for improvements and for recording these changes in the Systems Manual.
Identify areas that may come under warranty or under the original construction contract.
Assist Owner's facilities staff to develop reports and requests for services to remedy
outstanding problems.
1.9. Equipment/Systems: During the scope of work as described in Articles above, provide
commissioning for the following building equipment and systems.
Equipment or Systems
Equipment Notes
Sampling Rate
Building Envelope
Roof 100% Thermographic Inspection
Flashings 100% Thermographic Inspection
Wall Sandwich 100% Thermographic Inspection
Windows/Doors/Storefront 25% Water Test
Air Tightness 100% Whole Building Air Leakage Test
HVAC Systems
Heat Exchangers 100%
Water Treatment System 100%
Heating Water Converter 100%
Fin Tube Radiation and Unit
100%
Heaters
Pumps 100%
Including coils, filters, energy
Air Handling Units 100%
recovery, air flow stations.
Exhaust Fan Systems 100%
Transfer Fans 100%
Ventilation Fans 100%
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VAV Air Terminal Units 100%
DX Fan Coils 100%
DX Condensing Units 100%
MPSA Ductwork 100% Duct Tightness Test
EA Ductwork 100% Duct Tightness Test
HVAC System Piping 25%
Hot Water Reheat Coils 100%
Steam Humidifiers 100%
Building Automation System
Ensure system functions
System Controls 100% properly and addresses all
intended systems.
Temperature Sensors 100%
Pressure Sensors and Controllers
100%
Lighting Sensors 100%
CO2 Sensors 100%
Airflow Stations 100%
Air Handling Unit Dampers/Valve
100%
Actuators
Lab Air Controls Systems - Air
100%
Control Valves
Temperature and Air Controls 100%
Plumbing and Fire Protection Systems
Plumbing Equipment 100%
Plumbing Piping Systems 25%
Lab Gas Piping Systems 100%
Fire Protection Sprinkler System 100%
Hot Water Heaters 100% Include solar thermal systems
Security & Access Systems
Intrusion Detections Systems and
100%
Sensors
Electric Locks 100%
Card Key Access Sensors 100%
Mechanical Locksets 50%
Check ADA Compliance of
Door Opening Devices 100%
Doors
Check ADA Compliance of
Door Closers 100%
Doors
ADA Accessibility
Confirm compliance of all
Ramps 100%
slopes, textures, etc.
Confirm compliance of slopes,
Parking Areas 25%
striping, accessible pathways.
Confirm compliance between
Accessible Paths 50%
public amenities.
Electrical Systems
Normal Power Electrical 50%
Electrical Panel Inspection and
100% Panel Schedules, Thermography
Thermography
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Including occupancy sensors,
Lighting Controls 100% photometric sensors, timed
switches
Solar Photovoltaic Systems 100%
Emergency Power Systems 100%
Fire Alarm and Life Safety
100% Including Mass Notification
Systems
(1) CxA shall verify all air balancing reports and leakage testing of air all applicable systems.
(2) CxA shall verify water balancing, cleaning, and pressure testing of all applicable systems.
2. Perform Retro Commissioning (and Re-Commissioning) Agent Services (RCx) for existing
buildings. RCx services will focus on projects with mainly low-cost no-cost improvements to
the operating systems, including diagnostic and functional tests of major systems and
equipment, calibration and sequence modifications of energy management and control
systems, water reduction, and operations and maintenance (O&M) tune-ups.
2.1. Phasing: Retro-Commissioning services shall be provided in Four (4) phases: Planning,
Discovery, Corrective, and Project Hand-Off.
2.2. Planning Phase: The RCx shall provide the following services during the Planning Phase. The
objectives of the Planning Phase are to develop/confirm the owner's needs and requirements for
the facilities and document them through the development of a Current Facility Requirements
(CFR) document; and to develop a Retro-Commissioning Plan to define the commissioning
process for the facility. During the Planning Phase the RCx shall complete the following scope of
work:
2.2.1. Define Current Facility Requirements - RCx will develop an updated Current Facility
Requirements (CFR) which defines the current operational needs and requirements of the
building(s). For buildings that undertook a new building commissioning process, the CFR is
the evolution of the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR ) established during the original
commissioning process. If the building has had its usage changed from the original design,
or if a current CFR does not exist, the Commissioning Provider and Owner will develop a
Current Facility Requirements (CFR). Items such as temperature, humidity, operating hours,
filtration, sound, vibration, and/or specialty needs must be discussed and agreed upon in the
CFR. The CFR will note any integrated requirements such as Controls, Fire & Life Safety,
Staff Training, Warranty review, Service Contract review, Security Systems, etc. The CFR
will become an attachment to the RCx plan.
2.2.2. Collect Existing Building Documentation - RCx will obtain existing building documentation
such as; building plans and specifications, TAB reports, points list from the building
automation system (BAS), Operations and Maintenance Manuals, maintenance
documentation records, utility records, etc. The primary focus is to determine the availability
of documentation for the RCx Investigation process.
2.2.3. Review building drawings and documentation to understand the building energy usage, initial
basis of design and evaluate the system integration. The review process includes the
evaluation of all old and new drawings, specifications, Test, Adjust, and Balance Reports,
Operations & Maintenance Manuals (typically related to mechanical, electrical and controls),
and any past Commissioning Reports.
2.2.4. RCx will perform a cursory walk-through and visit all major spaces to gain an understanding
of the types of spaces, condition of spaces, occupancy levels, lighting and controls and
prevalence of information technology related infrastructure and equipment.
2.2.5. RCx will provide preliminary building utility baseline benchmarks for the project building(s).
This preliminary benchmarking can help uncover potential opportunities and can be used as
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a baseline to measure future performance improvements during the commissioning
process.
2.2.6. Develop Retro-Commissioning Plan - After reviewing the building package and gaining a
clear understanding of the project objectives, RCx will develop the existing building
commissioning Plan based on [OWNER]'s goals for the project and findings from the initial
site visit and information gathering. The Plan will document project objectives, schedule, and
CFR. The Plan will include the following information:
2.2.6.1. Commissioning objectives
2.2.6.2. Commissioning team members and their roles and responsibilities (RCx, [OWNER],
other Technical Partners)
2.2.6.3. Communication protocols between the team
2.2.6.4. Identification of documentation collected.
2.2.6.5. Preliminary building utility baseline benchmarks
2.2.6.6. Major RCx activities
2.2.6.7. Schedule of major commissioning events
2.2.6.8. Scope of testing
2.2.6.9. CFR
2.3. Discovery Phase: The objective of the Discovery Phase is to conduct the site investigation to
compare the actual building conditions and system performance with the owner's current
operational needs and requirements defined by the CFR. This phase concludes with the
completion and review of a Master List of Findings that identifies Facility Improvement Measures
(FIMs) that upon implementation will improve building and system performance to meet the CFR,
reduce energy and O&M costs and/or improve the indoor environmental quality. During the
Discovery Phase the RCx shall complete the following scope of work:
2.3.1. Commissioning Coordination - The commissioning team will meet periodically to discuss
Commissioning status, system performance, and issues identified. Owner participation in
these status meetings is critical to solicit additional input, build consensus as well as to help
address any simple repairs or adjustments that need to be made during this phase.
2.3.2. Building Staff Interviews - Interview the owner's maintenance staff, utility staff, occupants,
and other relevant parties to understand the current needs and issues related to system
operations and maintenance. A formal interview process is recommended to systematically
assist in understanding potential issues and problems, uncover potential improvement
opportunities, confirm the CFR and to develop consensus on the commissioning process
goals.
2.3.3. Site Review/Survey/Condition Assessment - Conduct a thorough and detailed building walk
through (maintenance staff participation is highly desirable) to evaluate the issues identified
in the planning phase and observed during the drawing and documentation review.
Important facility information not found during the Documentation Review may need to be
recreated during the site survey (i.e., TAB analysis to determine current air/water flows, or if
sequences of operation are unavailable, perform functional performance testing to determine
how systems operate). During this step additional issues which are not captured through the
documentation review will be noted.
2.3.4. HVAC TAB Validation - RCx will validate (not re-balance) the air and hydronic flows of the
main HVAC systems. This will include AHUs, exhaust systems, chillers, pumps, air handler
coils, circuit setters, valves and cooling towers. RCx will validate (not re-balance:
2.3.4.1. Supply air flow and water flow readings on [100%] of AHUs and ERUs
2.3.4.2. Air flow readings on [20%] of the VAV terminals and associated diffusers/grilles.
2.3.5. Sensor and actuator calibration - Using the trending capability of the existing digital control
system for troubleshooting, testing and data gathering is a cost effective approach but only
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if the commissioning provider and building staff are confident that the sensors are reading
properly. A list of sensors and actuators for calibration will be developed by RCx following a
points list review. Example of critical control sensors to be calibrated include static
pressure, outside air temperature, return air temperatures, mixed air temperature, discharge
temperature, variable frequency drive (VFD) speed, damper actuators, valve actuators,
humidity sensors, and space temperature sensors. The RCx shall calibrate the selected
sensors and actuators. The calibration records shall be submitted with the RCx report.
2.3.6. Systems Diagnostic Monitoring - RCx will develop a diagnostic monitoring plan and then
perform comprehensive system diagnostic monitoring. Diagnostic monitoring methods can
include; building automation system trending, portable data logger trending, and energy and
weather data collection. The collected data is analyzed to identify issues and improvement
opportunities and highlight particular problems that may require more rigorous and focused
investigation. Analyzing the diagnostic monitoring data will assist in determining if the system
is meeting the CFR. As a minimum:
2.3.6.1 Trend major equipment control loops for 24 hours to determine stability of control.
2.3.6.2 Randomly trend [20%] of the room temperatures for 24 hours to determine stability
of control.
2.3.7. Test Development - Develop Functional Performance Test Procedures for the major HVAC
and lighting systems identified in the project scope. Test plans shall focus on confirming that
the system performance is meeting the performance requirements of the owner set forth in
the CFR.
2.3.8. Functional Performance Testing - Perform functional performance testing of all major HVAC
systems and lighting control systems to evaluate the building systems performance. In
addition, any anomalies or issues identified in earlier Investigation Phase steps will be
considered for further evaluation during system testing to determine root causes and
possible solutions. RCx will tune and adjust systems as needed. Results of the functional
performance testing shall be submitted with the RCx report, along with final setpoints.
2.3.9. Facility Performance Analysis, Performance Baseline Establishment, and FIM Savings
Calculations - RCx will collect and analyze available energy, non-energy and other system
performance data to establish baseline benchmarks for facility performance. Available facility
performance baseline data may include utility billing data, sub-metering data, work orders,
comfort complaint logs, indoor air quality parameters, occupant satisfaction survey results,
building automation system trend data and/or stand-alone data logger data. After developing
a utility baseline, RCx will calculate the savings associated with each potential FIM
improvement.
2.3.10. Simple Repairs - If appropriate and agreed upon by the commissioning team and [Owner],
the RCx shall per form simple repairs or improvements identified during the Investigation
Phase monitoring and testing [on a Time and Materials basis]. The Retro- Commissioning
process is intended to be an iterative and flexible process; therefore, some implementation
may occur during the Investigation Phase and conversely further investigation may occur
during the Implementation Phase.
2.3.11. Master List of Findings - RCx will create a Master List of Findings that identifies possible
Facility Improvement Measures (FIMs) based on the findings from the steps above. The
following information on each FIM is desirable so that [OWNER] has sufficient information to
make an informed decision when selecting the FIMs for implementation; 1) Description of
Finding, 2) The Solution/ Measure Description, 3) Benefits, 4) Drawbacks/Risks, 5)
Implementation Cost, 6) Savings (details on the estimated electrical, fossil and demand
energy savings may be desired), 7) simple payback analysis and 8) Commissioning Team
recommendation for implementation. Budgetary implementation cost estimates are included
in the Master List during the Investigation Phase with firm contractor quotes being obtained
during the Implementation Phase once specific measures have been selected for
implementation. The rigor of the energy saving calculation methodology utilized to estimate
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