Exhibit_17-Best_Practices.pdf

GSA Public Building Service Office of Facility Management - Facility Technologies

GSA Best Practices for Building Automation System Technicians

DOCUMENT CHANGE LOG

Date Revision Comment By 5/26/2017 2.3 Added alternative text to tables/images for 508 compliance.

CPayne

5/11/2017 2.2 Added estimated O&M cost savings CPayne 5/05/2017 2.1 Updated Introduction CPayne 5/04/2017 2.0 Final QC review completed and modifications made to document. Release revision 2.0 created. CPayne

5/01/2017 1.2 Select GSA review complete and modifications made to document. Submitting for QC review. CPayne

4/25/2017 1.1 Initial IB IBIE draft review complete and modifications made to document. Sent for select GSA review. CPayne

4/13/2017 1.0 Document draft completed and submitted for internal technical review.

CPayne

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 2

Applicability 2

Definitions 2

Types of BAS Reviews 3

Review Time Allotments 10

Estimated O&M Cost Savings 12

Appendices 13

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 2 of 16

INTRODUCTION

This document is designed to serve as a guide and is intended to be utilized during the ongoing review of Building Automation Systems (BAS) throughout the GSA portfolio, while also normalizing the procedures behind these BAS reviews to be more consistent. This document also serves as a guideline for Facility Managers so they may know the full requirements a BAS subcontractor must fulfill while conducting remote and/or onsite service to better estimate and provide requirements for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) contracts.

APPLICABILITY

This document shall serve as the guideline for all BAS reviews conducted at regular intervals, scheduled site visits and shall include all facilities owned and operated by the GSA. In instances where GSA Smart Buildings Staff might be used to conduct a review of a leased space, this guideline shall also be applicable to the services being performed at the leased space. This guideline shall also govern subcontracted BAS services that take place in Federal Buildings. Subcontracted services shall be contracted in a manner that meets the intent of the performed services based on the size of the BAS.

DEFINITIONS

1. Qualified Technician – An individual is considered qualified when the following conditions are met:

a. They have received formal training from a manufacturer’s training course or are manufacturer-certified in the Building Automation System software/hardware used at the facility, and can provide references for completed projects in which the same BAS software/hardware was implemented within the last 12 to 18 months.

b. The technician may be deemed qualified by GSA Smart Buildings personnel if they have successfully demonstrated the same level of expertise associated with taking manufacturer’s certification courses. This is accomplished through a small testing procedure that will be administered by GSA Smart Buildings personnel.

The qualified technician requirement is applicable to all personnel involved in the operation, adjustment and maintenance of all BAS, Energy Management Control Systems (EMCS), Advanced Monitoring Systems (AMS), and Lighting Control Systems (LCS). In the event these services are contracted, the contractor must provide to the COR or designee documentation of the level of experience, including any certificates of training for all employees who will be involved in this function. It is recommended that two (2) to four (4) technicians be assigned to the building who meet these qualifications both for proper support coverage and to simplify the ENT process to allow both physical and remote access to the building.

2. Heating Season – The heating season is defined as any period during the year when

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 3 of 16 hot water or steam is used for total facility heating purposes for a period lasting over a week. Heating season is typically associated with the winter season. This period can begin prior to and after the official calendar winter season period depending on the location. The heating season is typically associated with temperatures below 50 degrees for an extended period.

3. Cooling Season – The cooling season is defined as any period during the year when chilled water is used for total facility cooling purposes for a period lasting over a week.

Cooling season is typically associated with the summer season. This period can begin prior to and after the official calendar summer season period depending on the location.

The cooling season is typically associated with temperatures above 60 degrees for an extended period.

TYPES OF BAS REVIEWS

1. THE MONTHLY REVIEW process is utilized as a quick status of the BAS to determine overall functionality. The review should be conducted monthly to maintain system health and normal functionality. A total of ten monthly reviews will be conducted per year, with the remaining two months being allocated for an ongoing seasonal review that is conducted to best accommodate the biannual ongoing seasonal reviews (described below). The ongoing seasonal review will take the place of the monthly review for that month. In cases where schedules conflict with regular monthly reviews, no less than a two-week gap between reviews is permitted. Upon the completion of the monthly review, the results are to be documented on the corresponding forms and should be forwarded to GSA Building Management staff.

a. Personnel Requirements

Monthly reviews must be conducted by qualified personnel through the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract. A person is considered qualified if they can execute the tasks associated with a monthly review. This includes but is not limited to an O&M staff member, or through subcontracted services. A full-time BAS technician is not required to perform the tasks associated with a monthly review. In the event subcontracted services are procured by the O&M, the subcontracted technician must also be considered qualified. Further clarification regarding qualifying requirements is listed in the “Definitions” section above.

b. Documentation Requirements

A document requirement is also a component of the monthly review. This involves completing the “Monthly Review Checklist” (example and link included in APPENDIX A.) An electronic copy shall be made available using GSA Google Docs and shall be provided by GSA Facility Management. The regional GSA

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Smart Buildings team is responsible for maintaining a current copy of the Monthly Review Checklist which will be made available to GSA facility management.

Another component of the monthly review documentation requirement is to review and complete the “Change Request and Completion Log” that will be made available to each GSA Federal facility. A sample of the “Change Request and Completion Log” and link is provided in APPENDIX B. Electronic substitutes (i.e. Google Sheet) are permitted if they meet the intended purpose of the log. If electronic substitutes are used, the GSA Smart Buildings Team shall have access to the log so they may enter and/or review information as well. The “Change Request and Completion Log” is intended to be used as a tool by GSA and O&M to request changes to the BAS and track completion. Some requests that will appear on this log may include, but are not limited to: Schedule changes, reviewing a GSAlink Spark, adding or removing a user from the system, modifying a graphic page, modifying alarm parameters or notification settings, etc.

c. Site Visit Requirements

To reduce costs associated with site visits, performing monthly reviews remotely via the secure GSA network is permitted when the review technician has proper ENT credentials. The documentation requirements must be submitted within 48 hours upon completion of the review. In the event subcontracted services are used to conduct a remote monthly review, the documentation must be submitted to the entity that subcontracted the services. It is encouraged to submit electronic documentation to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Handling of the documentation shall be accomplished in accordance with Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) safe handling measures.

d. Monthly Review Requirements

As described in the overview, a monthly review is used to determine a quick status of the BAS and to determine overall functionality. This provides a quick glance into possible issues going on with the building and associated building control systems. It is required to fully document the monthly review and submit documentation to GSA facility management staff for review.

Using the provided “Monthly Review Checklist” (MRC example and link included in APPENDIX A.), complete the initial documentation requirements such as date of service, check in time of service, and technician’s name. Log into the BAS and perform the following checks:

i. Determine and record all the controllers to which a communication failure has occurred.

● Record failed controllers and include them with the OSRC. A

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 5 of 16 network overview summary page, controller report or alarm report can be used to accomplish this task. It is recommended to utilize the alarming capabilities of the BAS to capture and report communication failures. This provides GSA facility management with a list of the controllers that have failed to communicate on the BAS network.

ii. Determine and record all the controllers currently in an Override state.

network overview summary page or custom report can be used to complete this task. This provides GSA facility management with a list of the controllers that have been overridden on the BAS network.

iii. Review historical trends to check for system anomalies.

● Check histories for evidence of equipment short cycling, i.e.

chillers, boilers, hot, chilled, and condenser water pumps, etc.

● Record any system anomalies in the MRC.

iv. Review existing and previous/archived alarms since the last BAS monthly review was performed.

● Determine if alarms pose any potential issues and record those in the MRC.

v. Review existing Schedules and determine if adjustments are required.

● Record the proposed adjustments in the MRC (or the Change

Request and Completion Log depending on the source of the schedule modification request.)

● Perform any necessary schedule additions (Holiday, After Hours, etc.)

vi. Review and complete any modifications as noted in the “Change Request and Completion Log” and record relevant information in the log. This includes but is not limited to scheduling, historical trend, alarm, and programming changes.

vii. Once the monthly review tasks are completed, finalize the MRC by indicating the check-out time of the service call.

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 6 of 16

2. THE ONGOING SEASONAL REVIEW process is used to determine the status of the BAS controlled HVAC equipment transitioning into cooling or heating seasons. The review should be conducted twice a year and targeted around the beginning of each seasonal transition to maintain system health and normal functionality. A total of two (2) ongoing seasonal reviews will be conducted each year. The ongoing seasonal reviews take the place of the monthly review for that month. In cases where schedules conflict with regular monthly reviews, no less than a two-week (2 weeks) gap between reviews is permitted. Upon the completion of the ongoing seasonal review, the results are to be documented on the corresponding forms and should be forwarded to GSA Building Management staff. Further clarification regarding the beginning of heating and cooling season is listed in the “Definitions” section above.

a. Personnel Requirements

Ongoing seasonal reviews must be conducted by qualified personnel through the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract. A person is considered qualified if they can execute the tasks associated with an ongoing seasonal review. This includes but is not limited to an O&M staff member, or through subcontracted services. A full-time BAS technician is not required to perform the tasks associated with an ongoing seasonal review. In the event subcontracted services are procured by the O&M, the subcontracted technician must also be considered qualified. Further clarification regarding qualifying requirements is listed in the “Definitions” section above.

b. Documentation Requirements

A document requirement is also a component of the ongoing seasonal review.

This involves completing the “Ongoing Seasonal Review Checklist” (OSRC) and the “Ongoing Seasonal Review Equipment Log” (example and link included in APPENDIX C and D.) An electronic copy shall be made available using GSA Google Docs and shall be provided by GSA Facility Management.

The regional GSA Smart Buildings team is responsible for maintaining a current copy of the “Ongoing Seasonal Review Checklist” which will be made available to GSA facility management.

Another component of the monthly review documentation requirement is to review and complete the “Change Request and Completion Log” that will be made available to each GSA Federal facility. A sample of the “Change Request and Completion Log” and link is provided in APPENDIX B. Electronic substitutes (i.e. Google Sheet) are permitted if they meet the intended purpose of the log. If electronic substitutes are used, the GSA Smart Buildings Team shall have access to the log so they may enter and/or review information as well. The “Change Request and Completion Log” is intended to be used as a tool by GSA and O&M to request changes to the BAS and track completion. Some

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 7 of 16 requests that will appear on this log may include, but are not limited to: Schedule changes, reviewing a GSAlink Spark, adding or removing a user from the system, modifying a graphic page, modifying alarm parameters or notification

c. Site Visit Requirements

Ongoing seasonal reviews shall be conducted onsite and not performed remotely. This maintains a minimum site visit requirement of two (2) onsite visits per year in conjunction with remote monthly reviews. In the event subcontracted services are used to conduct an ongoing seasonal review, the documentation must be submitted to the entity that subcontracted the services. It is encouraged to submit electronic documentation to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Handling of the documentation shall be accomplished in accordance with Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) safe handling measures.

d. Ongoing Seasonal Review Requirements

As described in the overview, an ongoing seasonal review is used to determine the status of the BAS controlled HVAC equipment transitioning to a cooling or heating season. This provides a glance into possible issues within the building HVAC and associated building equipment and control systems that could adversely affect a successful cooling or heating season transition. It is required to fully document the ongoing seasonal review and submit documentation to GSA facility management staff for review.

Using the provided “Ongoing Seasonal Review Checklist” (OSRC) and the “Ongoing Seasonal Review Equipment Log” (example and link included in APPENDIX C and D.), complete the initial documentation requirements such as date of service, check in time of service, and technician’s name. Log into the BAS and perform the following checks:

i. Determine and record all the controllers to which a communication failure has occurred.

● Record failed controllers and include them with the OSRC. A network overview summary page, controller report or alarm report can be used to accomplish this task. It is recommended to utilize the alarming capabilities of the BAS to capture and report communication failures. This provides GSA facility management with a list of the controllers that have failed to communicate on the BAS network.

ii. Determine and record all the controllers currently in an Override state.

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 8 of 16 network overview summary page or custom report can be used to complete this task. This provides GSA facility management with a list of the controllers that have been overridden on the BAS network.

iii. Manually (and temporarily) override hot/cold water valves (depending on season) and verify changes in Discharge Air Temperature for the following:

● All Air Handling Units (AHUs)

● All Outside Air Units (OAUs)

● All perimeter heating (Heating Season Review)

● 10% sample of VAVs, FPUs, CAVs, etc.

a. Note: If the facility under review has a full-time BAS technician on site, a 100% checkout is required.

● Record the results in the OSRC and the BAS Ongoing Seasonal Review Equipment Log.

iv. Manually (and temporarily) override electric heat (Heating Season Review) and verify changes in Discharge Air Temperature for the following:

● 10% sample of VAVs, FPUs, CAVs, etc.

a. Note: If the facility under review has a full-time BAS technician on site, a 100% checkout is required.

● Test each stage independently on multi-stage units

● Record the results in the OSRC and the BAS Ongoing Seasonal

Review Equipment Log.

v. Verify proper functionality of Chilled Water/Hot Water resets schedules on either system depending on the seasonal transition.

● Record the results in the OSRC

vi. Review historical trends to check for system anomalies.

● Check histories for evidence of equipment short cycling, i.e.

chillers, boilers, hot, chilled, and condenser water pumps, etc.

● Check histories for evidence of AHU Discharge Air Temperature deviations for extended amounts of time.

● Record any system anomalies in the OSRC.

vii. Review existing and previous/archived alarms since the last BAS monthly review was performed.

● Determine if alarms pose any potential issues and record those in the OSRC.

viii. Review existing Schedules and determine if adjustments are required.

● Record the proposed adjustments in the MRC (or the Change

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 9 of 16

Request and Completion Log depending on the source of the schedule modification request).

● Perform any necessary schedule additions (Holiday, After Hours, etc.).

ix. Software and Firmware updates.

● Record current Supervisor/Server and Global Network Controller software build in the OSRC.

● If the BAS manufacturer has released an updated build within the same software release (i.e. v4.3.11x is currently installed and v4.3.12x is available), then update the Server software and any associated Global Network Controllers to the latest release. Note:

On regional servers that support multiple sites, this will need to be coordinated with all associated sites before the upgrade can proceed.

● If the BAS manufacturer has released an updated version of the same software (i.e. v4.3.12x is installed and v4.4.00x is available), then the regional Smart Building Team and GSA Facility management personnel should be informed so GSA PB-ITS can begin/confirm the remediation process of the latest software upgrade. At no time, should the installation of major software releases be upgraded without PB-ITS prior approval. A path should be established at least one (1) week prior to the ongoing seasonal review if an upgrade to the latest software version is necessary and approved by GSA PB-ITS.

● Record current fieldbus level controller's Firmware version in the

OSRC.

● If the BAS equipment manufacturer has released an updated version of the applicable Firmware, upgrade all communicating controllers now. Note any failed or replaced controllers in the

OSRC.

x. Complete any modifications as noted in the “Change Request and Completion Log” and record relevant information in the log. This includes but is not limited to historical trend, alarm, and programming changes.

xi. Once the ongoing seasonal review tasks are completed, finalize the

OSRC by indicating the check-out time of the service call.

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 10 of 16

REVIEW TIME ALLOTMENTS

1. THE MONTHLY REVIEW time allotment requirements are based on the size of the facility and the BAS in the building. For contracting purposes, this section represents the time associated with completing a monthly review and can be used for the quotation process. This section is also intended to be a basic guideline and can be adjusted based on GSA facility management preferences. Below is a table showing the recommended review hours based on facility size. The table is broken into several columns indicating building size, hours required to complete the review, utility hours (used for documentation and miscellaneous programming changes), and the overall total hours. It is highly encouraged to seek a discounted remote review rate to reduce costs if possible.

Note: The time allotments suggested below are the recommended hours to conduct the Monthly Review, they do not include any additional time allotments for repairs, re-programming, materials or equipment. It is recommended to include some level of cushion to make any required modifications to the system that are discovered during the review.

Square Footage Review Hours Utility Hours Total Hours

Up to 149,999 3 1 4

150,000 to 399,999 4 2 6

400,000 to 749,999 5 2 7

750,000 to 999,999 6 2 8

1,000,000+ 12 4 16

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 11 of 16

2. THE ONGOING SEASONAL REVIEW time allotment requirements are based on the size of the facility, the HVAC equipment quantities, and the BAS associated with the building. For contracting purposes, this section represents the time associated with completing an ongoing seasonal review and can be used for the quotation process. This section is also intended to be a basic guideline and can be adjusted based on GSA facility management preferences. In cases where buildings contain several smaller air handling units, additional time should be allotted to account for the added time it would take to complete an ongoing seasonal review. Below is a table showing the recommended review hours based on facility size. The table is broken into several columns indicating the building size, hours required to complete the review, utility hours (used for documentation and miscellaneous programming changes), the number of base AHUs included in the review hours estimate, the overall total hours (before time for additional AHUs is included), and the time allotment for additional AHUs. Use the following equation when estimating time during the quotation process:

Hours = Total Hours + (0.5 hrs x (AHU Count – AHU Count Included))

Note: The time allotments suggested below are the recommended hours to conduct the Ongoing Seasonal Review, they do not include any additional time allotments for repairs, reprogramming, materials or equipment. It is recommended to include some level of cushion to make any required modifications to the system that are discovered during the review.

Square Footage

Review Hours

Utility Hours

AHU Count Included

Total Hours (no additional

AHUs)

Additional

AHU

Checkout

Up to 149,999 8 2 3 AHUs 10 30 minutes each

150,000 to 399,999 10 3 5 AHUs 13 30 minutes each

400,000 to 749,999 12 4 7 AHUs 16 30 minutes each

750,000 to 999,999 16 4 8 AHUs 20 30 minutes each

1,000,000+ 24 6 12 AHUs 30 30 minutes each

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 12 of 16

ESTIMATED O&M COST SAVINGS

In cases where O&M contracts include provision for a full-time BAS technician to be onsite forty (40) hours per week, utilizing the language within this document could save a substantial amount of money annually. Using the time allotments above, and replacing the existing O&M contract language with the Monthly and Seasonal Review language above will allow the O&M to more accurately estimate the contract and provide more competitive quotes. This removes the necessity for a full-time technician in some cases.

1. Onsite Only Option – No remote ENT access provided to contractor

a. Assumes an average full-time BAS technician cost of $104,000.00 annually.

b. Assumes an hourly contracted labor rate of $87.00 per hour multiplied by the number of

Monthly and Ongoing Seasonal Reviews and by the recommended hours in the Review Time Allotments section above.

c. Factors in an estimated number of miscellaneous hours to allow for re-programming and other changes found during the reviews and for additional AHU checkout of larger buildings.

2. Remote Option – ENT access provided to contractor for remote support

a. Assumes an average full-time BAS technician cost of $104,000.00 annually.

b. Assumes an hourly contracted labor rate of $87.00 per hour (Onsite) and $67.00 per hour

(Remote) multiplied by the number of Monthly and Ongoing Seasonal Reviews and by the recommended hours in the Review Time Allotments section above.

c. Factors in an estimated number of miscellaneous hours to allow for re-programming and other changes found during the reviews and for additional AHU checkout of larger buildings.

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 13 of 16

APPENDICES

A. BAS MONTHLY REVIEW CHECKLIST

● The monthly review process is utilized as a quick status of the BAS to determine overall functionality. The review should be conducted monthly to maintain system health and normal functionality. In cases where schedules conflict with regular monthly reviews, no less than a two-week (2 weeks) gap between reviews is permitted. Upon the completion of the monthly review, the results are to be documented on the corresponding forms and should be forwarded to GSA Building Management staff.

● Below is an example of the BAS Monthly Review Checklist. The Google Docs version of this and all checklists can be found at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZgI11B3s0jP3Adhfk5GqSS5L3NbFesd DqtD4PeJ62KQ/edit#gid=0

Appendix A – BAS Monthly Review Checklist Example https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZgI11B3s0jP3Adhfk5GqSS5L3NbFesdDqtD4PeJ62KQ/edit#gid=0

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 14 of 16

B. BAS CHANGE REQUEST AND COMPLETION LOG

● The “Change Request and Completion Log” is intended to be used as a tool by GSA and O&M to request changes to the BAS and track completion.

Some requests that will appear on this log may include, but are not limited to:

Schedule changes, reviewing a GSAlink Spark, adding or removing a user from the system, modifying a graphic page, modifying alarm parameters or notification

● Below is an example of the BAS Change Request and Completion Log. The

Google Docs version of this and all checklists can be found at the following link:

Appendix B – BAS Change Request and Completion Log Example

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 15 of 16

C. BAS ONGOING SEASONAL REVIEW CHECKLIST

● The ongoing seasonal review process is used to determine the status of the BAS controlled HVAC equipment transitioning into cooling or heating seasons. The review should be conducted twice a year, preferably around the beginning of each seasonal transition to maintain system health and normal functionality.

● Below is an example of the BAS Ongoing Seasonal Review Checklist. The

Google Docs version of this and all checklists can be found at the following link:

Appendix C – BAS Ongoing Seasonal Review Checklist Example

Best Practices for BAS Technicians_v2.3 Page 16 of 16

D. BAS ONGOING SEASONAL REVIEW EQUIPMENT LOG

● Below is an example of the BAS Ongoing Seasonal Review Equipment Log. This document will be utilized for describing equipment-specific issues and the areas of control to which they apply and is only used in conjunction with the OSRC. The Google Docs version of this and all checklists can be found at the following link:

Appendix D – BAS Ongoing Seasonal Review Equipment Log Example https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZgI11B3s0jP3Adhfk5GqSS5L3NbFesdDqtD4PeJ62KQ/edit#gid=0