PORTLAND, Ore. — Demand for the services of commissioning professionals is rising and will continue to rise into the near future, according to a survey by PECI and the Building Commissioning Association (BCA).

The survey indicates that the commissioning industry is experiencing growth as a result of the increasing popularity of buildings that earn green certifications. In addition, the industry expects the adoption of more ambitious building and energy codes nationwide to further increase demand. Together, these factors have created a need for training services that will expand the commissioning workforce and allow the industry to effectively meet these new, rising needs.

The survey asked attendees of BCA’s National Conference on Building Commissioning (NCBC) to assess their professional experiences in a variety of areas, including: current motivators for commissioning work; expected changes to the commissioning industry as a result of new building codes; and training needs. The survey revealed that:

• 72 percent of respondents, mostly commissioning professionals, have experienced more demand for new building commissioning services in the past year.

• 69 percent have experienced more demand for existing building commissioning in the past year.

• Green building certifications like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) and Energy Star are significant motivators for commissioning, according to 68 percent of those surveyed.

• Green certifications are followed closely by corporate environmental goals, which were cited as motivators by 64 percent of respondents.

• 56 percent expect changes to building and energy codes to drive an additional increase in demand for commissioning.

• The rising demand has created a need for training industry wide; 68 percent cited a need for training on specialty systems like building enclosures and renewables.

A more detailed summary of the survey findings can be found here.

For more information about the Building Commissioning Association, visit www.bcxa.org. For more information about PECI, visit www.peci.org.

Publication date: 9/16/2013

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