INTRODUCTION
The enjoyment
of opening a new building or starting up a new mechanical or electrical system
can be annoying quickly if the system does not work the way the manufacturer,
integrator or designers intended. One
way to help avoid this disappointment and subsequent costly refinements or
repairs is commissioning.
Commissioning helps ensure that the system(s) will meet the needs of the owner
and occupants. It also verifies that the
designed system meets the owner’s requirements and that construction conforms
to the contract documents and the system(s) operate as needed.
Atlantis Energy Systems is thus, providing our customers with a Commissioning
Checklist
intended to provide commissioning agents, architects, engineers and owners with
what we believe is an appropriate method to record photovoltaic system performance
at the time of start-up. Moreover, we
believe it is in the best interest of homeowners and facility managers alike,
to pass this information onto their commissioning agent or others as
appropriate to consider as a relevant documentation method.
Consider the following
during the Design Phase of a project
Testing and
commissioning of a PV system should be seriously addressed and planned during
the design stage to ensure that appropriate provision is made. We recommend that on larger projects or when USGBC
LEED Certification requires, a commissioning agent is identified at an early
stage of design development. Sufficient
time will be needed in the construction schedule for testing and commissioning
to be adequately carried out and to ensure that any faults or equipment defects
are identified and rectified.
Additionally, testing and/or balancing cannot be properly carried out
under low sunlight levels so extra time will be needed for unexpected climatic
weather changes.
Testing and
commissioning requirements should be clearly stated in all phases of
specifications as well as the contract specification. Atlantis Energy Systems recommends that
parameters to be tested: test conditions, test points, values expected and
acceptable tolerances should be included in the projects specification as early
as possible. Our team of engineers and
architects are available to your firm when these criteria are needed. If a third party commissioning agent is
required for full commissioning, this should be outlined in the specification
as well.
Atlantis Energy Systems
Recommended Commissioning Procedures
Visual
checks will be the most simple and effective way to check the PV system
components prior to and after installation.
We recommend that special attention is given the following (see 2A/3A of the Atlantis Energy Systems Checklist):
§
Cracked or broken glass
§
Signs of delamination
or water infiltration
§
Broken, damaged or
discolored cells
§
Loose electrical
connections to the combiner or junction boxes and leads
After
examining the components, electrical tests should then be carried out according
to the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2005ed., Chapter 6, Article 690
§
Continuity of circuit,
protective conductors, equi-potential bonding, quick connect
§
Earth electrode
impedance
§
Insulation resistance
§
Polarity
§
Earth loop impedance
§
Functions of protective
devices
For a sensible
recording of the PV performance, the array commissioning tests should be
carried out under a reasonable sunlight condition of global irradiance of
higher than 400W/m˛onto the plane of the PV panels. The tests should be checked against Atlantis
Energy Systems’ overall system performance specification and detailed design
parameters, taking into account any change made during installation.
We Recommend Detailed
Commissioning Procedures ensuring the high performance Atlantis Energy can
deliver
For all applications
there is a Power Conversion Unit (PCU) for converting the power to a proper
form for typical usages. A series of
functional testing is highly recommended to ensure that Atlantis Energy Systems
are performing at its specified output.
These essential PCU tests are:
§
Anti-islanding tests (for grid connected inverters)
§
Disconnection
capability for voltage and frequency disturbances (for grid connected
inverters)
§
THD and individual
harmonics measurements
§
Isolation between DC
and AC side
§
Power Factor recording
(for AC output only)
§
EMI measurements
§
Acoustic noise
reduction recording
§
Visual check on
markings
Highly
recommend seeking USGBC LEED Certification using both Atlantis Energy Systems
Photovoltaic products and our commissioning guidelines to gather an additional
2 to 4 points towards your Certified LEED Accredited Building or Energy Star Home
Contact our
technical team for more information 630.947.5440
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LEED NC For New Construction Version 2.2: Energy &
Atmosphere |
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|
CREDIT |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Prerequisite 1 |
Fundamental Commissioning of
Building Systems |
Verify proper installation, calibration
and performance of HVAC systems |
|
Prerequisite 2 |
Minimum Energy Performance |
Establish minimum level of energy
efficiency |
|
Prerequisite 3 |
Fundamental Refrigerant Management |
Zero use or phase-out of CFC-based
refrigerants |
|
EA Credit 1 (Up to 10 points) |
Optimize Energy Performance |
Incremental efficiency
improvements above required baseline |
|
EA Credit 2 (1 to 3 points) |
On-Site Renewable Energy |
Use of On-Site renewable energy to
reduce fossil fuel impacts |
|
EA Credit 3 (1 point) |
Full Commissioning |
Incorporate commissioning into the
design phase and perform verification of systems beyond that of Prerequisite
1- Fundamental Commissioning |
|
EA Credit 4 (1 point) |
Enhanced Refrigerant Management |
Elimination of refrigerants or
early compliance with the Montreal Protocol |
|
EA Credit 5 (1 point) |
Measurement & Verification |
Providing ongoing verification of
building performance |
|
EA Credit 6 (1 point) |
Green Power |
Support utility-sited renewable
energy by purchasing Green Power |
|
Shaded background above indicates additional credits
possible when commissioning your Atlantis Energy Systems’ Photovoltaic Array |
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