Following approval by the AABC membership in April, development of the certification program for the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG) is continuing at a rapid pace.

ACG is a nonprofit association of building industry professionals dedicated to providing professional, independent commissioning services.  The ACG Steering Committee has held several meetings with a professional test development (psychometric) firm to develop a credible, rigorous certification exam that will test the knowledge and technical expertise of eligible commissioning providers. The exam, based on material contained in the accalimed AABC Commissioning Guideline, is on schedule for a fall roll-out to qualified providers, which includes professional engineers (P.E.s), licensed architects (AIA), and test and balance engineers (TBEs) who offer independent commissioning services.

Also in the works is a revision to the Commissioning Guideline, which Environmental Building News called "one of the clearest descriptions of the commissioning process we"ve seen."  The second edition of the Guideline will expand the scope to whole-building commissioning, as well as providing revised sample forms and other improvements.

For additional information about membership in ACG or participation in the development of the examination or other association programs, contact ACG Headquarters at 1518 K Street, NW , Washington , DC , 20005.

Telephone: (202) 737-0202 Fax: (202) 638-4833 email: aabchq@aol.com .

AABC has begun the third administration of its Commissioning Certification Program, with approximately 20 AABC firms seeking the designation of Certified Commissiong Agent (CCA).

The CCA exam is a rigorous, detailed practical exam based on a real-world commissioning project. The exam is broken into two parts: in Part 1, candidates respond to a commissioning RFP and provide information including a projected man-hour total and the company’s approach to commissioning. In Part 2, candidates receive drawings and other detailed project information and are asked to develop a complete commissioning plan.

Both parts of the exam are based on information contained in the AABC Commissioning Guideline, a publication that provides detailed, step-by-step methodologies for different types of commissioning and was called “one of the clearest descriptions of the commissioning process we’ve seen” by Environmental Building News.

Final results are expected in October or November. The AABC Commissioning Program currently has produced 27 AABC member firms certified in commissioning, with that number expected to reach the mid-40s after this exam administration.

Primary topics for discussion will include the proposed plan and operation of ACG, the current AABC Commissioning Certification Program, and other AABC programs. We believe that further clarification and direction is needed at this point in time and we would appreciate your input and participation in the planning process.

We are pleased to report that the ACG Steering Committee has completed the development of the new commissioning certification exam, which will be administered at the Annual Meeting. In addition to new certification candidates, anyone who has earned the CCA certification is invited and encouraged to beta test the new exam for free at the Annual Meeting. The three-hour exam will be offered free of charge to volunteers at 3 separate times, as follows:

    Wednesday, October 13:      8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Friday, October 15:      8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

                                                            1:30 p.m. –  4:30 p.m.