Building Performance Diagnosticians

Building performance diagnosticians investigate, identify, solve, and prevent building performance problems. Examples of performance issues include energy inefficiency (due to insufficient air sealing and insulation and/or poorly performing mechanical systems and piping), uneven room temperature, excessive moisture (which can cause mold and damage to the structure and building systems), sewer backups and floods, unhealthy air quality, and poor usability of control systems (as a result of these control systems growing more complex due to advances in technology such as wireless sensors and the Internet of Things).

To determine the problem, diagnosticians inspect or evaluate building envelopes (roof, doors, windows, floors, and walls), electrical systems, mechanical systems, and other building components. They do so by using the naked eye, video- and camera-equipped drones, and simple and advanced diagnostic equipment. For example, they might use smoke pencils to locate air leakages or a temperature/relative humidity sensor to determine the cause of mold growth. Advanced technology includes infrared thermography, radar, thermal imaging cameras, lasers, and ultrasound. Building performance diagnosticians also use energy simulation software to model both energy consumption—for cooling, heating, ventilation, and lighting loads—and water use in a building. This helps them to establish baselines for energy use for a building and its systems, identify areas of inefficiency, and improve the functioning of each system.

After they identify the issue, BPDs discuss their findings with their client, and suggest solutions. They also typically prepare a report that contains this information.

Building performance diagnosticians may also inspect new energy efficient equipment and other building systems to ensure that they were installed correctly and are performing according to manufacturer specifications. In a large-scale building project, this task may be completed by a building commissioning official. The U.S. Department of Energy describes commissioning as “a systematic process of ensuring that a building performs in accordance with the design intent, contract documents, and the owner’s operational needs.”