Data Center Handbook

19Data Center Project Management and Commissioning

Lynn Brown

Encotech Engineering, Austin, TX, USA

19.1 Introduction

This chapter focuses on the processes and efforts involved with the commissioning of a facility as well as project management with an emphasis toward data center commissioning. Commissioning can be applied to any type of facility, but due to the highly complex collection of mechanical and electrical equipment and systems associated with data centers, there are differences in the approach toward the commissioning process related to a data center compared to other types of buildings.

The contents of this chapter will cover on project management with focus on commissioning. The Project Management section will address on the following:

• Project initiation
• Planning
• Execution
• Monitoring
• Closeout

The Commissioning section of this chapter will address the following:

• What is commissioning?
• Why commission a building?
• Why commission a data center?
• Selecting a commissioning firm.
• Project management and commissioning.
• Equipment and systems to be commissioned.
• Commissioning tasks.
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-required commissioning.
• Commissioning team members.
• Data center trends.

19.2 Project Management

The commissioning team may have the best field agent in the business, but if the project management component is lacking, the success of the commissioning effort will be challenged. Due to the importance of project management, the subject of project ...