As code requirements become more stringent around the country, the process of commissioning is more valuable now than ever before. Acting as third-party quality assurance providers, commissioning agents help building owners by improving the quality of construction and reducing maintenance and energy costs in the long run.
On this episode, Robb interviews podcast co-host, Kelly Westby, who is also SWA’s Commissioning Director. Kelly explains the importance of quality control on any project and describes how commissioning has evolved into a process, rather than a one-off measure.

Episode Guest: Kelly Westby, Commissioning Director, Steven Winter Associates, Inc. 

Kelly Westby is the Commissioning Director at SWA.  She works with developers, owners, contractors, and design teams to improve building performance in the New York City area and throughout the Northeast, and has completed energy audits on millions of square feet of existing buildings.
Kelly’s work also includes other aspects of new construction and existing buildings such as site inspections and energy modeling. She specializes in identifying and implementing practices to lower building life cycle energy costs, optimize capture of incentives, and improve operations and maintenance. She conducts on-site testing and verification of the effectiveness of green design and building methods. She also documents and communicates results, including specific recommendations for corrective actions. Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and energy efficiency projects cover millions of square feet of commercial buildings across the five boroughs.
 
Episode Information & Resources
*Scroll down for episode transcript!
Kelly Westby – Full Bio
Blog – The Value of Commissioning
Building Commissioning by the WBDG Project Management Committee and Commissioning Industry Leaders Council
ASHRAE Guideline 0: The Commissioning Process
Schadenfreude – German word that Robb mentions
 

We Want to Hear From You!
Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com

About Buildings and Beyond
Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit www.swinter.com.
Hosts
Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby
Production Team
Heather Breslin | Alex Mirabile |