Commissioning Services
End-to-end independent commissioning authority for mission-critical data center infrastructure. Seven distinct service areas, one integrated process, zero conflicts of interest.
New construction commissioning engages Ethyco as your independent commissioning authority from the earliest feasible project phase. We embed into the design process, develop the Cx Plan, and follow every system from submittal review through the final Level 5 Integrated System Test — then hand you a complete, documented facility.
Our scope spans the full mechanical, electrical, and controls envelope: UPS systems, switchgear and distribution, generator and transfer switch sequences, chilled water systems, CRAH and precision cooling, BAS/SCADA integration, and environmental monitoring. If it controls, conditions, or powers the facility, it gets tested.
Every test is field-witnessed by an Ethyco engineer. Every deficiency is logged, tracked, and resolved before sign-off. The turnover package your operations team receives is complete — not a folder of contractor close-out docs.
Retro-commissioning applies the commissioning process to an existing facility that was never formally commissioned, or that has drifted from original design intent through years of operations, modifications, and deferred maintenance.
We baseline the current state, identify deviations, prioritize corrective measures by impact and cost, and verify resolution. The result is a facility operating the way it was designed to — with documented evidence that it does.
Retro-Cx is also a prerequisite for major expansion projects: understanding what you have before you build more is fundamental to accurate scoping and reliable sequencing of new work alongside live infrastructure. When your PUE is climbing and you don't know why, we find it.
The OPR is the document against which everything else is measured. Without a well-formed OPR, functional testing has no success criteria — only the contractor's interpretation of what "working" means.
Ethyco develops the OPR in direct collaboration with the owner team, translating operational requirements, uptime targets, redundancy expectations, and environmental parameters into measurable acceptance criteria. The Basis of Design is then reviewed for alignment before a single piece of equipment is specified.
The OPR is a living document — maintained and validated at each project phase to ensure design evolution stays tethered to owner intent, not contractor convenience.
Structured functional testing is the core of commissioning work. The L1–L5 framework provides a disciplined progression from component-level verification through full-facility integrated system test under simulated critical load conditions.
| Level | Name | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | Factory Witness Testing | Major equipment tested at manufacturer's facility before shipment |
| L2 | Site Acceptance & Receiving | Delivery verification, condition inspection, nameplate and SCCR check |
| L3 | Pre-Functional Verification | Installation checklists, point-to-point wiring, megger, pipe flush records |
| L4 | Functional Performance Testing | System-level testing against sequence of operations at rated conditions |
| L5 | Integrated Systems Testing | Full-facility failover scenarios at design IT load with all systems live |
No level is skipped. Each phase has entry and exit criteria. Deficiencies discovered during testing are logged, assigned, and must be resolved before advancing — not deferred to "post-occupancy" where they become operational problems.
The most reliable systems fail when their control sequences don't match design intent. Ethyco's MEP and controls verification scope targets exactly this gap: we read the Sequence of Operations, instrument the system, and verify that what the controls actually do matches what they're documented to do.
Scope includes BAS/DCIM/BMS point-to-point verification, alarm and setpoint confirmation, manual override testing, failure mode and recovery sequence validation, and environmental sensor calibration confirmation. We verify the cooling system fails gracefully, not catastrophically.
For facilities with legacy controls or mixed-vendor automation, Ethyco provides independent eyes on integration points that contractors from each discipline rarely see end-to-end.
A commissioning process is only as valuable as its documentation. Ethyco maintains a rigorous issue log from the first design review through final closeout. Every deficiency is classified by severity, assigned an owner, tracked to resolution, and independently verified closed — not self-certified by the party that created it.
The final turnover package is assembled by Ethyco, not by the general contractor. It contains the complete test record, as-found and as-left conditions for all systems, control sequences as implemented, and the documentation your operations team needs to own this facility from day one.
We don't close the project until the issue log has zero open critical items and zero unverified resolutions. That's not a policy — it's the only way to deliver a commissioned facility.
Commissioning doesn't end at energization. The first year of operations reveals how well the facility performs across operating conditions, load profiles, and seasonal variation that IST cannot fully simulate.
Ethyco provides structured warranty period support: a 10-month review prior to warranty expiration, documentation of any post-occupancy deficiencies for contractor remedy, and seasonal performance verification where applicable.
This service protects the owner's investment by ensuring the 1-year warranty period is used — not wasted — as a tool to close out issues that only manifest under real operating conditions.
Commission What You Build
Tell us your project scope, MW, and target energization date. We'll scope a Cx approach built for your facility.