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President Obama recently signed into law the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010, legislation created with the support of and input from industry groups such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). This bipartisan legislation will promote best practices, including water efficiency, in all federal buildings.
This legislation requires U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to categorize core competencies that both federal personnel and contractors must maintain in all federal buildings. The legislation also directs GSA to work with professional societies, industry associations and apprenticeship training providers to ensure the federal government's personnel meet the required competencies.
While we applaud and support this legislation, we also recognize that every building is unique and that the experiences and knowledge base of their operations staff is similarly distinctive. The most effective training for the peculiarities of any building takes place during the start-up and testing of the building systems. A well designed and executed commissioning process exploits this truism. It mandates and manages a training process that: | 
