Most commissioning programs get judged at the site. But the truth is, many failures are already baked in long before equipment arrives. That’s why Level 1: Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) exists, to catch defects, misconfigurations, and mismatches before they leave the factory floor.

Why Level 1 Matters

Every piece of equipment shipped to site carries risk: wrong settings, incomplete documentation, software bugs, even miswired panels. Once the gear is on a truck or bolted into a switchroom, the cost of fixing those problems multiplies.

Level 1 saves time, money, and credibility. It’s the first line of defense against rework.

What Happens in Level 1

FAT is not a tour of the factory. It’s a structured commissioning milestone with clear objectives and exit criteria:

• Equipment Verification Confirm the gear matches the purchase order, submittals, and drawings. Nameplate checks, wiring diagrams, and materials all need to align.
• Controls & Protection Testing Validate protective relays, trip curves, and setpoints against the project requirements. Catching a mis-set relay here is far better than during an integrated test later.
• I/O Point Lists Controls and monitoring points for BMS/DCIM must be validated. Missing or mislabeled points are a common source of integration headaches.
• Software & Firmware Baselines Confirm versions, capture baseline files, and lock them for handover. Without this, upgrades and troubleshooting become a guessing game.
• Documentation Capture FAT is when you lock in as-built submittals, operating manuals, and test reports. If you don’t capture them here, you’ll chase them for months onsite.

Exit Criteria

A FAT isn’t complete until:

• Test scripts are executed and signed.
• Relay and control settings are documented and approved.
• As-built drawings and manuals are handed over.
• A deficiency list exists with clear owners and timelines.

If the factory won’t release those items, the equipment isn’t ready to ship. Period.

Common Pitfalls

• Show & Tell Instead of Test & Prove FAT isn’t a factory demo. It’s a witnessed test with data, signatures, and accountability.
• Rushing Due to Schedule Pressure Skipping FAT to save days upfront creates weeks of rework later.
• Lack of Commissioning Presence If the commissioning team isn’t there, or at least reviewing results, critical issues will slip through.
• Inconsistent Standards Different OEMs run FATs differently. Without a standardized protocol, comparisons are meaningless.

The Bigger Picture

Level 1 is where commissioning proves its value early. It prevents problems from ever reaching the job site. Done right, FAT accelerates the rest of the program because systems arrive proven, documented, and ready to integrate.

Commissioning isn’t just about “breaking it in the field.” Level 1 proves it before it ships.

Closing Thought

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. – Benjamin Franklin

Level 1 is that ounce of prevention. It locks in quality at the source, so by the time equipment shows up onsite, the project team can focus on integration, not rework.

Have you ever caught a critical issue during FAT that saved the project downstream? Share your story, those are the lessons that drive this industry forward.