ARGO PERFORMANCE
Consultants Specializing in
Commissioning - Smart Buildings - Sustainability - Cybersecurity
Independent Third Party Commissioning Firm
Minority-Owned Small Business Enterprise (MBE)
Registered Professional Engineers and Licensed Contractors
What is the Argo commissioned to do....
ARGO PERFORMANCE
"Smart People Creating Smart Buildings"
Argo Performance is a commissioning and smart building consulting firm with the capability of providing incomparable professional services to sophisticated clients. We base our business philosophy on a strong company culture of employee satisfaction, inter-team collaboration, attention to detail, good documentation practices, exceptional problem solving, and most of all passion for what we do. Our employees bring along unique creativity and unparalleled expertise to bring the most cutting-edge, energy efficient, smart buildings to life.
A Little Bit of Greek Philosophy...
OUR MISSION
Foster a free-thinking culture of employee empowerment that enables them to provide our clients with uncompromising service and ingenious solutions.
Our Values
Promote work-life integration
Invite perspectives from individuals
Provide prompt, effective communication
Share our knowledge and mentor others
Constantly strive for improvement
Develop longstanding relationships
Be trustworthy
Pursue opportunities that ignite our passion
Embrace change
Accept challenges
Our Goal
Earn the reputation of providing extraordinary service and astonishing expertise.
OUR CAPABILITIES
Skills of the Argonauts...
Building Commissioning
Whole Building Commissioning (01 91.00)
HVAC, Envelope, Process, Renewables, Utilities, IT, Power & MEP
Retrocommissioning
cGMP Integrated CQV
Monitoring and Continuous Programs
Smart Building Consulting
Planning, Design, and Commissioning
Open Systems Network Integration
Systems: (BMS, EMCS, SCADA, PLC, HMI, controls & instrumentation)
IoT Convergence
Cloud Services
Energy & Sustainability Management
Data Analytics
Systems Optimization
- Ratings (LEED, Net Zero, Green Globes, Living Buildings Challenge)
Title 24, CalGreen, & IGCC Compliance
Energy Audits and Water Balance
Cybersecurity
Risk Management
Security Assessment
Vulnerability Investigation
ISA/IEC 62443 for Automation and Controls
Regulatory Compliance (NIST-800-171, CMMC, DoD)
SERVICE AREA
Where will the Argonauts journey to....
Argo Performance, Ltd. is based in San Diego, California. We provide services throughout the Southern California region. This includes the counties of San, Diego, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles Santa Barbara, Kern, Ventura, San Bernardo, and Imperial. Also, we provide services in Northern Baja California, Mexico.
WHY ARGO PERFORMANCE
Story of the Argo...
Jason Commissions the Argo...
WHY THE NAME ARGO?
Commissioning originated in the shipbuilding industry. It was the process of placing a ship in active service. During commissioning, the ship is tested for seaworthiness, safety, function, speed, and endurance. It is an acceptance process. Once the ship been accepted, it is deemed commissioned for active duty, and ceremonies involved are often rooted in centuries-old naval traditions.
When naming our firm, we thought no better than to start our firm’s name with a name a famous ship. We thought that it would be appropriate to use the name ARGO from the Greek epic Jason and the Argonauts, for one of the founders of Argo Performance has the first name of Jason.
TACK ON PERFORMANCE
Commissioning the Act of Placing a Ship in Active Service....
One of the few sports, where engineers and constructors go head-to-head, is in the world of yacht racing. It is a sport where the team that can construct a better boat can give the sailors the edge to victory. In developing a racing boat, there are three major groups of people: the naval architects, the shipwrights, and the commissioning crew. The naval architects devise the plan to make the boat. They figure out the sail's dynamics, develop the hulls, and create an ultra-efficient, high-performance integrated machine. The shipwrights assemble the boat, paying attention to the smallest details and tolerances, assembling the machine, tuning for ultra-performance. Finally, the commissioning crew takes the boat on its maiden voyage to test the boat, pushing its limits, finding it faults, seeking ways to make it perform better, relaying the information back to the architects and shipwrights, and creating the ultimate performance machine that is ready for race day.
This analogy holds true for building construction. The Architects and Engineers are the building’s designers, they plan for every detail for making the building highly functional, while not sacrificing its aesthetics. The contractors are the shipwrights. They put the building together, working through the though the design, assembling the pieces with precision and craftsmanship. Finally, the commissioning agent takes the building for its first drive, much like a commissioning crew takes a ship on its maiden voyage. The commissioning agent tests the building, verifying that it can perform, they provide valuable feedback to the A/E and construction teams and leads them to fine-tune the systems. Also, they make sure that the building operating staff are fully equipped with the proper training and documentation so that the staff will be successful in running a high-performing, efficient, smart building.
OUR LOGO
An Argonaut's Coat of Arms.....
Our logo is based on a variation of the star formation Vela. It was originally part of a larger constellation Argos Navis, which was later divided into multiple sections, the others being Carina (The Keel), Puppis (The Stern), and Pyxis (The Compass), The constellation is located in the southern hemisphere.
SAMPLE OF OUR PROJECTS
Victories of the Argonauts...
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
B800 Reef TI GMP Plant, Oceanside, CA
Commissioning authority for Gilead’s Building 800 project which consists of 263,169 sqft pharmaceutical building with GMP space, as well as R&D labs and office spaces. The facility is supplied by a new central utility plant comprised of two chillers with variable speed primary-variable pumping, two heating hot water boilers, and two steam boilers. Additional utilities include N2, LN2, CO2, O2, clean steam, clean compressed air, RO/DI, vacuum, WFI, and lab waste neutralization. There are 13 environmental rooms. Several pieces of air handling equipment and exhaust fans provide ventilation to a series of terminal boxes and air valves. Also, several fan coil units also provide conditioning. Power is supplied by city-power, UPS, and generator-power connected system. Illumination by ultra-efficient LED luminaires and lighting controls. Validation
Incorporated Argo's commissioning documents in their protocol The project was a fast track project, being designed and built in 11 months. SDG&E Savings by Design M&V. LEED Gold Certification Project.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Life Science Research and Development Spectrum 4, San Diego, CA
Commissioning authority for the new 155,000 square foot, 5 level building that constructed for Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2016-17. The building will serve as a research and development facility and supported by a new central utility plant with chillers, boilers, CDA, RO/DI, vacuum, and steam. Additional systems include N2, LN2, CO2, bulk gas, Solvent Delivery, fume hood, O2 and lab waste neutralization. Systems include BMS, HVAC, Phoenix lab controls, Lab utilities, emergency power, waste recovery. Responsible for design review, functional testing, TAB verification, control system operations, and M&V. LEED Gold Certification Project.
VA San Diego Medical Center
Research Lab Renovation, San Diego, CA
Argo Performance served as the principal commissioning authority for the renovation the 6th floor of the VA Medical Center in La Jolla. Responsible for leading the commissioning team, planning and coordinating all commissioning activities in conjunction with the design team, government, construction manager, subcontractors and equipment manufacturers. Commissioning was conducted inline with the VA Building Commissioning Guidelines. We were taked to commission several MEP systems: HVAC, Lighting Controls, Fume hoods, isolation rooms, pressure control & monitoring, and central RODI water generation system.
Irvine Company Office Properties
Symphony Towers 750 B. Street Central Plant Optimization San Diego, CA
San Diego's 2nd largest tower, owned and operated by the Irvine Company Office Properties, consisting of mixed-use space: offices, concert hall, restaurants, retail, conference center, and hotel. Commissioned and optimized a central plant upgrade that replaced two 550 centrifugal chillers with two new 700-ton magnetic bearing chillers and an all variable speed pumping system. Provided sequence of operations and programming support to create a plant that operates between 0.3 to 0.5 kW/Ton.
Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado
P-966 Special Warfare Group #1 (NSWG-1)- Training and Operations Facility with a Combat Training Pool
Provided design and construction phase commissioning to support a design-build construction project consisting of two buildings. The project included designing and constructing a 95,000 sq ft Operations Center and a 25,000 sq ft Combat Training Pool. These facilities will support a variety of functions for the U.S. Navy Special Operations Forces, which includes equipment evaluation center, combat scenario obstacle course, training, and gear preparation centers for the. Commissioning was performed in accordance to UFGS 01.91 00.45 mandated Total Building Commissioning. Commissioned systems included building envelope, HVAC, plumbing, electrical distribution, compressed air generation, lighting and controls, utility metering, AWEMS energy management systems, Anti-Terrorist/ Force Protection system, and pool filtering and conditioning equipment. Green Globes sustainability certification is targeted for an award.
Naval Base San Diego
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P-110 Littoral Combat Ship Readiness Facility - Shore to Ship Power Distribution
Commissioning authority for the renovation of a building that was converted to support of the Littoral Combat Ship. The ship is an entirely new class of surface combatant ships. The project included several unique pieces of equipment and systems: Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET) and
Unclassified but Sensitive Internet Protocol (NIPRNET). Shore-to-ship electrical power systems including 400 Hz, 115 kVA, 3-Phase ship-based power system, and 50A 28 VDC Solid State Power Units, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP), high-pressure air compressed air, MP storage cages, and interior cranes. Commissioning conformed to UFGS and UFC specifications for Total Building Commissioning.
Dexcom, Inc.
Medical Device Manufacturing Controlled Environment Rooms, GMP Facilities, and GMP Warehouses
Supported the design-build construction, commissioning, and qualifications for two GMP suites one in San Diego, CA and Mesa, AZ. Argo Performance provided commissioning and construction quality management services for the general contractor Skanska USA Building, as well as operational readiness scheduling directly for Dexcom, Inc. Duties included: writing the User Requirement Specifications (URS), compiling the validated turnover package (eTOP), quality inspections, monitored testing and certified cleaning, FAT/SAT for USP water systems, P&ID verifications, performing functional testing, and facilities shakedown. Dexcom's QA/QC incorporated Argo's commissioning documents to develop validation OQ, PQ, and IOQ protocols. The facilities include controlled environment room with sensitive temperature, humidity, & pressure control, ISO classified areas, and validated systems.
Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF), San Clemente Island
Wind Turbines Generation SCADA System Commissioning
Provided third party witnessing and commissioning services for the modernization of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. This system supervised the power generation and engine monitoring of 675 kilowatts (kW) wind turbines. Fifteen percent of the Island power is produced from these turbines, decreasing the Island diesel fuel use by 141,757 gallons. The SCADA system ensures that the wind turbines operate properly and monitors the carbon offset of 18,000 pounds of CO2. Also, the SCADA system supports the islands Micro Grid electrical systems, which interconnects the various power generation: solar, wind, and diesel generation, using Smart Grid Technologies.
General Atomics
GA-ASI Aeronautical Systems Research & Development and Manufacturing Lines
GA is leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems. It also manufactures a variety of state-of-the-art digital Ground Control Stations (GCS) and provides pilot training and support services for RPA field operations. Argo Performance provided commissioning services for several of their assembly line, research and development, and manufacturing facilities. Commissioned both facility and process systems including HVAC, critical electrical power distribution, backup generation connections, process cooling, compressed air, central vacuum, environmental rooms, lighting, and pure water systems.
University of California, San Diego
Biological Sciences - Bonner Hall Insectary
This project consists of the interior tenant improvement construction on the first level of Bonner Hall Lab Building. The Insectary lab was constructed for the UCSD Division Biological Sciences to support their research of mosquitos and malaria. The project consisted of construction a Mosquito Insectary Lab consisting of two insect rearing rooms, larval rearing room, gas tank storage room, an accessed controlled airlock entry/vestibule, and one microscopy lab workroom. These rooms have very precise requirements for controlling humidity, temperature, air flow direction / pressurization, security, and day/night light cycles.
Pfizer
La Jolla Campus Building Management Systems Consulting
Pfizer, La Jolla Campus is a 25-acre campus dedicated to research in the fields of oncology and the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. Argo Performance provided project engineering and quality assurance services for campus-wide building management and lab controls systems upgrade. Investigated the existing systems, developed a scope of work, wrote the request for proposals, interviewed vendors for selection, provided owner representation engineering services, and commissioning. The project included upgrading the building management systems and automated controls of HVAC, equipment monitoring, energy management, central utility plant, and lab ventilation control systems.
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Marine Conservation Technology Facility, - Sea Water Distribution System
Principal commissioning agent for the Marine Conservation and Technology Building is a scientific research building located at the world-famous Scripps Institute of Oceanography located at the University of California at San Diego. This renovation project includes upgrades to HVAC, lab casework, central lab utilities, clean dry compressed air systems, deionized water generation, fume hoods, kitchen exhaust systems, plumbing, and electrical systems. Special systems include a seawater distribution system with warm, cool, and ambient loops, as well as a non-indigenous species seawater filtration system. Enhanced commissioning helped this building with its LEED application.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Argonauts...
Jason McGehee, BCxP, CCP, CEM, CQM, LEED AP
Managing Principal, Commissioning Authority, Leader of the Argonauts
Jason a graduate of the Univ. of Maryland and UA Trades Professional School, as well as has over 30 years in the San Diego construction community. His experience is highly concentrated in HVAC, building automation systems, advanced lighting, and smart building technologies. His responsibilities ranged from the installation, start-up, TAB, commissioning, design, programming, service, and project management of many different types of mechanical and control systems.
He has experience as a contractor and a commissioning agent, giving him a unique perspective about the commissioning process. Jason understands both the time and technical challenges that A/E and construction teams need to achieve. He proactively leads the commissioning process using a hands-on approach to testing and problem solving. Jason McGehee is an integral part of the project team and uses a team building approach to ensure the project’s success.
Yanaris Nieves, MSEng, BCxP, BECxP, CxA+BE
Principal, Process Manager, Navigator of the Argo
Yanaris is an ASHRAE certified Building Commissioning Professional, as well as a University of Wisconsin Certified Building Envelope Commissioning Process Provider. She has over 15 years of experience in engineering management services. She has earned a Masters of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Vermont and Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Related commissioning experience includes: HVAC System Design, Building Control Systems, Pharmaceutical Commissioning, Qualification and Validation, Fire Protection Systems, Engineering Management, Project Management, Commissioning, and Engineering Release & Change Management.
Prior to joining Argo Performance managed $20 million global program account of integrated fire systems projects for gas turbine application in the US and Internationally. Managed program from system design, manufacturing, integration, testing, and commissioning via requirements-based execution, project management and engineering change management.
OUR AFFILIATIONS
Who do the Argonauts associate with....
Building Commissioning Assoication (BCxA)
Certified Commissioning Firm (CCF)
Certified Commissioning Firm (CCF) demonstrates the highest standards for professional commissioning firms. Organizations that hold the CCF designation stand out among competitors as experts – with the determination and ability to provide the premier services to clients, and the commitment to the advancement of the practice of commissioning.
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Building Commissioning Professional (BCxP)
ASHRAE's mission is advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration, and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, and continuing education, ASHRAE shape tomorrow’s built environment today.
CLASSIFICATIONS
How the Argonauts distinguish themselves....
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
State of California Public Utilities Commission
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification is a process that verifies a company as a for-profit enterprise, owned, managed, and controlled 51% or more by an ethnic minority.
Verification Order Number: 15060391
Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
California Department of General Services (SB-Micro)
California Metropolitan Water District (SBE)
The Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Certification program is a diversity certification that is issued by the State of California to businesses with 25 or fewer employees.
Certification ID: 1799302
Small Local Business Enterprise (SBLE)
City of San Diego
San Diego County based small businesses with 50% of the employees residing in that county are eligible to become Small Local Business Enterprise (SBLE)
Certification Number: 17AP1654
Diverse Business
San Diego Housing Commission
SDHC's Diverse Business certifies San Diego based businesses that are owned and operated by one or more of these categories minorities, women, veterans, or gay/lesbian.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Council (PSWMSDC)
PSWMSDC certifies MBE firms which are at least 51% owned, operated and controlled on a daily basis by a U.S citizens that is an ethnic minority.
CONTACT ARGO PERFORMANCE, LTD.
Where to find the Argonauts.....
Thanks for your interest in our services. Please feel free to ask questions or provide comments regarding our services. We’d like to hear from you. Our business hours are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, Closed weekends, and major holidays.