Seasonal testing occurs in which phase?

• A. Planning Phase
• B. Design Phase
• C. Occupancy and Operations Phase
• D. Construction Phase

Answer: (C)

Seasonal testing is about seeing how the building performs under real operating conditions across different weather seasons. This requires the building to be occupied and systems to run under actual loads, so you can observe how heating, cooling, humidity control, and controls respond in winter and summer, as well as how the envelope and equipment work together over time. This kind of validation isn’t fully achievable in the planning or design stages, where you rely on models and anticipated performance, nor during construction, where systems are installed and tested in a relatively static, pre-occupancy state. By testing during the occupancy and operations phase, you confirm that the building meets design goals across seasonal variations and can identify and fix issues that only appear once the building is in real use.