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<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>For
what it's worth, in the User's Manual they use the term "stories" in the text
describing how to select the baseline HVAC system. The table in the User's
Manual still uses "floors". </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Also
the User's Manual further muddies the waters in their system selection where
they use say "Less than three floors OR less than 75,000 square
feet", could sometimes contradict the standard which says three floors or
less AND less than 75,000 square feet for system 3. The user's manual
seems to have a gap for three floor buildings less than 75,000 square
feet...maybe there's an errata to clarify.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>If I
was a reviewer and you were trying to win me over (I'm not), the percentage of
conditioned floor area for the basement would be the strongest argument for
exclusion. T</FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>he economics of serving a building through some vertical
distance from the roof to your mail room probably wouldn't keep the
"normal" design from including whatever they would have included for just a
three floor building, as opposed to a full-size basement that
might require additional "System 3" units to fit on an ever more
crowded roof, plus space for duct shafts. So practically, your building is
three floors.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>For
projects out there with full-size basements requiring multiple "System 3"
units, I'd lean towards the basement counting as a fourth floor and requiring
System 5.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2>J<SPAN
class=260543314-01062007>ust some thoughts!</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=260543314-01062007></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=260543314-01062007>David</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=260543314-01062007></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=260543314-01062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV><BR>
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style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> BLDG-SIM@gard.com
[mailto:BLDG-SIM@gard.com] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Lynn Qualmann<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Thursday, May 31, 2007 5:02 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
BLDG-SIM@gard.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [BLDG-SIM] What constitutes a floor for
90.1? - clarification<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=621355721-31052007>My original message (below) may be misleading - the
mail room is part of a larger, seldom-occupied basement (~10% of total
floor area) that includes some parking and mechanical/electrical
rooms.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=621355721-31052007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=621355721-31052007>My apologies for any
confusion.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> Lynn Qualmann <BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday,
May 31, 2007 2:07 PM<BR><B>To:</B> BLDGSIM
(bldg-sim@gard.com)<BR><B>Subject:</B> What constitutes a floor for
90.1?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=078401920-31052007>To Whomever may be
able to shed some light -</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=078401920-31052007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=078401920-31052007>I am modeling a
non-res building <75,000 sqft for LEED certification. It has 3 above-grade
floors and a basement with a small (~0.4% of total building floor area),
normally-occupied mail room. The number of floors influences the baseline HVAC
system according to 90.1, but 90.1 specifically excludes basements under its
definition of a <EM>story</EM>. Table 3.1.1A of Appendix G, which designates
the baseline HVAC system types, refers to the number of <EM>floors</EM>
as one of the determinants of the baseline HVAC system. The
definition of a <EM>floor</EM> in 90.1 does not so clearly address basements.
My question is whether this should be considered a 3- or 4-floor building? My
sense is that it should be considered 3, but I would like to get some
verification if any is available.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE>
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