[Equest-users] ASHRAE Baseline Wall/Window/Roof Constructions This will fix your error

[Charles Land]

I have never used the specify resistance option in creating a custom construction. I have always input the actual building materials used (either in the main menu if they are available, or in the layer by layer construction if I need to add air gaps and things of that nature).  Im not sure why you are inputting a specific value but I played with it for a minute to see what was going on and I got the same error.  If you go under layer by layer construction in the wizard and pick new construction you need to put atleast one building material to get rid of the error.  For example I picked library entry from the first drop down menu  for the first layer and then chose brick, brick common 4 inch.  This gives an R-value of 0.8.  (you can see the cumalitive r-value in the bottom left hand corner as you create your construction.) Then for the second layer I chose specify resistance and input an r-value of 18.2.  This gives  the specific r-value of 19 your looking for as well as gets rid of your error.  I think the program is looking for some type of physical building material and that is why its giving the error.  You could maybe even try adding another layer of gypsum board or something (whatever your assuming your actual interior building material is) and then changing your specified resistance on the middle layer once again to give you exactly 19.  I believe the program also needs that outer layer to calculate solar absorbance.  After using this method I went to detail mode to check the u-value and it showed the construction I made as having a u-value of 0.053 which is rounded off and coinsides with an r-value of 19.  And most importantly it gets rid of your error.  Make sure when specifying your layers you pick vertical exterior wall from the upper right drop down menu or else it will re-calculate your r-value when running or coming out of the wizard to match the construction location type.

Im not sure what EEMS are but if your talking about the layers in the custom layer by layer  construction menu its because you haven't chosen a category for the first construction to allow you to create the next. (either library entry or specify resistance)

I hope this helps.

From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Supriya Goel
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 5:19 PM
To: Skelton, Paul; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] ASHRAE Baseline Wall/Window/Roof Constructions


Hi Paul

I can't answer all your questions but to answer a few-

2. Maybe you can't improve the U value, but can define a completely new construction through the parametric runs. For that, in the Detail Edit Mode, Tools-Parametric Runs window, you can create a new run with the component type -Construction.
3. Yes you can determine the U value of all constructions. Again in the Detail Edit Mode, open the properties box of the specific construction, it has a tab which mentions the Calculated U Value.

Hope this helps :)

Regards
Supriya
On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 1:41 PM, Skelton, Paul <pskelton at ids-troy.com<mailto:pskelton at ids-troy.com>> wrote:
Fellow eQuest users,

I am brand new to equest and I am attempting to model a baseline ASHRAE building per the 2004 90.1 standard and am curious if there is any specific wall, roof or window constructions that other users are entering as their baseline constructions.  I have noticed several things:

1.  Simply entering a resistance (such as an R-value of 11.9) I get a "WALL has no heat capacity. U-VALUE used" error (see attached)
2.  Defining a layer-by-layer construction does not allow any improvement through EEMs.  In other words the options to increase the amount of insulation are grayed out.
3.  It is impossible to determine the actual total U-value of one of the "cookie-cutter" constructions provided by eQuest.

As a side note, I'd be curious to know what computer specs others have to run eQuest, as I have developed a model with over 3,000 components and it takes about 6 minutes just to open the file on a computer with the following specifications:


*         Intel Pentium D 2.99 GHz

*         1 GB RAM

*         ATI Radeon X600 - Video card

*         29 GB HDD

The specs on this computer are terrible in my eyes, and it really shows when I try to run eQuest but I'd like to see what other PCs run this program effectively.

Thanks,

Paul Skelton
Integrated Design Solutions
Architecture, Engineering, Interiors & Technology
888 West Big Beaver, Suite 200
Troy, Michigan 48084
tel:   248.823.2171
fax: 248.823.2200
www.ids-troy.com<http://www.ids-troy.com/>
Celebrating 10 Years.  Expect the Exceptional.


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--
Graduate Student, MSBE
School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Arizona State University, Tempe





--
Graduate Student, MSBE
School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Arizona State University, Tempe


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