[Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode

Fri Oct 1 07:52:13 PDT 2010

Hello Ashley,
I recommend going back into the wizard mode and fixing the geometry errors first before worrying about the systems. The building has a lot of interior walls defined where exterior walls should be. I think that is why the systems are not coming on—they are not seeing any external loads. When you define the zoning in wizard mode, every vertex that lies on the exterior outline of the building must have a corresponding vertex at the EXACT SAME coordinates on the footprint for that shell. That is how eQUEST knows that they are supposed to be exterior walls. Similarly, vertices of adjacent zones must match. So, if there is a vertex along the outline of one zone, the zone next to it must also contain that vertex. Finally, eQUEST doesn’t know what to do with any footprint area that is not zoned (shows up as yellow) so it will create a “hole” in your building. Areas of the building that are unconditioned still need to be zoned, you will just assign a placeholder system to them later.

Kelsey Van Tassel
Mechanical Engineer | kvantassel at sustaineng.com<mailto:kvantassel at sustaineng.com>
608.836.4488 ext. 20 | Fax: 608.836.4477

Sustainable Engineering Group
901 Deming Way, Suite 201
Madison, WI 53717
www.sustaineng.com<http://www.sustaineng.com/>

From: Weekly, Ashley [mailto:aweekly at pryor-morrow.com]
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:27 AM
To: Kelsey VanTassel; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode

Sorry…should work this time.

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From: Kelsey VanTassel [mailto:KVanTassel at sustaineng.com]
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:30 AM
To: Weekly, Ashley; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode

Hello Ashley,
I cannot open the file. Could you please send the .inp file named “Pi Beta reset.inp” (not “Pi Beta reset-1.inp”). Thanks!

Kelsey Van Tassel
Mechanical Engineer | kvantassel at sustaineng.com<mailto:kvantassel at sustaineng.com>
608.836.4488 ext. 20 | Fax: 608.836.4477

Sustainable Engineering Group
901 Deming Way, Suite 201
Madison, WI 53717
www.sustaineng.com<http://www.sustaineng.com/>

From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Weekly, Ashley
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 9:18 AM
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode

Ok, I am going to show how uneducated I am with eQuest…I was able to reduce my unmet hours on my baseline case by autosizing the equipment.  Now, I’m having problems with my proposed case.  I finally looked at the PS-A report and it’s showing that my heating and cooling are not coming on at all.  I don’t even know where to start changing controls in detailed mode.  My systems are 5 split system single zone heat pumps.  The hours are only showing up in one room per system (and these rooms have no significant loads).  I’ve tried changing the control space and it does nothing.  Also, this is the error showing up every time I run the simulation:

             ZONE EL1 Core Zn (G.C16)

             might have insufficient heating capability.

             Check that the SYSTEM or ZONE HEATING-CAPACITY plus this

             ZONEs BASEBOARD-RATING is adequate to maintain the ZONE

             specified DESIGN-HEAT-T for the calculated peak ZONE load

             (see LS-A or LS-B for the ZONE peak load.)

I’ve included my  .inp file if anyone has the time to take a look.

Any help is appreciated!  Thanks!

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From: John Aulbach [mailto:jra_sac at yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 4:16 PM
To: Weekly, Ashley; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode

Hi Ashley:

Don't know what is "legal" in LEED, but try reducing your semsible loads fraction for the kitchen and laundry down (say to 0.1). Perhaps assuming much heat goes out the exhausts for these items.

Also, increase your HVAC airflows.

Worth a try.

John R. Aulbach, PE, CEM
Senior Energy Engineer
________________________________
Partner Energy
1990 E. Grand Avenue, El Segundo, CA 90245
W: 888-826-1216, X254| D: 310-765-7295 | F: 310-817-2745
www.ptrenergy.com<http://www.ptrenergy.com/> | jaulbach at ptrenergy.com<mailto:%7C%20jaulbach at ptrenergy.com>

________________________________
From: "Weekly, Ashley" <aweekly at pryor-morrow.com>
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Sent: Wed, September 29, 2010 1:48:38 PM
Subject: [Equest-users] Auto-size HVAC from Detailed Mode
Hello everyone.  I’m working on a baseline 2-story residential model using PTAC’s for LEED.  I’m having problems complying with the unmet hours in several locations.  I have commercial cooking equipment and laundry machines as my only large loads.  I have entered my calculated heating and cooling capacities and my calculated CFM for each space into detailed mode.  To help with my unmet hours, I bumped my sizing ratio up to 1.25 and set my throttling range at 6.  Still high unmet hours.  I was wondering if there is a way to switch heating and cooling capacities back to auto-size from detailed mode or do I just have to bump my capacities up until they cover my hours?

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