[Equest-users] 3 basic eQuest questions

Fri Aug 28 09:13:04 PDT 2020

Happy to be of assistance - I hope you'll stay engaged with the list and perhaps join us in helping others as you build your skillset/expertise (best way to learn is through teaching)!

(1) If I place a new shell directly above an existing shell, how to I tell eQuest that the existing shell's roof is no longer exposed to the outdoors?  I'm wondering how to do this in both Wizard mode and Detailed mode. (A work-around I've come up with is to set the existing shell's roof to an impossibly high R value.)
In wizards, where you have a dropdown to assign a roof construction, there's an option to say "No exterior exposure (adiabatic)."  This is the most direct way to handle this from the wizards, and will result in an adiabatic surface being generated (similar to what happens when you have two shells side by side with overlapping exterior perimeters).
In detailed mode, you can improve on that outcome by changing the interior surface generated this way into a heat-transferring surface (Assigning a construction), for which you'll need to assign a NEXT-TO space (typically from the floor above).  This is however often a lot of work for very little if any meaningful effect.  It may be helpful to first consider whether and where you anticipate a significant state of temperature differences for which intra-zonal heat transfer is something you want to quantify/incorporate.
                In detailed mode, to swing in a simpler direction, you can simply delete any exterior (roof) surfaces that were generated by accident.  This could leave a visible "hole" in your model (aesthetic hit?), but in terms of function you aren't losing anything relative to assigning an adiabatic surface, other than the thermal mass of that construction.
                For cases with partially exposed roofs (where the 2nd floor doesn't totally cover the 1st floor shell, leaving some actual roof area), I often end up employing a combination of these techniques to ensure I have the right amount of exposed roof construction, but no other exterior surfaces "sandwiched" between shells.

(2) I have two shells in eQuest, separated by an unknown distance. I'd like to measure the distance between the shells so I can position them as needed. Is there a way to measure this? I would then go into the shell and adjust its position on Screen 1 in the Wizard ("Specify Exact Site Coordinates").  (Or I could adjust in Detailed mode, although I haven't adjusted shell position in Detailed mode up to this point.)
                My first response, only appropriate to me and others who typically develop their floor plans in CAD first... is to simply scale off the differences within your CAD platform of choice.
Assuming you don't have that effort in place, this is achievable in Wizards / Detailed, but I think easiest in Wizards, if you have the option:

  1.  I would personally advise, for sanity reasons, starting by ensuring all shells are positioned using exact site coordinates, with X & Y = 0.  This will ensure all shell geometries share a common X/Y coordinate-system.  I kind of wish this was the default behavior for the wizards, as I consider it a best practice that will help beginners avoid/simplify a series of potential pitfalls in shell positioning.    Allow Z coordinate to vary for different shell elevations.

[cid:image002.png at 01D67D21.03706A60]

[cid:image008.png at 01D67D21.03706A60]

  1.  For the shell you want to shift:  Navigate to the 2nd shell wizard screen, and enter the "custom" option for defining zone/perimeter inputs.  Note that you can use the "Background" dropdown to select the another shell of interest and it'll pop up for reference.
  2.  Use the selection tool to select (activate/highlight) a reference vertex of interest.  In this example I've selected the right-most vertex of the triangle-shaped shell.  This will highlight the vertex coordinates in the list on the left (X = 223.6, Y = 0.00).  Jot that info down (or take a screenshot - this works too).

[cid:image010.png at 01D67D2B.A1E4F210]

  1.  Before leaving this view - identify where you want your selected vertex (right-most on the triangle) to move/land.  I'm going to shift this triangle shell such that the selected vertex is "on top of" the right-most vertex of my diamond shell.

[cid:image011.png at 01D67D2B.A1E4F210]

  1.  Now we just need to figure out the X/Y coordinates for the landing spot.  Open up the same custom zoning input window for the other shell, highlight the "landing spot" vertex, and note the coordinates again (234, 132):
[cid:image006.png at 01D67D2A.91F8D2F0]

  1.  Now we know enough to triangulate the distance (A2 + B2 = C2) between the two points if all you need is distance.  To complete the action of shifting the shell:
     *   In wizards:  Break my rule of always using 0 for exact site coordinates of the shell (first screen of input), and enter the relative corrections necessary for each axis
     *   In detailed:  You can do the same shift by double-clicking the shell to be moved in the component tree, then editing the X/Y coordinates there accordingly.
(3) In Detailed Design wizard mode, how do I add exhaust fans (or can exhaust fans only be added in detailed mode)?  I only see an option for supply fans. I know how to add them in Detailed mode, but not Wizard mode.
                DD Wizard screen 14 --> Zone Details... --> Exhaust Fans.  You'll probably want to first tweak the zone groupings first to effect something like a "restroom block" to ensure the input exhaust is only applied where it's actually happening.
You should find any CFM input here replicated/distributed in detailed mode under the HVAC tab, zone inputs, Outside Air & Exhaust for the dropdown.
[cid:image007.png at 01D67D2B.5E717D50]
                (note these sum to 250 CFM, per the preceding wizard input - exhaust is distributed in proportion to each zone's area in the group)
[cid:image013.png at 01D67D2B.A1E4F210]

[cid:image015.jpg at 01D67D2B.A1E4F210]
Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
  Senior Energy Engineer
  Energy and Sustainability Services
  Energy Performance Contracting
D
M
E

913 . 564 . 6361
785 . 410 . 3317
nicholas.caton at se.com<mailto:nicholas.caton at se.com>
15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66219

[cid:image003.png at 01D67D1E.46263BD0]

From: Equest-users <equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org> On Behalf Of Matthew Yarmon via Equest-users
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2020 4:48 PM
To: Matthew Yarmon via Equest-users <equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org>
Subject: [Equest-users] 3 basic eQuest questions

[External email: Use caution with links and attachments]

________________________________

The group has been very helpful today regarding the baseboard heating issue I had.  I have a few more basic questions I've been itching to ask:

(1) If I place a new shell directly above an existing shell, how to I tell eQuest that the existing shell's roof is no longer exposed to the outdoors?  I'm wondering how to do this in both Wizard mode and Detailed mode. (A work-around I've come up with is to set the existing shell's roof to an impossibly high R value.)

(2) I have two shells in eQuest, separated by an unknown distance. I'd like to measure the distance between the shells so I can position them as needed. Is there a way to measure this? I would then go into the shell and adjust its position on Screen 1 in the Wizard ("Specify Exact Site Coordinates").  (Or I could adjust in Detailed mode, although I haven't adjusted shell position in Detailed mode up to this point.)

(3) In Detailed Design wizard mode, how do I add exhaust fans (or can exhaust fans only be added in detailed mode)?  I only see an option for supply fans. I know how to add them in Detailed mode, but not Wizard mode.

Thanks again,

Matthew

______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service.
______________________________________________________________________
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 8477 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0016.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 11687 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0017.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image008.png
Type: image/png
Size: 15646 bytes
Desc: image008.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0018.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.png
Type: image/png
Size: 28484 bytes
Desc: image006.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0019.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image007.png
Type: image/png
Size: 66485 bytes
Desc: image007.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0020.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image010.png
Type: image/png
Size: 84348 bytes
Desc: image010.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0021.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image011.png
Type: image/png
Size: 94419 bytes
Desc: image011.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0022.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image013.png
Type: image/png
Size: 77720 bytes
Desc: image013.png
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0023.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image015.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1793 bytes
Desc: image015.jpg
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/equest-users-onebuilding.org/attachments/20200828/65033a32/attachment-0002.jpg>