[Equest-users] SIM report for annual water consumption?

Fri Jul 17 06:39:33 PDT 2020

Hi Phil,

eQuest really isn't the tool I'd aim to use for DHW consumption calcs - I would more typically reach for one of a few spreadsheet based tools to work out consumption considering occupancy, number of fixtures, mixed vs stored HW temps, etc.

Again for my typical workflows:  eQuest wizards can be leveraged generate a "starting point," fractional schedule and flow rate for my DHW loops (if you circumstantially feel compelled to ensure those schedules align with some standard, you can find schedules for various building occupancy types via ASHRAE and other sources), then if and when it's pertinent for documentation or else there are substantial energies involved (locker/shower rooms being the most typical scenario in my bubble of experience, followed by certain heated pool situations where HHW and DHW share boilers), I'll use an outside effort to quantify/bound potable hot water consumption, then use that result to adjust my hourly simulation in eQuest to match.  Locking in an annual consumption rate is most easily done by applying a proportional factor to the DHW loop process flow.

As for how to enter consumption (kgal/year), this can be a little contextual.  Start by double clicking on your loop in detailed mode - everything following is on the first screen:

  *   In the simplest case, when you have no recirculation, you can set RECIRC-FLOW to zero and then process flow rates can be entered normally here and on the next tab, respectively.
  *   If you have recirculation (and therefore, a pump) on your DHW loop, then you can enter a non-zero value for RECIRC-FLOW, OR
     *   If you have variable flow recirc, you can instead use LOOP-MIN-FLOW
     *   If your system is mixing space heating and potable hot water heating with a closed loop (i.e. there is a heat exchanger involved for heating potable water (typically within or next to a storage tank), and the water going through the boiler is not drinking water), then I would err towards setting up a normal boiler / HW loop, then defining your DHW process load (and optional recirc energies) using a secondary loop on the primary HW loop.
     *   If your system is mixing space heating and water heating needs with potable hot water - something I haven't see much of in my part of the country, but encountered on occasion - then the doe2 reference documentation suggests you can attach heating coils/baseboards to a DHW loop... On a cursory effort I am experiencing a little difficulty making that specific path work in a simulation - might require a specific airside system type or DHW/HW loop arrangement to "flow."

Again, I'm used to doing all of my consumption/flow math outside of eQuest, but there are inputs available in the second tab of a DHW loop to handle mixed water temps (which will then result in a modification to your flow inputs to account for mixing hot/cold), and also you can take control of inlet temps if you don't want to use ground temperatures.

A perhaps non-constructive aside: I don't think there are any standard SIM reports that will tell you a sum total of fluid volume moved in the simulation (I.e. kgal/year).   However technically anything you set up in a custom hourly report will subsequently appear within the SIM report... so if some reviewing body is demanding a "standard/official/unadulterated" report to document annual DHW consumption out of eQuest you could go that route... My only consolation in that case is... I've seen worse =).

That's what I know, so far!

~Nick

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Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
  Senior Energy Engineer
  Energy and Sustainability Services
  Energy Performance Contracting
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From: Equest-users <equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org> On Behalf Of Phil Jordan via Equest-users
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 8:40 PM
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] SIM report for annual water consumption?

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I think the way to do this is to set up an hourly report for both the "Fluid flow, supply side" and "Fluid flow, return side" for the DHW loop - the difference between the two should be the flow that's going down the drain at each hour; the sum of this would be the annual DHW water consumption.

But if anyone knows of an easier way to get this from the SIM report please share.

Thanks,

Phil Jordan

From: Equest-users <equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org<mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org>> On Behalf Of Phil Jordan via Equest-users
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 1:44 PM
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org<mailto:equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org>
Subject: [Equest-users] SIM report for annual water consumption?

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Does eQUEST output annual water consumption in the SIM report (for DHW)? Or do you have to set up an hourly report to sum the DHW loop "Fluid flow, supply side" variable?

Thanks,

Phil Jordan

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