eQuest Detailed Editor Checklist

Topic: Miscellaneous notes for using eQuest in detailed edit mode.

eQUEST DETAILED EDITOR

Post-Wizard Shell Editing

• Add note about saving wizard snapshot...
• Add any missing upper level shell exterior walls.
  
• Import the following BDL code fragments from the network library:
• H:\eQuest\Library\Envelope_WSEC_Compliant.inp
  
  and, if doing an ELCCA...
  
  
• H:\eQuest\Envelope_ELCCA_Prescriptive.inp
• Assign the baseline envelope shell components corresponding to WSEC Compliant
  
• Remove the roofs of lower-level shells where upper level shells are placed.
  
• Verify that the floors of the upper level shells are adiabatic; it may be helpful to separate the shells by temporarily specifying z-coordinates of 100 feet or more between them.
  
• Define air-walls between zones where appropriate.

Post-Wizard Space Editing

• Specify the number of people per square foot under the 'Basic Specifications' tab of the Space Properties dialog box for each space.
  
• Do this or else eQuest will calculate the people density for you, and it will be low
• Specify 31 persons for classroom, multiply the number of classrooms in the space, and divide by the total square footage of the space.
  
• Specify the maximum number of occupants of the school for gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums and multipurpose rooms; scheduling will account for daily diversity.
• Specify 75 SF/person for administrative areas and libraries
  
• Specify 1000 SF/person for restrooms, corridors, and support areas; this will help to moderate outside air demands.
  
• Note that when the area per square foot is specified, and the number of people are reset to the default or 'green' value, this default value is calculated by eQuest to be the total area divided by the people factor per square foot.
• Check daylighting sensors for location and orientation; adjust as required.
  

Renaming Spaces, Zones and Systems

Renaming shells, spaces, zones and systems to improve the interpretability of simulation output and improve the accuracy of internal load factor assignment is best done at the beginning of detailed edit mode. The 15 minutes to half-hour spent doing this will pay great dividends going forward, for even modestly complex projects.

• Rename Shells: By default all shells are named "ELn Ground Flr", where "n" is the sequence number of the shell in the order in which it was added to the project. Rename the shell to something more descriptive like "EL1 Bldg 100" or "EL2 Second Floor" while retaining the shell designation prefix, which is used throughout the project by eQuest for the automatic naming of related components.
• Renames Spaces: In Component Tree view, next rename spaces for each shell to something more descriptive. For example, a group of classrooms may be automatically named "EL2 North Perim Spc (G.N1)"; rename to something like "EL2 Classrooms North Space", retaining the shell designation prefix and adding the "Space" suffix.
• Renames Zones: Switch to the Air-Side HVAC tab. Starting at the top of the component tree, double-click on each zone and rename it corresponding to its space. For instance, continuing the previous example, rename "EL2 North Perim Zn (G.N1)" to "EL2 Classrooms North Zone"; note that the corresponding space is listed in the properties dialog box of the zone for easy reference.
• Renames Systems, Single-Zone: For packaged single zone systems, rename the system to correspond to the zone. For instance, continuing the previous example, rename "EL2 Sys2 (PSZ) (G.N1)" to "EL2 Classrooms North Sys"; note that the corresponding zone is listed in the component tree view below the system for easy reference.
• Renames Systems, Multi-Zone: For multiple zone systems, rename the system to a using a general geographic designation. For instance, continuing the previous example, if the system type of "EL2 Sys2 (PSZ) (G.N1)" is changed from 'packaged single zone' to 'packaged multizone', the automatically assigned system name will not be changed by eQuest. Hence change the system name to something like "EL2 Multizone North System"; with the name selected to enable easy recognition when reading DOE2 reports.

Note: This needs to be integrated into a comprehensive sequential detailed edit checklist.

Post-Wizard System Editing

• Specify minimum CFM per square foot values for each system under the 'Flow Parameters' subtab of the 'Fans' tab of the Air-Side HVAC System Parameters dialog box for each system.
  
• Do this or else eQuest will calculate the value for you, and it will be low
• Specify 1.3 CFM/SF for classroom, administrative and other high-occupancy areas
• Specify 1.0 CFM/SF for gymnasiums, cafeterias, multipurpose rooms and corridors
• For cooling-only systems, remove the drybulb economizer lock-out. The default is 65°F, which is OK if mechanical cooling is provided. However to reduce the number of unmet load hours in natural, displacement and conventional ventilation systems without mechanical cooling, this constraint should be removed.
  

Parametric Runs

• Using spreadsheet view, set Daylighting to 'No' for all zones, for the baseline case.
  
• Create the following four parametric runs in the "working copy" of the project after it has been saved with all shell & envelope modifications captured:
  
• Envelope Improvements
• Lighting Improvements
• Daylighting
• Demand Ventilation
• Others may be added, specific to each of the particular systems studied, after the working copy of the project is saved in system-specific versions.
• Any 'Appendix G' baseline generally does not require parametric runs. [more detail]
  

Note: This is a work-in-progress procedure, additional details forthcoming time permitting

Doors & Windows

• Generally custom door and window placement should be accomplished in Wizard mode. The following procedures may be useful when doors and windows need to be defined in detailed edit mode.
  

• Assure that the total area of the windows does not exceed total wall area, else an error will result. This is problem can arise particularly on all glass stair towers, entryways, and corridors where the wall is essentially all glass. To prevent this from happening, the following user expressions may be used for positioning and defining the width and height of "glass wall" windows:
  

X = {PARENT("WIDTH")*0.025}
Y = 0
HEIGHT = {PARENT("HEIGHT")}
WIDTH = {PARENT("WIDTH")*0.95}

• The following expression may be used to center doors and windows in the parent wall:

X = {PARENT("WIDTH")/2-LOCAL("WIDTH")/2}

• The following expression places doors or windows centered on the one third or two thirds points from the origin of the parent wall, respectively:

X = {1*PARENT("WIDTH")/3-LOCAL("WIDTH")/2}
X = {2*PARENT("WIDTH")/3-LOCAL("WIDTH")/2}

• Use the following expression to create windows of a fixed height as wide as the parent wall:

WIDTH = {PARENT("WIDTH")}

• Use the following expression to right-justify doors and windows:

X = {PARENT("WIDTH")-LOCAL("WIDTH")}

• Editing Windows Frame and Spacer:
• In order to eliminate windows frame. first go to the Building Shell mode and click on Spreadsheet.
  
• While on the Component Tree tab, click on one of the windows (i.e E1 South Win).
  
• Change the Frame Width of the window to default (zero) - this can be done easier and faster using multi-edit if you working with thousands of windows.
• Next, change the frame spacer type from the default 'Aluminum' to 'Insulated'
• WRITE-UP MULTIEDIT METHOD USING REGULAR EXPRESSIONS.
• 
  

Schedules

Follow this link for schedule sharing. Implement common schedules now so you don't have to do it 3 or 4 times going forward.

Fan Schedules

After implementing the schedules sharing, the "Fan Schedules" in the Fan Power and Control tab needs to be adjusted. The Cooling should be set automatically to ESM Fan Sch after the schedule input; however, the Exhaust tab will still be empty. ESM Exhaust Fan Sch need to be selected in the Exhaust tab.

Simulations

Change the TITLE, LINE-1 parameter at the beginning of each baseline INP file.

• Rename systems appropriately (e.g. PVVT, PSZ etc.) to for instance, GSHP using MultiEdit (expound).
• Noted if system name is changed via GUI or inp, any reference to the system name in the parametric run definition (.prd) file must be changed manually, most easily via text editor.

Run trial simulation for each system type.

• Eliminate any errors (e.g. 'LOOP has ZERO FLOW') to obtain valid trial simulations.
  

• Examine .SIM output file for each valid trial simulation, and update .INP file to eliminate warnings and errors.
• Exceptions: __ warnings are insignificant (list).
  

Run the 'Annual Energy Consumption by Enduse Report' for the baseline for each system (need graphic).

• The lighting, misc. energy usage, ventilation, domestic hot water and ___? should all be the same.
• If not, there is a variance in the energy densities or scheduling...correction needed.