Trace 700 Weather File Modifications

Topic: Trace 700 ships with a fixed set of weather files that are all installed with the program. Use the following procedure to modify a weather file for a new location.

• Find a weather file that's close
• Save as to new file name
• Edit the file and change if necessary the latitude, longitude and elevation
• Do not change any of the temperatures
• In the project weather screen, override the winter & summer design temperatures with the design temperatures for the new location.
• All hour by hour weather data will be shifted proportionally based on the difference between the design temperatures.
• Drawback: You have to remember to use the override every time

Note: This is an outline procedure, it will be updated as time permits.

Trace 700 Notes

Topic: Notes for using Trace 700 in the ELCCA analysis

• Domestic hot water: Trace applies an occupancy schedule to and calculates a number for domestic hot water usage, but please note the following
  
• Inputs parameters for domestic hot water consumption are in the Base Utility/Miscellaneous Accessory tab of the 'Create Plants' module.
  
• Calculated domestic hot water consumption is shown as a line item on the Equipment Energy Consumption report.
• But domestic hot water totals are not included in the Energy Cost Budget, Energy Consumption Summary, Monthly Energy Consumption, or Monthly Utility Cost reports.
• Therefore it is necessary to add the domestic hot water consumption numbers to the HVAC totals in the ELCCA report spreadsheet.
  

Trace 700 Input Data

Topic: Suggested standard input to be included in the appendix of the ELCCA report.

In the "Input Data" appendix of the ELCCA, include the following reports as the when using Trace 700 as the analysis software:

• Entered Values, Project Information
• Entered Values, Room Information
  
• Design Weather

The following screen capture showed the reporting module dialog boxes; the first one is accessed from the "View/Entered Values" menu in the main program, and the second from the "File/Print" menu of the Libraries/Templates manager:

Trace 700 Output Data

Topic: Suggested standard output to be included in the appendix of the ELCCA report.

Include the following reports as the "output data" when using Trace 700 as the analysis software:

• Energy Cost Budget, which compares all alternatives

For each alternative, include:

• Energy Consumption Summary
• Equipment Energy Consumption
  
• Monthly Energy Consumption
  
• Monthly Utility Costs

The above output data can be printed from the "Analysis" tab of the report module:

Standard Energy Efficiency Measures

Topic: Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) that may prove cost-effective in the context of typical ELCCA projects.

• Daylighting
• Heat recovery
• Envelope improvements from Code Minimum up to ELCCA Prescriptives
• Roof
• Wall
• Window & door
  
• Demand ventilation
• CO2 zone sensor control for large volumes, or
  
• Lighting occupancy sensor control for offices and classrooms
• If the electrical engineer is providing occupancy sensors for lighting control in the classrooms and possibly office areas, then interlocking the outside air damper operation to close when the lights are commanded off is a relatively simple energy saver.
• Estimating the value of this EEM is variable depending on the school -- obviously high schools and colleges with classrooms that aren't necessarily used all day will have a higher diversity and thus stand to save more energy.
  
• However if electrical is providing the occupancy sensor, then the marginal cost of interlocking for HVAC control should be minimal.
  
• Given actual elementary school schedules for assemblies, lunch hours, recesses, field trips, and early dismissal a potential for savings exists -- but quantifying it is little more difficult.
  
• Improved boiler efficiency
  
• Typically improved from an 80% baseline to 85% or 88%
• Improved lighting utilization per unit area over code specified maximum
  

Washington State Utility Rates

Topic: Provide quick access to current utility rates in Washington state.

• Cascade Natural Gas Schedule 504
  
• Pacific Power Schedule 36
  
• Puget Sound Energy Electric (1)
  
• Puget Sound Energy Gas (2)
  
• Seattle City Light Schedule MDC or MDS
  
• Snohomish County PUD Schedule 20

Notes:
(1) PSE Electric Schedules: 7 Residential, 31 General Commercial
(2) PSE Gas Schedules: 23 Residential, 31 General Commercial, 36 Special Educational

Qualified Software for Tax Credits

Topic: Energy-Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction under Internal Revenue Service Code 179D. Reference IRS Notice 2006-52 dated June 2, 2006.

• IRS Press Release
  
  
• IRS Notice 2006-52
  
  
• Qualified Software

Consultants can help facility owners take advantage of the above tax deductions. As of this writing the qualified software list includes the latest versions of EnergyPlus, Trace 700, and Carrier HAP. There is a rumor on the boards that eQUEST is in in the process of becoming certified.
 

Trace 700 Displacement Ventilation

The folks at Trane CDS Support have some suggestions for compelling Trace 700 to do displacement ventilation modeling:

• The air in a space supplied by an underfloor system is stratified and you only need enough airflow to handle the temperature (loads) in the lower stratified region. Trace (as well as the rest of the simulation programs) assumes well mixed spaces with the same temperature at all locations.
  
• They way to handle this is to model the lower portion (the bottom 6 ft or so) as the height in the space. The top portion is then modeled by calling it a plenum space (plenum of about 5 or 6 feet). Then create custom miscellaneous loads and assign a portion of them to the plenum. The same thing can be done with the lights.
• As for the system side, choose a Constant Volume Variable Temperature system. Go to the Temp/Humidity tab and assign a Leaving Cooling Coil Min and Max temperature of 55°F. Under the Direct/Indirect Humidification Controls, select "CV Mixed Air Bypass with Wild Coil Leaving Temp".
• This will cause the temp off the coil to be low dewpoint, then air will be bypassed around main cooling coil and reintroduced and mixed back in after the main CC, which will allow the air to be supplied to the space with a reasonable %RH at a higher temperature (60-65°F).