BEPS report not jiving with total energy consumption in LEED template

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I received the following LEED reviewer comment.

The annual energy consumption for purchased chilled water and purchased steam has been reported in Table EAp2-4 and EAp2-5 in units of kBtu, whereas the eQuest BEPS reports the energy consumption in units of MBTU (million Btus). As a result the total annual energy consumption of 4,317 MMBtu for the Proposed Case and 5,663 MMBtu for the Baseline Case does not agree with the total energy consumption shown in the BEPS reports of 12,713 MMBtu for the Baseline Case. Please update the Form as required to ensure that Tables EAp2-4 and EAp2-5 accurately reflect the results reported in the eQUEST BEPS modeling output reports.

I believe it deals with units but for the life of me I can't get the numbers to jive. This project utilizes district steam and chilled water. I calculated the DES virtual steam rate is $16.57/MBtu and chilled water is $4.99/MBtu. I assume that's 1,000,000 Btus and not 1,000 Btus). In the EAp2 template, I have my units of Energy for these set to kBtu and demand as MBH.

Any help in troubleshooting this problem would be appreciated. Thanks!

Amy Harmon
Mechanical Engineer
Scheeser Buckley Mayfield LLC
1540 Corporate Woods Parkway
Uniontown, OH 44685
Phone: (330) 896-4664 ext. 107
Direct: (330) 526-2707
Fax: (330) 896-9180
aharmon at sbmce.com
www.sbmce.com

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Thank you

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Bruce Easterbrook's picture
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Bruce,

Don?t you have that reversed? In the BEPS report MBTU = 1,000,000 BTU, which would more commonly be MMBTU in industry jargon? Just do the math to convert kWh -> MBTU in some of the electric usage entries.

Example:

I have a job with 4.4 MBTU of electric usage for HP Supplement in the BEPS. 4.4 MBTU * 1,000,000 BTU/MBTU * 1 kWH/3413 BTU = 1289 kWh, which roughly lines up with the 1277 kWh reported in BEPU.

You might find the LV-M report useful when looking at the units eQUEST uses, it shows 1 MWH = 3.412969 MBTU, but MWH most certainly DOES NOT equal KWh? as it also has a conversion for 1 kWh = 3.412969 kBTU?

Nathan Miller, PE, LEED AP BD+C ? Mechanical Engineer/Senior Energy Analyst
RUSHING | D 206-788-4577 | O 206-285-7100
www.rushingco.com

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Converting both of those utility prices you mention to imperial units, the pricing seems to check out for order of magnitude of what should be expected...million seems to be correct.

In the LEED form it is more likely that MBH = 1,000 x Btu per hour, and kBtu obviously is 1,000 Btu. MBtu in eQUEST I believe is million, MMBtu as you have noted.

David

David S. Eldridge, Jr., P.E., LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, BEAP, HBDP
Grumman/Butkus Associates

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Amy,
Have you double-checked the billing units of the STEAM-METER (i.e. the
ENERGY/UNIT)?
David

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