Dear all,
I have received a review from LEED saying that for the baseline model there
are inconsistencies between the demand values reported in Table EAp2-5 and
Table 1.4.
When completing Table 1.4 I use the values from the SV-A eQUEST reports for
each one of my two HVAC systems (baseline System 5), so the total demand
would be the sum of the two separate demands (not necessarily happening
simultaneously).
For Table EAp2-5, I use the demand calculated on the PS-E eQUEST report,
which is the total for the whole building.
These two cannot be the same (or not necessarily), or am I doing something
completely wrong?
I was also wondering how much is an acceptable difference, according to
LEED, between these two values?
Kind regards,
Elena
Hi Elena,
As you've asserted, the inputs for fan power and the monthly/annual end-use outputs corresponding to building maximum coincident meter draws are fundamentally different.
I've repeatedly (albeit not consistently) run into similar commentary between my LEED reviewers. Keep in mind the reviewer does not necessarily understand nuances of eQuest/DOE2 inputs/reports which you do: what makes common sense for reporting the results may swing other directions for those unfamiliar with eQuest. I'm sure the same type of commentary is encountered by others with reviewers familiar with eQuest and not their modeling software of choice.
I would typically respond with a brief but clear explanation for why the two figures do not represent the same thing, and so should not be expected to match up. You should cite and attach for reference the output reports and baseline calculations sourcing each figure.
Recognize where the reviewer is coming from, and bring them up to speed. This will be a gut call for you, but consider furnishing additional documentation (assuming a skeptical reviewer) to demonstrate your inputs (via screenshots) indeed match the construction documents, and the results correspond as expected to your inputs.
To speculate, there might be "range" of differences between various EAc1/EAp2 values triggering a reviewer to raise a flag (either by personal decision or per their instruction/training), but I expect it has more to do with your individual reviewer's familiarity with eQuest/DOE2 (or lack thereof).
NICK CATON, P.E.