HVAC description - HVAC Summary file

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Hi Fakeha,
The HVAC Summary file may have what you are looking for. See my previous post, inserted below, if this file is not currently generated by your eQUEST installation.
Regards,
~Bill

eQUEST can generate a handy HVAC Summary file (.csv) automatically when you simulate. You have to open the ?eQUEST.INI? file and insert the line, ?StoreResults_HVAC_Summary=1? as shown in the screen shot below. The eQUEST.INI file is in the eQUEST Data directory, in both 3.65 and 3.64, which can be found in Tools -> View File Locations -> View eQUEST Data Directory. Once you modify, and save the eQUEST.INI file, there will be a ?YOUR_PROJECT_NAME ? HVAC Summary.csv? file in the project folder after you open and simulate your project. I mostly use the Air-Side System Summaries portion of the file to help with automating fan power and EIR calculations for Baseline models.

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Regards,
Bill

William Bishop, PE, BEMP, BEAP, CEM, LEED AP | Pathfinder Engineers & Architects LLP
Senior Energy Engineer

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134 South Fitzhugh Street Rochester, NY 14608

T: (585) 698-1956 F: (585) 325-6005

bbishop at pathfinder-ea.com www.pathfinder-ea.com

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Hello Fakeha,

In addition to Bill?s suggestion to consider the HVAC Summary CSV output, here are a few options ?out of the box? which may address your query. 2 major options (following a simulation run), and 1 over-arching caution:

1. Air-side HVAC tab, highlight the system in question in the component tree, then click the ?Summary? tab to review SYSTEM and ZONE capacities. Alternatively highlight the ?Project? line at the top of the component tree to review each system in succession.

2. Look to the SV-A reports in the SIM output file

Caution: If you are seeing zeroes for the system cooling/heating capacity in the SV-A reports, there?s a good chance you?re looking at one of the inherently zonal system types, such as PTAC or FC. Be mindful that irrespective of how many of those SYSTEMS you have defined for the model, they actually exist on a per-zone basis when trying to summarize capacities.

For example: if I have a PTAC system assigned to 10 conditioned zones, and the resulting airside summary tab suggests I have 60 tons for that ?system,? that really means the typical PTAC averages ~6 tons (and would normally be expected to vary around that figure). If auto-sized, those capacities are respective design conditions for each respective zone, and do not in sum necessarily represent the aggregate peak cooling demand for the building.

If ?zonal system types? is alone cause for a head-scratch, advising further reading in/around Volume 1: Basics > Air-side Components > Introduction > Another Way of Classifying Air Systems > Zonal vs. Central Systems.

Hope this helps!

~Nick

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Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
Senior Energy Engineer
Energy and Sustainability Services
Schneider Electric

D 913.564.6361
M 785.410.3317
E nicholas.caton at schneider-electric.com
F 913.564.6380

15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66219
United States

[cid:image001.png at 01D189AB.58634A10]

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For the first two cases, utilizing system type ?HP? (one of the zonal systems), you are observing one system sized to 9 tons, and another sized to 4 tons.

? There is indeed rounding in those tonnage numbers ? you can looks to the system summary (SV-A) reports for extra resolution, or for an approximation perform a bit algebra using the btuh/sf alongside the associated area listed here.

? The total non-concurrent capacity between these two systems is 13 tons. The peak cooling draw between the two is likely less if they have different load profiles. 6.5 is the averaged capacity between the two.

For the third case,

? Per above, air-side summary reports do perform a degree of rounding for tonnage numbers.

? Before concluding this space has effectively zero cooling needs, or that the system needs zero cooling capacity, I observe a few things that would give me pause:

o The report is telling you that for a substantial chunk of the year, cooling needs (as defined by the thermostat schedule assigned to that zone) are NOT being met (800+ hours)

o The system is being auto-sized (presumably) to only 25 CFM. Unless you?re aiming for a very small exhaust fan you are probably pushing more air in reality. Manually entering something larger will probably be a helpful step towards resolving the unmet hours.

o Looks like a very small IT closet per the description & area. A little bit odd that you have a system dedicated to that space but are also delivering outside air... probably not enough space in that 40 ft2 to hold a person that would need the ventilation air for code.

I hope that helps clarify!

~Nick

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Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
Senior Energy Engineer
Energy and Sustainability Services
Schneider Electric

D 913.564.6361
M 785.410.3317
E nicholas.caton at schneider-electric.com
F 913.564.6380

15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66219
United States

[cid:image001.png at 01D189AB.58634A10]

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Joined: 2016-07-15
Reputation: 400

Bill;

This is awesome ? thanks for sharing!
Are there any other modifications or ?hidden? things which can be enabled? Or better yet ? is there a source for learning about these or what other outputs are available?

Thanks,
DARIC R. ADAIR PE, C.E.M.
Henderson Engineers, Inc.?|?Mechanical Engineer, Energy Analyst
dir 913 742 5530? tel 913 742 5000? fax 913 742 5001? tx id #F-001236? email daric.adair at hei-eng.com? www.hei-eng.com
Licensed in KS.?

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Daric,
The other modifications I am aware of are for two features ? 1.) showing ?help? tips when hovering the mouse over an input field, and 2.) AutoPlot for automatically plotting polygons from CAD drawings. I like the help tip feature but I don?t use the AutoPlot anymore.
These lines go in the [preferences] section, in my case between the lines for BDLErrorAction and DisplayRangeCautions; the first line is set to ?0? as the default:
ShowBDLComKeyInToolTip=1
ShowWizCompPropInToolTip=1
The Autoplot lines go at the end of the [preferences] section, right before the [TextColors] section:
EnableFootprintAutoPlot=1
EnableZoningAutoPlot=1

If anyone knows of other features, please share.
Regards,
~Bill

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Joined: 2016-07-15
Reputation: 400

This is a deeper rabbit hole? but also eQUEST.INI [preferences] is also the place to go if you want to explore/enable eQUEST?s ?hidden? batch run functionality.

EnableBatchProcessing=1

For further reading / learning, I suggest (in order):

? Kevin Madison gave a lengthy but informative presentation for a Seattle IBPSA chapter meeting on the topic * : http://groupspaces.com/IBPSASeattle/pages/past-presentaions

? RMI Model Manager builds upon the ?baked in? batch run functionality.
There are a few related queries in unmethours.com and projects in github if you are looking to accomplish batch simulations more simply via scripted doe2 runs, which can execute much faster than simulating through the eQUEST interface.

~Nick

* A caution: The audio recording of that meeting unfortunately doesn?t capture the Q&A & back/forth nature of the discussion very well ? don?t play with your volume dial too much or you?ll hurt your ears!

~Nick

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Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
Senior Energy Engineer
Energy and Sustainability Services
Schneider Electric

D 913.564.6361
M 785.410.3317
E nicholas.caton at schneider-electric.com
F 913.564.6380

15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66219
United States

[cid:image001.png at 01D189AB.58634A10]

via Equest-users's picture
Joined: 2016-07-15
Reputation: 400