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Nirav Modi

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First of all, THANK YOU ALL for helping me to build this model without giving it up.I spent two days on the weekend to build the model and one day to define zones. Defining zones took the entire day because multi level spaces kept giving me errors so i just assumed that they are all one level spaces. Too bad. (fig#1)
Anyway, I have few questions regarding constructions.
As you can see on the fig#2, "Building Envelope Constructions" consists of "Roof Surfaces", "Ground Floor", and "Below Grade Walls".For the basement floor, does "Roof Surfaces" actually mean the ceiling?
Since the ground floor does not stand exactly on the basement floor (I mean they have different footprints), I believe that the exposed basement ceiling needs different construction. Am I correct? If I am, how can I assign different constructions for each part?
For the first floor, the same screen asks whether it is above a conditioned space or a parking garage, etc. It is actually located above both of them(a conditioned space and a parking lot). I am not sure which one to choose and how my decision is going to affect on the simulation.
The fig#3 is about a standard floor (6, 7, and 8th). I am still not sure how I have to understand "Roof Surfaces", "Ground Floor", and "Below Grade Walls" concepts.I don't know why I need roof and ground constructions for a standard floor.
The last question for now is about window construction (fig#5). I put window width, height, and sill height. Then I put "% window". The entire window to wall ratio is 49%.But whichever number I put for this percentage, it keeps telling me that it is out of range. Does anyone know how to make it work?
I like using eQUEST "UP UNTIL NOW" but at the same time I'm so frustrated because I have no background on it.Again, thank you so much for helping me.
Joo Yun Julie Shin

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I am assuming by ceiling you mean a dropped ceiling. If that's the case, the only time you have one is when you're floor-floor>floor -ceiling in the wizard. You will then get a plenum zone and the ceiling is the surface between them.

Ceilings separate a conditioned zone from a plenum
Floors separate two zones stacked above each other
Roof is an exterior surface (on top) of a zone.

If a floor is above a conditioned space then it is modeled as adiabatic.
Not sure about your Window question. If you set your window height as ~5ft and your overall flr-flr height is more than 10 (more than double the window height) then I can see it giving you an error for a window-wall ratio of 50.7% - you don't have enough wall width to carry out the request.

Hope this helps

Vikram Sami, LEED AP

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Hi Joo,

For the basement floor/shell, "roof" does mean the basement ceiling on
fig#2's screen.

If your basement ceiling is partially exposed to the elements, I would
suggest defining a construction at that screen to match that of the
exposed portion. In detailed mode, you will delete the basement
ceiling sections which are either underground and/or under the floors
above. This is exactly what happens when you choose "adiabatic:" such
ceiling/roof constructions are simply not defined.

The wizards only let you assign one construction per shell for the
floor, walls, and roof. You can define more in the wizards as custom
constructions, but it's just as easy to do so in detailed, where you may
assign the different constructions to different surfaces within any
given shell.

For the first floor, I'd suggest choosing "over a parking garage," and
again deleting those floors which are actually over a conditioned space.

Your 6/7/8th floor screen is hard to answer, as I'm not sure whether
this is a separate shell or not... In general, "roof" means the top
surfaces of any shell. "Ground floor" and "below grade walls" are with
respect to whatever shell you are defining - if the shell starts 100ft
in the air, you should have "0" entered for "below grade" floors in the
first screen.

Can't definitively answer your last question, but consider that your
Window to Wall ratio may need to be adjusted to exclude any
above-ceiling plenum wall area. The percentages there are for within
floor-to-ceiling areas. If the wizard is telling you that you're out of
range, one or more of the numbers you've entered simply won't work with
the floor-to-ceiling wall area available...

You are not alone in being frustrated - this program has a difficult
learning curve, but you are clearly well on your way to making eQuest
work for you! Good job with your question wording and provided
illustrations =)!

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

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