Dear bldg-sim list subscribers:
First - I want to thank the entire group for the excellent and thoughtful
responses to the questions I posted on September 4th. I received over 15
replies. I have attached a Word document with the topics of discussion and
all replies cataloged. I will continue to do this and make the document
available by email or will post it online where it can be used by everyone
after the EMC.
Second - Based on the responses to the questions I hope most of you will be
attending the conference and will actively participate in the group
discussions and forums. We need more of these types of discussions on
tools and processes to help create as large a knowledge base as possible on
the subject so that those newer to the discipline of energy modeling do not
have to make the many mistakes and realize the many current limitations of
modeling pointed out so well by your replies to my questions while
"on-the-job" or from the "school-of-hard-knocks" as many of us have done
during our careers. One thing I was surprised about in the responses was
that only one or two people discussed any standard format or industry
standard guidelines on modeling that they currently apply to their practice
and no one really mentioned ASHRAE Guideline 14, ASHRAE Handbook of
Fundamentals Chapter 19 (and others) or ASHRAE Standards 100 and 140 and
others as well. These are all excellent resources from which to begin to
create some kind of standardization and a replicable standard of care
around the practice of energy modeling.
Third - I want to shameless put in a plug for the conference: I
believe The ASHRAE
Energy Modeling Conference is meeting the industry?s current needs with
regard to best practices for energy modeling. Here?s how:
- Presenting the new software that is based on EnergyPlus (mentioned by
several of you in your comments) from LBNL that is being launched the day
prior to the conference,
- Presenting Dan Nall?s presentation to help engineers get a step up on
architects in energy modeling in the design process,
- Future look at BIM?s and Energy Modeling?s Evolvement toward meeting
the demand,
- Numerous case study examples of real world modeling challenges from
almost 50 speakers and experts in the filed,
- Demonstrations from most of the major software tool developers and
national labs doing work in this area, and
- Firing-line type sessions in a no-holds barred revelation of the
capability of energy modeling tools and the workarounds used by many to
fill gaps.
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Thanks again for your great replies to my last set of questions. I hope to
see many of you at the conference and get the opportunity to talk with you
face-to-face and discuss the many possibilities to meet our current energy
modeling needs and continue to improve the tools and processes we all need
to serve our clients and industry well.
Sincerely,
Dennis Knight, P.E.
Chair ASHRAE EMC 2012
Follow this link for more information about the conference:
http://www.ashrae.org/membership--conferences/conferences/ashrae-conferences/emc2012
