A building to be modeled is using SolarWallR, where the air in the wall is
ducted to an air handler and heat exchanger to preheat several roof top air
handling units. I have been investigating the trombe-wall and sunspace
commands in doe2.2 docs but I am unfamiliar with both and wonder if this is
even the right way to go. Please share relevant experience and suggestions
if this will even be possible in equest or if it worth spending a hundred
hours on trying to figure out? (.that it won't work.)
Kevin Kyte, LEED AP
Kevin,
I've modeled a SolarWall, aka "Solar Air Heating" or transpired air. They have a Solar
collectors using RETScreen
Air Heating module that is included in the RETScreen 4 download. If you
don't mind modeling the SolarWall separate from the rest of the building,
then that should work pretty well.
*Eric Wilson*
You could also experiment with creating a space of type "plenum" with the
dimensions and properties of a solar wall. If I were taking the
experimentation route, this is where I would start.
~karen~
Yes, I have used RETScreen and understand a solar wall can be modeled within
it. In fact, Conserval has already done this for us. In considering
SolarWallR, all the air handlers have been sized down and when I enter in
the system inputs for capacity there isn't enough juice so I have to
incorporate solar air heating into this model. Either that or autosize
everything to get 300 and subtract the retscreen model as an ECM.
So create a plenum for each air handler and then make all the plenum walls
Trombe-wall and just fiddle with it until it works, maybe. I can spend a
minute on it and try. Either way its modeling reality, right? There should
be a lot more discussion on this. Someone must have submitted an energy
model with solar air heating to USGBC using equest.
Kevin