Software Comparison | Energy-Models.com

Please note that the features listed here are out of date, but the general properties of the software such as Propietary/OpenSource remain the same

FEATURE	DOE2.2	Equest	TRANE TRACE 700	CARRIER HAP
Public/Proprietary	Public Domain	Proprietary	Proprietary	Proprietary
Simulation Method	8760 hours	8760 hours	8760 hours	8760 hours
Loads Methodology	Cst Wtg Factor	Cst Wtg Factor	Std Wtg Factor	Std Wtg Factor
Load Design Calculation	No	No	Yes	Yes
Max # of Zones	1024	1024	Unlimited	2500
Front End Type	text/command	Windows	Windows	Windows
Multiple Interface Views			•
On-screen help	none	extensive	substantial	extensive
User-Selectable Hourly Output	extensive	extensive	limited	extensive
Graphic Results Summary		•		•
"3-D" Building Drawing		•
Accepts CAD input files/gbXML		•	•
Export Data back to CAD files			•
Materials/Assemblies Library	•	•	•	•
Schedules Library	•	•	•	•
Graphic Schedule Input		•		•
Bldgs/Prototype Library		•	•
Detailed Shading	•	•	•	•
Automatic Equip Sizing	limited	limited	•	•
Human Comfort Prediction
Expression Inputs	•	•
Multiple schemes/ parametrics	•	•	•	•
# Terminal Systems Types	28	28	24	21
# Primary Equipment Types	27	27	24	22
Runtime (40 zones, 1.8MHz P4)	20 sec	20 sec	2.3 min	2 min
Approximate Cost	freeware	freeware	$1995+$413/yr	$1495+$300/yr
Documentation	extensive	extensive	moderate	moderate
User modeling guide			included
Telephone and Email Help	not available	$450/10 hours	extensive	limited
Minimum Hardware Recommended	Windows XP+32MB	Windows XP+32MB	Windows XP+32MB	Windows XP+32MB
Comparison of LOADS Modeling Capabilities
FEATURE	DOE2.2	Equest	TRANE TRACE 700	CARRIER HAP
Weather Data
Number of weather data days used	365	365	12/365	365
Statistical weather summaries available	•	•	•	limited
User-processing of custom weather data	•	•	•
Calculation Time Step
1-hour in LOADS	•	•	•	•
15 min or 30 min kW reporting	•	•
Spaces and Zones
Max # of Spaces/Zones	1024	1024	No max	2500
Spaces used as components of HVAC zones	•	•	•	•
Spaces/Zones named or numbered	names	names	names	names
Floor and/or Space multipliers	•	•	•	•
Schedules
Maximum number of seasons per schedule	52	52	12	8
Shading
Overhangs	•	•	•	•
Fins	•	•	•	•
Setbacks (I.e., "Reveals")	•	•	•	•
Detached (e.g.,adjacent building)	•	•	•
Self-Shading	•	•		limited
Shade transmittance schedulable	•	•	•
Operable interior/exterior shading	•	•	•	•
Glazing Systems Input Methods
Simple Shading coefficient % conductance	•	•	•	•
Glazing library	•	•	•	•
User-definable layer-by-layer specification	•	•	•	•
Lighting Systems Input Methods
Simple lighting power and/or density	•	•	•	•
Luminaire characteristics and Count	•	•
Desired illuminance (program calc's lighting power)	•	•	•
Max Number of Lighting & Equipment Loads per Zone	5	5	unlimited	3
Daylighting Levels Predicted on Request	•	•	•
Natural ventilation	limited	limited	limited
Comparison of Air-Side SYSTEM Modeling Capabilities
FEATURE	DOE2.2	Equest	TRANE TRACE 700	CARRIER HAP
Air-Side SYSTEM Types
Singe Supply Duct Types
Packaged single-zone system	•	•	•	•
Constant volume reheat fan system	•	•	•	•
Single-zone induction fan system	•	•	•	•
Variable volume (VAV) fan system, optional reheat	•	•	•	•
Fan-powered VAV (powered induction unit) system	•	•	•	•
Packaged variable volume system	•	•	•	•
Ceiling bypass variable volume system	•	•	•	•
Packaged variable volume/variable temperature	•	•	•	•
Packaged total gas solid desiccant system	•	•	•
Evaporative cooling system	•	•
Underfloor air distribution systems			•
Displacement ventilation systems			•
Active chilled beam system			•
Passive chilled beam system			•
Air Mixing Systems
Dual Duct system	•	•	•	•
Dual fan dual duct system	•	•	•	•
Multizone system	•	•	•	•
Packaged mulitzone system	•	•	•	•
Terminal Unit Systems
Packaged terminal air conditioner	•	•	•	•
Unitary hydronic ("California") heat pump system	•	•	•	•
Two-pipe fan coil system	•	•	•	•
Four-pipe fan coil system	•	•	•	•
Two-pipe induction system	•	•	•	•
Four-pipe induction system	•	•	•	•
Variable refrigerant volume system			•
Ground-source heat pump system	•	•	•	•
Gas engine-driven heat pump system	•	•	•
Residential Systems
Packaged rooftop system	•	•	•	•
Split system	•	•	•	•
Variable volume/variable temperature system	•	•	•	•
Heating Only Systems
Heating and ventilating system	•	•	•	•
Unit heater	•	•	•
Comparison of Air-Side SYSTEM Options
FEATURE	DOE2.2	Equest	TRANE TRACE 700	CARRIER HAP
Air-Side SYSTEMS Options
Coil Sizing based on:
Coincident (building block) load	•	•	•	•
Non-coincident (sum of each zone) load	•	•	•	•
User-input	•	•	•	•
Thermostat Action Options
Two-position	•	•	•	•
Proportional	•	•	•	•
Reverse-acting	•	•	•	•
Automatic start-up cycles	•	•	•	•
Coil Control Options
Constant temperature	•	•	•	•
Reset by OSA	•	•	•	•
Reset by zone demand	•	•	•	•
User scheduled	•	•	•
Fan Control Options
Constant volume	•	•	•	•
Cycling	•	•	•	•
Two-speed	•	•	•
Inlet vane	•	•	•
Discharge dampers	•	•	•	•
Variable speed drives	•	•	•	•
User-definable curve	•	•	•	•
Fan static pressure optimization			•
Air-Side Economizer & Ventilation Options
Dry-bulb economizer	•	•	•	•
Enthalpy economizer	•	•	•	•
Fixed volume VAV Control	•	•		•
Schedulable OSA quantities	•	•	•	•
Indirect and direct evaporative cooling			•
Demand control ventilation			•
Adjacent room air transfer			•
Dedicated Outdoor Air Options
Split dehumidification control			•
Dehumidification Control			•
Control optimization (DB and Dew Point)			•
Active Dehumidifications Controls			•
Worst case room			•
Mixed air bypass			•
Return air bypass			•
Variable speed fan			•
Heat Recovery Options			•
Multiple stages available			•
Heat pipe			•
Solid desiccant			•
Liquid desiccant			•
Type II desiccant			•
Sensible wheel			•
Total energy wheel			•
Coil runaround loops			•
Fixed plate heat exchanger			•
Fixed membrane heat exchanger			•
Duct losses
Direct, plenum, and ducted return paths	•	•	•	•
CFM loss reduces air to zone	•	•	•	•
Thermal & air losses affect surrounding zone temp	•	•	•