[Bldg-sim] question

[Nick Caton]

All:

 

If anyone is curious as to whether program X or Y is better for a specific modeling conundrum – here [bldg-sim] is a great place to ask, and that’s probably the most advise-able approach over relying on any dated list, for reasons that follow.

 

Any such “YES/NO” formatted list is inherently going to misrepresent features available between different software tools.  MANY items require more than a one word response to fairly represent the programs’ comparative capabilities.

 

Here are some black & white corrections regarding only eQuest, which I’m most familiar with.  THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE REVIEW, but should prove the point that such lists are bound to be misleading:

 

·         Load Design Calculation:  No à Yes, based on other line items in the list, I assume this means “produces loads that can be used for design purposes.”

·         Max Zones:  1024  à  4000

·         Accepts CAD input files/gbXML:  Yes à Strictly yes to both, but people would be misled to believe importing gbXML is a time-efficient idea in eQuest… (some purportedly have had more luck)

·         User Modeling Guide: *blank* à Available online at doe2 website: http://www.doe2.com/equest/

·         Telephone and Email Help:  $450/10 hrs à Huh?  How about free to anyone subscribing at the onebuilding.org lists -  that applies to any of these software tools by the way…  If there’s an official hotline available, I’m unaware of it – does this correspond to someone’s training class?

·         Max Number of Lighting & Equipment Loads per Zone: 5 à Seems misleading… Up to 5 distinct Lighting and 5 distinct equipment loads, with distinct scheduling for each may be defined for each zone… 

·         The following items are left blank in the table but are explicitly or indirectly model-able within eQuest, sometimes with restrictions:

o   Demand control ventilation

o   Energy (heat) Recovery (various options)

o   Chilled beam systems (limited)

o   Displacement ventilation design can be accounted for, but eQuest does not perform CFD

o   Active dehumidification of various flavors can be modeled on airside systems.

·         “Chilled” & “Condenser water reset” are left blank… reset temp controls can be defined for hot, chilled and condenser loops if that’s what we’re getting at…

 

I’ve decided not to discuss which items I think are completely arbitrary/useless in a comparison - the reader should probably decide or else hire someone qualified to decide for them =).  Any finite list of items selected (certainly one this short) will inevitably appear to favor one program over another, so I’m also choosing to not discuss what’s missing on the list.

 

Disclaimer:  Our office actively uses Trace, HAP and eQuest among other software tools – I have no vested interests (financial or otherwise) in any of the respective developers…  The only agenda I am pushing for is constructive/fair comparisons where they happen, and I’m doing so on my own time.  On a related note, I am also personally disappointed when discussions like this occur and individuals rely on their email headers to explain who they represent.

 

~Thanks,

 

~Nick

 

 

 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

Check out our new web-site @ www.smithboucher.com 

 

 



 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

Check out our new web-site @ www.smithboucher.com 

 

From: Nick Caton 
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 6:58 PM
To: 'saleh saadi'
Subject: RE: [Bldg-sim] question

 

No.

 

Extended reply to come from me shortly.

 

~Nick

 



 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

Check out our new web-site @ www.smithboucher.com 

 

From: bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of saleh saadi
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 6:51 PM
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org; James F CARPegues
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] question

 

Is the document now updated?

Saleh

--- On Tue, 6/29/10, Pegues, James F CAR <James.F.Pegues at carrier.utc.com> wrote:


From: Pegues, James F CAR <James.F.Pegues at carrier.utc.com>
Subject: [Bldg-sim] question
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 3:27 PM

BLDG-SIM readers should be aware the PDF attached to the previous e-mail contains outdated and factually incorrect information for at least one of the software tools listed.

 

When a document like this is posted by a software vendor, it should only include data for that vendor’s own tool.  It should omit all other data since a software vendor cannot vouch for the accuracy of information about features and capabilities of competitor’s tools.

 

James Pegues

Development Manager, E20-II Software

Carrier Corporation

Syracuse, NY, USA

software.systems at carrier.utc.com

 

 

From: bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Hintz, Scott F
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 10:51 AM
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] question

 

Latest version of this that’s been posted here a few times. What would be great is if developers of other tools like IES and TRNSYS would fill this out too.

 

Scott Hintz, LEED® AP BD+C

C.D.S. Engineer III

Trane Commercial Systems

Ingersoll Rand

3600 Pammel Creek Road

La Crosse, WI 54601-7599

 

Office (608) 787-3926

Fax (608) 787-3005

Email: cdshelp at trane.com

Website: www.tranecds.com <http://www.trane.com/Commercial/DesignAnalysis/Default.aspx?i=898> 

 

________________________________

From: Chris Yates [mailto:chris at zed-uk.com] 
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 4:42 AM
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] question

 

Mike,

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you need LEED or Ashrae 90.1 analysis then DOE, Equest and E+ seem to be the only ones that handle the waterside hvac in the prescribed manner. They are all free.

TAS now has an A90.1 tool. It looks easy to use but as I haven't used it I can't speak authoritativley.

I heard of users modelling for A90.1 with alternative tools whilst handling the waterside with seperate calculations. Of these tools IES is probably the easiest and fastest simulating. If you do not require code compliance I would probably recommend IES as the commercial option for large buildings.

I hope that this helps.

Chris

On 24/06/2010 21:30, Sami, Vikram wrote: 

eQUEST is free and is DOE 2.2

 

It has CA defaults, but does that matter? 

 

Others are Trace, HAP. 

 

Here's a list:

 

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/alpha_list.cfm <http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/alpha_list.cfm> 

 

 

Vikram Sami, LEED AP

Sustainable Design Analyst

1382 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

t: 404-443-7462    f: 404.892.5823       e: vikram.sami at perkinswill.com   www.perkinswill.com <http://www.perkinswill.com/> 

Perkins+Will.  Ideas + buildings that honor the broader goals of society

 

 

From: bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of mike steadman
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 4:19 PM
To: bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: [Bldg-sim] question

 

Hi,

 

What software do you suggest for Modeling Commercial buildings?

 

I live in Michigan work for a company doing energy audits from 5000-120000 square feet.

 

Energy Plus -over my head

equest-CA defaults

DOE 2.1 or DOE 2.2 ?

 

Would like a free option and one that I have to buy?

Thank you 

 

Mike


This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute, copy, or alter this email.

  
  
_______________________________________________
Bldg-sim mailing list
http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org <http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org> 
To unsubscribe from this mailing list send  a blank message to BLDG-SIM-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG
  

 

________________________________

The information contained in this message is privileged and intended only for the recipients named. If the reader is not a representative of the intended recipient, any review, dissemination or copying of this message or the information it contains is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender, and delete the original message and attachments.


-----Inline Attachment Follows-----

_______________________________________________
Bldg-sim mailing list
http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org <http://lists.onebuilding.org/listinfo.cgi/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org> 
To unsubscribe from this mailing list send  a blank message to BLDG-SIM-UNSUBSCRIBE at ONEBUILDING.ORG

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org/attachments/20100629/835808c2/attachment-0002.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1459 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://lists.onebuilding.org/pipermail/bldg-sim-onebuilding.org/attachments/20100629/835808c2/attachment-0002.jpeg>