[Equest-users] Greenhouse Energy use..

[Aulbach, John]

Not your usual building model..

Has anyone ever attempted this? There is a device called a heat
retention curtain that can lower gas bills for greenhouses. There
actually is a US Department of Agriculture simulation called Virtual
Grower.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/services/software/download.htm?softwareid=108

This program is primarily for simulating plant growth, but as a
sidelight, calculates monthly and annual energy use to heat the
facility. It uses TMY2 data, and considered:

1) Transmission losses
2) Solar heat loads
3) Infiltration and wind effects

So it almost seems like an eQuest type hourly simulation.

Except that they report energy in a strange way (got the plant growth in
great detail, but not the energy use).

So I go back to the tried and true eQuest. But I have no data to
calibrate the results again.

So I turn to my well versed and battle tested colleagues.

Have YOU every done this type of model?

John R. Aulbach, PE, CEM
Project Manager
Nexant, Inc.
701 West Kimberly Ave., Suite 245
Placentia, CA 92870-6342 USA
Phone: 714-524-4402
Fax: 714-524-4407
email: jaulbach at nexant.com