[Equest-users] Roof monitor "Open to Below"

[Nick Caton]

Happy to help - I'll point out further that the important thing when
modeling varying roof heights / monitors using the "cutting method" (and
that is a term I just made up so don't search for that explicitly), to
save yourself some time, is to match vertices when defining the separate
shells.  In doing so, eQuest will recognize two planes are on top of
each other and default each to be adiabatic or partially adiabatic.  

 

This is good because on one level you won't accidentally end up with a
lot more exterior wall than you should have.  On a further level, it
will save you some time later in identifying which walls need to be tied
to adjacent zones (the adiabatic walls will stand out in spreadsheet
view), if you decide you want to more accurately account for thermal
behavior between the monitor zone(s) and the surroundings by defining
"Next to Space...".

 

Also, flattery will get you nowhere, but thanks for the model compliment
;).

 

Cheers!

 

~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: Smith, Aaron Matthew [mailto:SMITHA11 at rpi.edu] 
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 10:48 AM
To: Nick Caton; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Roof monitor "Open to Below"

 

Thanks Nick, this looks exactly like what I want to accomplish. I will
look up the "cutting lines" strategy and see if I can implement it.

Also thank you for sharing the images of your nice looking model.

 

Cheers,

Aaron

 

From: Nick Caton [mailto:ncaton at smithboucher.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 11:33 AM
To: Smith, Aaron Matthew; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Roof monitor "Open to Below"

 

I think you've identified the root of your problem - I'm unsure that
there's any way to get light in one shell to transmit to another.

 

Attached and below is an example of a project with a lot of roof
monitors that does successfully measure and account for daylighting in
those spaces.  A  picture speaks a thousand words, so see if this
matches what you were thinking to accomplish.  

 

Each monitor is a single zone and shell (i.e. no plenum zone).  Sensors
are located either on the floor or at a desk height, as appropriate to
the space usage.  Creating the shell that "wraps" around the monitors is
done by using "cutting lines" in the footprint/zoning pattern - you can
read up on that strategy by searching the archives for how courtyards
are modeled.  

 

I'll point out, in terms of accuracy, I have the impression that
eQuest's daylight sensors do not accurately realize the full amount of
light that should be encountered with light shelves, light tubes, or
other means of interreflected daylight, based on my comparative daylight
analyses using AGI32 (which I've learned to use accurately for daylight
modeling).  The DOE2 help files I think also allude to this - It's
something to keep in mind if you have a lot of monitor overhangs, again
as with the example below.

 

~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: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
[mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Smith,
Aaron Matthew
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 9:42 AM
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: [Equest-users] Roof monitor "Open to Below"

 

Hello E-quest group,

 

I am working on ways to implement Equest in my workflow for the purpose
of daylighting design evaluation, and I am having trouble implementing a
roof monitor. I have read the help files that describe the limitations
of Equest to perform daylighting calculations, but I have also seen that
some people have been able to implement multilevel atriums and I have
seen one application of a roof monitor. Anyways I want to give it a go
before I start programming in Daylight Factors.  

 

Attached is an example building I would like to be able to evaluate. My
evaluation goal is to put a light meter on the bottom zone under the
monitor and see what results pop out in the detailed daylighting summary
reports (LS-G, LS-J, ect.) I would like to compare Equest results to the
results of other software/calculations/measurements I am investigating,
however it seems that no light from the roof monitor is making it to the
bottom zone.

 

The bottom shell is all one zone and the top is all one zone. I have
found that it is necessary that the bottom zone have windows or else no
daylighting dialog screen shows up in the DD wizard, and that means no
light meter. At first I tried to make the top zone "open to below" and
then in the detailed edit mode moved the light meter under the monitor,
but the results do not indicate any light is making it from the roof
monitor to the bottom zone.

 

I was hoping some of you might have some suggestions to help implement
this roof monitor setup.

 

Thanks,

Aaron

 

Aaron Smith

Sr. Research Specialist

smitha11 at rpi.edu

 

Lighting Research Center

21 Union Street

Troy, NY 12180

p. 518.687.7167

f.  518.687.7120

 

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