[Equest-users] Erased Building Creation Wizard Data

Nick Caton ncaton at smithboucher.com
Thu Dec 9 08:50:10 PST 2010


Hey Jessica,

 

I'm copying the list for others' benefit - hope you won't mind =).

 

"Where are the setpoints?"  is a pretty common question that's probably
unintentionally broad, but I'll try to cover all the bases...
'Setpoints' can mean a lot of things for different systems... the
temperatures you set in the wizards, depending on the exact system(s)
you chose, should end up within a few locations in detailed mode...  

 

*         Double click on any zone (beneath a system in the component
tree, under the airside HVAC tab), and in the first screen you can enter
DESIGN-HEAT-T AND DESIGN-COOL-T... these are effectively your thermostat
setpoints for your design cooling and heating day, used for any
airflow/capacity autosizing by the program.  In the same location you
can identify and select your cooling and heating thermostat schedules.
Find and double-click those schedules in the tree to the left to
investigate your hourly thermostat setpoints (independent from the
design day calculations).  Those schedules are the result of everything
you entered in the wizards for occupied/unoccupied (setback)
temperatures, the associated hourly scheduling, and potentially any
seasonal definitions (i.e. summer session for a school) you may have as
well.  

 

*         Other zonal-level inputs for heating/cooling may be active for
your editing as well under the zone's heating and cooling tabs,
depending on your system selection(s) - worth a quick check.  

 

Margin Note:  Remember that in detailed edit and for multiple systems,
anything you change in these windows is probably faster to change in the
spreadsheet view, but the dialogs organize the inputs pretty well and
help you find what you need to change so they're a great place to start!
If you have the time to take on a few time-saving tips, "mass-setpoint
edits" are a great example of where one should be aware of the magic
within the "user defaults" feature.  Related archive link: (
http://lists.onebuilding.org/htdig.cgi/equest-users-onebuilding.org/2009
-April/001278.html)  Also remember, and this is particularly true of
detailed mode after the wizards, that you can right click almost any
input field to pull up a corresponding help file entry and learn more if
you're unsure of the meaning/significance.

 

*         Pretty much every other temperature 'setpoint' can be found
within the dialogues for the airside HVAC system itself - double click
any system in the tree under airside HVAC tab.  Navigate to the heating
and cooling tabs, and peruse the sub-tabs therein.

 

*         Also, you will find temperature set points from the wizards
within loops/boiler/chiller/DOMHW heaters/etc underneath the waterside
HVAC tab, double-clicking the corresponding components in that tree.  

 

 

 

 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

Smith & Boucher Engineers

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

www.smithboucher.com 

 

From: Kahn, Jessica [mailto:Jkahn at hlw.com] 
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 8:06 AM
To: Nick Caton
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Erased Building Creation Wizard Data

 

Nick,

Quick other, related question.

How in Detailed Data Edit do I change the set points on the HVAC system
for the building?

 

Thanks,

Jess 

 

From: Nick Caton [mailto:ncaton at smithboucher.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 7:04 PM
To: Kahn, Jessica; equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: RE: [Equest-users] Erased Building Creation Wizard Data

 

Before doing anything further, make a copy of the directory you have for
a backup as you might inadvertently dig yourself a deeper hole to climb
out of.  

 

Not to sound dismal, but keep in mind you might save time by simply
working from an earlier save point if you have been making backup saves
somewhere within the past month (+1 day)... just keep that in mind
before investing hours into fixing the current state.

 

That said - some quick fix possibilities for said behaviors: are you
opening a 3.63 file with 3.64 (or otherwise have a version mismatch)
and/or have you moved any of the files between opening/closing the
project?  If so, you might find some or all of your issues resolved by
correcting those actions.  

 

With that out of the way, see my query-specific comments below in red.

 

Hope this helps!  Many of us have been made to survive these "trial by
fire" situations...  so rest assured you'll at the least receive some
sympathy and hopefully useful feedback from this community.  Remember
that sometimes it's critical when everything goes wrong is to invest in
regular sleep or take a long lunch... whatever you might need to keep
your head on straight!

 

Good luck to you,

 

~Nick

 

 



 

NICK CATON, E.I.T.

PROJECT ENGINEER

Smith & Boucher Engineers

25501 west valley parkway

olathe ks 66061

direct 913 344.0036

fax 913 345.0617

www.smithboucher.com 

 

From: equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
[mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Kahn,
Jessica
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 4:38 PM
To: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: [Equest-users] Erased Building Creation Wizard Data

 

A couple of very disconcerting errors and messages had come up on the
model that I have been working on for the past month and all day today.


 

Firstly, when I went to simulate the building performance in detailed
Data Edit and suddenly the weather data disappeared.  "An error occurred
while opening the file to be downloaded, Error:3".  Does anyone know how
to reattach the weather file? In detailed edit mode, first locate the
.bin file in the weather directory (tip: click Tools > View equest data
directory - the weather folder will be a double-click away), then copy
the name of the file to the project properties dialog (double-click the
top line of any component tree).  You might want to re-download/replace
the weather file to cover any potential that the .bin file is corrupted
somehow...  Or know what happened?  I've seen this sort of error occur
when my internet connection is bad or the site hosting the TMY data is
acting up... nothing to cause a panic over... but could be something
else considering your other issues.

 

Second and more alarmingly, I can see the building but when I try to go
into the Building Creation Wizard  all of my inputs are gone and are the
defaults.  Sounds like you might be stuck in detailed edit if the
version/file location fixes I mentioned above don't fix things for you,
or if you don't have an earlier save to work from.  This would be fine
except for the heat recovery and set points that I have to change.  Rest
assured, there's nothing in the wizards you can't define in detailed
edit.  Describe further what you're having trouble finding/defining in
detailed - ERU components are entirely within the airside HVAC
dialogs...  Everything seems to be fine in Wizard Data Edit (I think you
mean detailed?) (except for the lack of weather which I realize might be
because the project data doesn't have the building's location) See above
to "re-attach" weather data.

Is there a way to "find" the data that seems to be present in the
geometry of the building but not in the Building Creation Wizard?  If
the building looks okay in 3D view, then the geometry work isn't really
"lost"...  that work resides in the .inp (which you made a backup of).
If you mean go back to the wizards and edit your custom perimeter/zoning
using those UI screens, then again I think you're up a creek unless you
have an earlier save with working wizards...  If I re-input everything
will I lose the geometry and settings that I have? Well... if you
re-input everything then you will have everything =)... problem solved!
But yeah - if you go in the wizards, you generally lose anything not in
the wizards if you click the 'Finish' button - there are a few
exceptions to the rule like parametric run setups...  again make a
backup first, then you're free to try anything without repercussions.

 

 

Thanks, 

Jessica

 

 
 
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