Dear Carolina,
I recommend a water-cooled HP. This can become a very clean equivalent system for VRF.
Note: The zone HP cooling coil (Coil:Cooling:WaterToAirHeatPump:EquationFit) COP must be very high (e.g., 10,000) so that the only energy sent to the cooling tower (plant heat rejection) is the zone heating / cooling energy. (Compressor energy ~= zone heating / cooling load)
The Building Performance Team
James V. Dirkes II, P.E., BEMP , LEED AP
1631 Acacia Drive NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
616 450 8653
From: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carolina Galeazzi
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 2:11 PM
To: EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [EnergyPlus_Support] water-cooled
VRF
I am trying to model a water-cooled VRF system for LEED. As itâ??s not yet possible to entirely model such a system in Energyplus, I am not sure about the best approach to take. Should I model a Water-cooled Heat pump equationfit or should I forget about the water cooling and develop a air-to-air heat pump? Is there a better way to represent the
system?
When asking the LEED advisors, their advice was â??We would typically seek a published work around, preferably peer reviewed, and follow that procedure. If you can't find one then I would go back the the software developer and ask them how best to model the system in that software. The answer to your question could vary depending on the software you are using."
Could you please help me with this issue?