[Equest-users] Wiki for eQuest?

[STEVE SAMENSKI]

John ‹ thanks for your comments. I see your messages on here a lot and
you¹re clearly someone who knows the program, so I value your viewpoint.  If
I get the wiki up and running (have had a few positive responses so far) I
hope you¹ll stop by to add the line about the martini.  (I like mine shaken
with ice.)

I see increased interest in energy modeling services.  In my area it¹s being
driven by LEED.  Many engineers find their way to eQuest (possibly because
it¹s free) and it seems that the skills that make the best design engineers
don¹t always make the best energy modelers.  I review the energy model
templates uploaded for projects on which we consult and I see the same
problems and frustrations from the design community.  I¹d like to make it a
little bit easier for people to get good results out of eQuest.  Managing
the expectations of users would go a long way toward reducing frustration.

Some actors in the industry are ramping up to support modeling.  ASHRAE
seems to have recognized the need: I recently sat for the BEMP exam at the
winter conference.  (It was tough!)  Other actors. . .not so much.  I
checked with the software vendors at the conference and best I can tell no
one is trying to develop THE standard software for Appendix G energy
modeling.  (AutoDesk would be a natural here, but they seem to be focused on
Revit.  Anything they develop would be an adjunct to that.)

So that¹s why I thought about the wiki.  If I had had a resource like that
when I first downloaded eQuest, I would have known what I was getting in to.

Steve Samenski, PE, LEED AP

On 2/14/10 12:53 AM, "John Aulbach" <jra_sac at yahoo.com> wrote:

> A few comments on eQuest..
>  
> 1) The program is a bit like the card game bridge. You can play it straight,
> or you can play by the seat of your pants. I choose the latter.
>  
> 2) Don't expect eQuest to stir you a martini, fetch your morning paper, or be
> your slave. It works for 80% of whatever energy dynamics you need. Not 100%.
> Unless you are seeking a post doctoral thesis. Then try another program.
>  
> 3) We ALL have hit dead ends. The biggest nemesis seems to be USGBC. But then
> they seem to LOVE eQuest, as most of the assumption are easily found in the
> eQuest front end. Sure beats the DOE-2.1A days when we were unsure what SS-A
> was vs. SS-B. Explanations are much clearer now (even if we don't believe the
> results).
>  
> 4) If you want total honesty, Submeter the HELL out of an existing building
> for 6 months. THEN you will have ALL your answers. But WHO has the BUDGET or
> the TIME?
>  
> Sir, keep asking your questions to BLDG-SIM. Just don't say "I am new to
> eQuest and I need to model the Taj Mahal to LEED Platinum, and I have a day to
> do it. Can you help?"
>  
> Not unless you pay some of these EXCELLENT modelers for their time. Amazingly,
> most of us ACTUALLY work, and our bosses expect us to concentrate on THEIR
> needs. As we can answer, we do. But some of these questions TAKE TIME, which
> occassionally we do not have.
>  
> So please hang in there..
> 
> 
> From: "Sundharam, Premnath" <psundharam at DLRGROUP.com>
> To: STEVE SAMENSKI <steve at thespinnakergroupinc.com>
> Cc: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
> Sent: Sat, February 13, 2010 4:28:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [Equest-users] Wiki for eQuest?
> 
> 1. Wiki for equest is a fantastic idea
> 2. I would def. Contribute
> 3. Yes I will use it extensively
> 4. As far as I know equest resources on the web is not great.
> Thanks for the initiative.
> Prem 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Feb 13, 2010, at 3:06 PM, "STEVE SAMENSKI" <steve at thespinnakergroupinc.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> I¹ve been using eQuest for over two years now and I still run into frequent
>> dead-ends.  The program is flexible but often inscrutable. Searching the
>> mailing list archives only gets you so far.
>> 
>> I¹ve thought about starting up a wiki for eQuest.  It¹s easy enough to start
>> a new page at Wikipedia.  I¹m curious what folks here think of the idea.
>> 
>> 1) Do you see a need for an eQuest wiki?  (Definition for wki: A website or
>> similar online resource which allows users to add and edit content
>> collectively.)
>> 2) Would you add your knowledge to an eQuest wiki?
>> 3) Would you use an eQuest wiki?
>> 4) Is there a resource for eQuest advice that I¹ve overlooked?  (I¹ve taken
>> one of the University of Wisconsin training courses, and I have all the DOE2
>> published dictionaries and PDF¹s.)
>> 
>> Steve Samenski, PE, LEED AP
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>  



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