Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review

Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review Workshop

Graduates of the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop series as well as graduates from similar programs that I help support are invited to attend an informal quarterly workshop where attendees share the projects and ideas with each other and along with mentoring by EBCx Workshop instructors. The files below are the materials that are shared during these sessions, including resources presented by the instructors.

Since I started the website in 2017, I have not posted the files from sessions prior to October of 2017. But if you are looking for something from a previous session, let me know and I will see if I still have it archived on a hard drive.

Note that I generally put a Read Me file in with the other files to explain what each of them is unless it is fairly obvious.

2017-10-23_workshop_followup.zip
File Size:	89669 kb
File Type:	zip

2018-09-22_workshop_followup.zip
File Size:	16418 kb
File Type:	zip

2017-12-11_workshop_followup.zip
File Size:	1268 kb
File Type:	zip

2019-03-07_workshop_follow_up.zip
File Size:	23463 kb
File Type:	zip

2019-12-13_workshop_follow-up.zip
File Size:	41966 kb
File Type:	zip

Starting with the June 2021 session, we changed the format of the class to include a formal lecture/lab session. So there will be materials for doing the break-out sessions in addition to follow-up materials. So, moving forward, I will be putting a section on this page for each one with a button that will jump you to that location.

2021-06-18 Session

Very rough; I will fix that. But here are the materials.

break_out_01.zip
File Size:	1471 kb
File Type:	zip

break-out_02.zip
File Size:	2403 kb
File Type:	zip

2021-12-10 Session

SKETCHUP
Most folks attending the EBCx Project Review Workshop will have been exposed to using SketchUp models because we have been using them for quite a while now as a training tool. We will continue to use SketchUp for exercises in the EBCx Project Review Workshop, including in class today, so be sure to have that ready to go.

With version 2021, SketchUp has done some work that makes file sizes much smaller. So I have started posting the models in both version 2021 format and version 8 format (the latter have the letters SUv8 appended to the file name). If at all possible, I suggest that you use the SketchUp 2021 viewer so you can work with the smaller file size models as I believe they will be faster and easier to navigate in.

If you happen to have the professional version of SketchUp 2021, that will work also. But the free version, that will not work with some of the models because it runs as a web application and some of the models are too large to upload.

I have also been able to open most of the models in the relatively new SketchUp mobile applications for iPad and Android, but have also found it to be "buggy" with some of the larger ones, at least on my iPad Pro. So, while it is very smooth when it works, I suggest that you not use it - or at least not count on it (i.e. have the viewer or some version of SketchUp on a laptop that you can use) until some of the bugs are resolved.

SKETCHUP "PLAN B"
While the best way to do the model based portion of our exercises will be to work directly in the model, if you experience difficulties, you can probably accomplish the activities by using this video, which is a fly through of a previous version of the model. It includes a thumbnail based table of contents feature that allows you to jump around in the video to points of interest, and you can pause the video if something catches your eye and you want to study it a bit more.

CLASS MATERIALS

Our lab session today will be the first in a three part series that explores how to develop a finding and the related savings calculations from an initial field estimate made based on preliminary observations to the level required to sell the project and support any cost benefit analysis that might be required. The materials below will be used today and moving forward over the next three sessions. So be sure to keep them handy for subsequent sessions in addition to downloading them for today's effort.

01_-_introduction.zip
File Size:	29210 kb
File Type:	zip

02_-_initial_hw_coil_temp_rise_assessment.zip
File Size:	20986 kb
File Type:	zip

03_-_fine_tuning_hw_coil_assessment.zip
File Size:	15425 kb
File Type:	zip

break_out_guidance_v1.pptx
File Size:	466 kb
File Type:	pptx

ballroom_ahu_v24_-_ebcx_cd.skp
File Size:	27079 kb
File Type:	skp

ballroom_ahu_v24_-_ebcx_cd1_suv8.skp
File Size:	64522 kb
File Type:	skp

CLASS MATERIALS - "PLAN "B"

Here are the materials I am going to present in place of the materials above. We will begin the calculation methodology sessions in the March 2022 EBCx Project Review Workshop instead to provide better continuity for those attending the series.

In place of the original plan, we will take a look at Best Life Cycle Cost based filter operation as a concept. Then, I will walk you through a spreadsheet tool that we have built to allow you to project filter life cycle cost and compare different filters. This is the second generation of the tool and is more user friendly and much more flexible and diverse than the first generation tool I have used up to this point.

2021_filters_v1.pptx
File Size:	29758 kb
File Type:	pptx

filter_loading_model_gen_2_v11_leconte_ahu2_orig.xlsx
File Size:	51356 kb
File Type:	xlsx

filter_loading_rates_v5.xlsx
File Size:	644 kb
File Type:	xlsx

filter_loading_data.zip
File Size:	8311 kb
File Type:	zip

FOLLOW UP

The video below is a screen capture of me showing you how to use the spreadsheet in the class. I edited it to get rid of some dead spots and to at a table of contents so you can jump around to a topic of interest. The idea is that for now, it can serve as the instructions since I have not written that up formally yet.

2022-03-18 Session

In addition to the materials I posted for "Plan A" in the previous session, I will be using the slides below instead of the slides I originally posted for "Plan A" above.

2021-03-18_ebcx_project_review_lab_v1.pptx
File Size:	22650 kb
File Type:	pptx

mixed_air_control_logic_-_hijend_hotel_ball_room_improved_v4.xlsm
File Size:	1870 kb
File Type:	xlsm

economizer_logic_lab_v3.pptx
File Size:	18963 kb
File Type:	pptx

m-02_-_equipment_schedule_v8.pdf
File Size:	1527 kb
File Type:	pdf

2022-06-17 Session

We will continue to work with the lab session about developing a finding and moving from rough assessments of the cost/benefit relationships based on field observations and rules of thumb to more detailed calculations based trends and hourly and bin data. So you will want to have the materials from the 2022-03-18 session on hand.

2022-09-16 and 2022-12-15 Sessions

We will continue to work with the lab session about developing a finding and moving from rough assessments of the cost/benefit relationships based on field observations and rules of thumb to more detailed calculations based trends and hourly and bin data. So far, we have looked at thermal energy in the form of an unnecessary load created by a preheat coil with a valve that seems to be leaking by.
Today, we will look at how the thermal energy, which ends up as a false load on the chilled water system can be assessed in terms of the unnecessary cooling burden and cost it places on the central chilled water plant. In other words, if you know a cooling coil is picking up heat, how do you get from btu's/hr of thermal load to kWh consumed by the chillers and their supporting machinery.
The files below are what we will use to support the exercise.

building_documents.zip
File Size:	5072 kb
File Type:	zip

chillers.zip
File Size:	99 kb
File Type:	zip

system_diagrams.zip
File Size:	11795 kb
File Type:	zip

cooling_tower.zip
File Size:	54 kb
File Type:	zip

pump_curves.zip
File Size:	561 kb
File Type:	zip

2022-09-14_kw_per_ton_profile_v1.pptx
File Size:	6849 kb
File Type:	pptx

You may also want to have the materials from the 2022-03-18 session on hand to refer to if there are questions about the details of the preheat load. But the main work of the exercise will be accomplished with the files above. We will also be using some SketchUp models, but I plan to run them on my machine and have you navigate vs. having you run them on your machines. However, if you want to work with them directly, the files below are the ones I will be using.

plant_v41_suv8.zip
File Size:	117782 kb
File Type:	zip

plant_v44r2.zip
File Size:	140217 kb
File Type:	zip

cooling_towers_v11_suv8.zip
File Size:	20773 kb
File Type:	zip

cooling_towers_v11.zip
File Size:	22911 kb
File Type:	zip

step_1-_javier_kw_per_ton_profile.xlsx
File Size:	1780 kb
File Type:	xlsx

step_2_-_david_kw_per_ton_profile.xlsx
File Size:	1782 kb
File Type:	xlsx

2023-03-10

This session, our lab will focus on the concept of the perfect economizer. In addition to the materials:

You may find an ASHRAE Engineers Notebook article I wrote on the topic to be of interest, and
You may find the Mixed Air Calculations tool to be helpful, and
You may want to reference the blog posts about economizers since the derivation of some of the relationships and examples of techniques we will discuss are covered there.

The files below will be the ones we will work with in the lab session today.

the_perfect_economizer_v2.pdf
File Size:	44206 kb
File Type:	pdf

minneapolis_mn.pdf
File Size:	121 kb
File Type:	pdf

perfect_economizer_lines_exercise.xlsx
File Size:	9 kb
File Type:	xlsx

carpet_plot_exercise.xlsx
File Size:	1913 kb
File Type:	xlsx

san_francisco_ca.pdf
File Size:	104 kb
File Type:	pdf

carpet_plot_exercise.xlsx
File Size:	1913 kb
File Type:	xlsx

2023-06-29

This session will continue with our economizer focus, so we may reference or use some of the materials from the last session. So you should make sure you have them on hand. In addition, we will use some or all of the following materials depending on how the session flows.

For all of these exercises, you will want to have your professional version of the PG&E psych that you received after completing the EBCx Workshop (or equivalent). If you don't have that yet, you should let Ryan know so he can get you your licensed copy. And if you don't have it yet, then you can do most of what we will do using the free version of the chart.

Finally, the ASHRAE Journal Article TMI about TMY and the related links at this page may be useful for additional reference.

steve_taylor_why_enthalpy_controlled_economizers_dont_work.pdf
File Size:	1214 kb
File Type:	pdf

2023-06-29 minneapolis_mn_exercise.zip
File Size:	150 kb
File Type:	zip

2023-06-29_follow_up.zip
File Size:	8672 kb
File Type:	zip

2023-06-29 dallas_oa_high_limit_-_example.zip
File Size:	134 kb
File Type:	zip

2023-06-29_dry_bulb_vs_enthalpy_materials.zip
File Size:	7424 kb
File Type:	zip

2023-09-15

In addition to continuing to work with some of the exercises we have used in the previous sessions, we will be working with a new format I have been developing that uses 3DVista to create virtual field experiences, either from real mechanical spaces or using my SketchUp models. (3DVista is a software package that real estate agents use to create virtual tours of houses on their websites.)
These links will take you to the models we may use in class, time depending.

2024-09-24

These are the materials we will be using today along with the model at this link.

cooling_towers_v3r1.pdf
File Size:	20626 kb
File Type:	pdf

digitized_curves.xlsx
File Size:	2510 kb
File Type:	xlsx

2024-09-05_cw_stystem_diagram_v1.pdf
File Size:	10449 kb
File Type:	pdf

psych_chart.pdf
File Size:	42 kb
File Type:	pdf