What's New
The purpose of this page is to document updates to the website so that you can quickly see if there was anything of interest added since your previous visit.

2024-09-27

  1. Added links to two other applications to the Plot Digitizer page.  These applications will allow you to digitize a curve from an image so that you can load the curve into a spreadsheet and work with it that way.

2024-09-26

  1. Uploaded my most recent ASHRAE Journal article on the topic of Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH), along with some related resources, including a virtual tour of a site with a NPSH problem.

2024-07-18

  1. SUploaded my most recent ASHRAE Journal article on the topic of Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH), along with some related resources, including a virtual tour of a site with a NPSH problem.

2024-06-13

  1. Fixed an issue with a broken link on the Logic Diagram Tool page and started to add logic diagram examples in the form of pages under the logic diagram tool page.

2024-06-11

  1. Fixed issues with broken links in the On Demand Training videos page.

2024-01-11

  1. Uploaded the follow up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 18  class I am supporting today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2023-12-16

  1. Uploaded the follow up materials for the System Diagram workshop class I supported earlier this week at the Pacific Energy Center.

2023-11-14

  1. Uploaded materials for the Steam and Hot Water Systems class I am helping to support today.

2023-10-25

  1. Uploaded follow up materials for the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I supported last week.

2023-10-25

  1. Uploaded materials for the fourth session of the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I will be supporting today.
  2. Uploaded materials for the fifth session of the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I will be supporting tomorrow.

2023-10-24

  1. Uploaded materials for the third session of the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I will be supporting today.

2023-10-19

  1. Uploaded materials for the second session of the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I will be supporting today.

2023-10-17

  1. Uploaded materials for the Commissioning Heat Pump Systems class that I will be supporting today.

2023-10-12

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 18 class that I will be supporting today.

2023-09-30

  1. General maintenance including repairing some links that were broken on the Materials from Classes and Presentations page.

2023-09-27

  1. Uploaded follow up materials for the Chilled and Condenser Water Systems class I supported last week for Local 39 to the Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page.

2023-08-10

  1. Uploaded materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Project Review Workshop that I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center to the EBCx Workshop Series 18 page.

2023-06-29

  1. Uploaded materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Project Review Workshop that I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center to the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review page.

2023-06-22

  1. Uploaded materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop that I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center to the EBCx Workshop Series 18 page.

2023-06-01

  1. I updated the Training Opportunities page to provide current information on the classes I am involved with and help support, including links to additional information and the locations where you can register to attend them.

2023-05-26

  1. Uploaded follow up material associated with the EBCx Workshop I helped support last week at the Pacific Energy Center to the EBCx Workshop Series 18 page.

2023-05-24

  1. Uploaded the information I have accumulated over the years on VAV terminal unit K factors to the Blog Support page.

2023-05-18

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 18 session that I will help to support today.

2023-04-25

  1. Posted the follow up materials associated with the design review classes I have helped support at the PEC the past two days.  
  2. Uploaded a new video where we demonstrate how the lift of a tower will dead head a condenser water pump as you reduce its speed.

2023-04-25

  1. Uploaded materials to the Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page for the design review class I will be supporting today.

2023-04-19

  1. Uploaded materials to the EBCx Workshop Series 18 class page on this site that I will be using for the class that I will be supporting tomorrow.

2023-04-17

  1. Created a page that will be used the EBCx Workshop Series 18 classes that I will help support at the Pacific Energy Center starting on April 20, 2023.

2023-04-14

  1. Uploaded revised SketchUp Models to the Hijend Hotel Models and Videos section of the Blog Support page of the website and updated the instructions for using them and how to decide which version would be best for you to use.  The revisions include making adjustments that reduce the file size and processing power required to work with them.  Based on my testing, the iPad version of the models will run in the SketchUp Mobile app (for iPads and Android devices) without crashing.  But if you plan to work with them that way, it woudl be good to verify that on your specific device.
  2. Added video fly-throughs of the models that could be used as an alternative way to view and work with the models if you are having issues with running them in SketchUp.

2023-04-11

  1. Uploaded materials for the third module of the Commissioning Heat Pumps class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Uploaded materials for the fourth module of the Commissioning Heat Pumps class I am helping to support tomorrow (April 12, 2023) at the Pacific Energy Center.

2023-04-05

  1. Uploaded materials for the second module of the Commissioning Heat Pumps class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2023-04-04

  1. Uploaded materials for the first module of the Commissioning Heat Pumps class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2023-03-10

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review class I am helping to support today.

2023-02-24

  1. Added some self-study video content on benchmarking, utility consumption analysis and scoping to the On Demand Training pages.

2023-02-06

  1. Added some self study video content on psychrometrics to the On Demand Training pages.

2022-12-09

  1. Began to upload materials for the third session of the heat pump class I have been helping to support for the Pacific Energy Center.

2022-12-06

  1. Began to upload materials for the third session of the heat pump class I have been helping to support for the Pacific Energy Center.

2022-10-17

  1. Began to upload materials for the class I will help support this coming Tuesday and Thursday to the Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page.

2022-10-06

  1. Uploaded a copy of my most recent ASHRAE Engineer's Notebook column to the ASHRAE Journal Engineer's Notebook page.

2022-10-03

  1. Uploaded higher resolution images of the figures in my ASHRAE Journal TMI on TMY Engineers Notebook column.

2022-09-16

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review class I am helping to support today.

2022-09-08

  1. Updated the benchmarking tool on the Scoping Resources page.  I discovered that there was some misunderstanding regarding how you use the tool so I made some modifications to the instructions to (hopefully) clarify the details of the data required.

2022-06-29

  1. Added a link to some variable flow resources to the Variable Flow Systems video page.

2022-06-16

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 17 class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review workshop that I will help support tomorrow at the Pacific Energy Center.

2022-05-05

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 17 class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2022-04-15

  1. Uploaded a copy of my most recent Engineers Notebook Column titled The Perfect Economizer.

2022-04-14

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 17 class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2022-04-12

  1. Uploaded materials for the online class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center titled Air Handling Systems;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues.

2022-04-05

  1. Uploaded materials for the online class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center titled Chilled Water Plants;  Basic Principles, Ongoing Commissioning/Operation, and Optimization.

2022-03-15

  1. Uploaded materials for the online class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center titled Best Life Cycle Cost Based Filter Operation.

2022-01-31

  1. Added a sub-page to the Videos page of the website with a series of four video modules on the topic of Functional Testing.
  2. Added a video to the Variable Flow Systems video page that provides an overview of the common pumping system configurations we see in building systems including constant flow, variable flow, variable flow primary/secondary, and variable flow primary only.
  3. Added my Time Value Conversion "cheat sheet" to the Tools page.

2022-01-14

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series 17 that I will be helping to support today.

2022-01-13

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series 17 that I will be helping to support today.

2021-12-15

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series 16 that I will be helping to support today.

2021-12-10

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review Workshop that I will be helping to support today.

2021-12-09

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series 17 that I will be helping to support today.

2021-12-03

  1. Uploaded materials for the Building Commissioning Association workshop that I will be helping to support today.

2021-11-30

  1. Added the spreadsheet behind the valve heat loss charts provided on the Insulation Savings Tools page.  The charts in the spreadsheet have "cross-hairs" on them that you can fine tune to allow you to read the chart more precisely, kind of like how I used to do it in the "olden days" with a pair of triangles. 

2021-11-23

  1. Added a video that explores how a variable flow primary secondary heating hot water system works.
  2. Uploaded follow up materials for the Heating Hot water and Steam Systems class (Part 1) I helped with last week.

2021-11-17

  1. Uploaded materials for the Heating Hot water and Steam Systems class (Part 1) I will be helping to support today for the Pacific Energy Center.  I also provided some pre-class preparation information for the second part of the class, which will occur on December 1, 2021.

2021-11-09

  1. Uploaded pre-class preparation instructions for the Heating Hot water and Steam Systems class I will be helping to support next week for the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-11-05

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop class I will be helping to support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-11-03

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop class I will be helping to support tomorrow for the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-10-28

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx Workshop class I will be helping to support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-10-15

  1. Posted a copy of my recent ASHRAE Journal Engineers Notebook article Modeling Perfection, that explores a technique I used to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and performance in chilled water plants and the loads they serve along with some supporting information.

2021-10-14

  1. Uploaded supporting information for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop I will be helping to support today.
  2. Uploaded the follow up information for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop I helped supported today.

2021-09-28

  1. Uploaded some supporting information for my next ASHRAE Journal Engineers Notebook column, which will be published on October 1, 2021.

2021-09-09

  1. Uploaded the  materials for today's session of the EBCx Workshop Series 17 that I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-08-05

  1. Uploaded the  materials for today's session of the EBCx Workshop Series 16 that I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-07-07

  1. Uploaded the  materials for today's session of the Pneumatic Controls Workshop that I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-07-05

  1. I have now uploaded new versions of the presentation files for the RCx101 class, the Pumps and Pipes class, the Fans, Ducts, and AHUs class and the Logic Diagram Workshop and verified that the downloads contain the correct files.   
  2. I will continue to go through the Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page to correct any other instances of presentation files being overwritten (see earlier announcement on this date) and correct them as needed.
  3. Please let me know if you run into any problems with any of the information on the website via the Contact page.

2021-07-05

  1. I just discovered that somehow, quite a few of the presentation file downloads for the different classes on the Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page were all overwritten with an upload I did this morning.   The problem appears to be limited to classes where the zip file name was "pdf_presentations.zip" and only appears to be a problem on the  Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes page.  
  2. As of this point in time, I have fixed the issue with the files for the Pneumatics Workshop class that is one of the classes in the Current Classes section of the page.
  3. I know the issue exists for the presentation files associated with the Logic Diagram Workshop, the System Diagram Workshop, the Pumps class, and the Chilled Water and Condenser Water systems class and I plan to fix them in the next hour or so.  When I have them fixed, I will put an announcement here.
  4. After that, I will work my way through the page to find and correct any other places where files were over-written.
  5. If you discover issues like this before I find them, please let me know via the Contact page.
  6. My apologies for the confusion;  Machines - 1,  David - 0.

2021-06-30

  1. Added a download of the UCAT tool (Utility Consumption and Analysis tool) to the ICEBO page in the section with the paper I wrote about the technique behind it.
  2. Added a Scoping Resources page that has a few tools that you might find useful for benchmarking and scoping an EBCx project.

2021-06-30

  1. Uploaded the  materials for today's session of the Pneumatic Controls Workshop that I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-06-25

  1. Uploaded the  materials for today's session of the EBCx Workshop Series 16 that I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-06-24

  1. Uploaded the  materials for the first session of the EBCx Workshop Series 17 I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-06-23

  1. Uploaded the  materials for the Pneumatic Controls class I will help support today at the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Added my most recent Engineers Notebook column to the ASHRAE - Engineers Notebook page.

2021-05-23

  1. Uploaded a version of the Functional Testing Guide that - thanks to the efforts of FDE's James "Scooter" Ball - will run under Edge or Chrome to the Functional Testing Guide page.

2021-05-08

  1. Uploaded follow up materials for the Design Performance and Commissioning Issues classes, the RCx 101 class, and the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop class that I helped support at the Pacific Energy Center over the past several weeks.

2021-05-05

  1. Uploaded materials for the RCx101 class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-04-28

  1. Uploaded materials for the Pumps class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-04-28

  1. Uploaded materials for the Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Units class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2021-04-17

  1. Uploaded an improved version of the third axis tool to the Excel Third Axis Tool page.

2021-03-18

  1. Uploaded a new resource to the .TAB Resources page that illustrates how the damper in a terminal unit can impact the calibration of the terminal unit flow sensor if it is in close proximity to the flow sensor.

2021-02-17

  1. Uploaded follow up information for the  PEC EBCx Workshop Series 16 session that I will help support last week to the EBCx Workshop Series 16 page.

2021-02-11

  1. Uploaded information to support the  PEC EBCx Workshop Series 16 session that I will help support today to the EBCx Workshop Series 16 page.

2021-01-22

  1. Uploaded additional information to support the current assignment for the PEC EBCx Workshop Series 15 to the EBCx Workshop Series 15 page.

2021-01-14

  1. Uploaded the video recording that discusses scope of work documents for EBCx projects to the On Demand Training page .

2021-01-14

  1. Uploaded the video recording of the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW logic diagram workshop I did today to the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise page.

2021-01-13

  1. Uploaded the follow up materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop Series 16 class I helped to support last week.

2021-01-04

  1. Uploaded the materials I will be using to help support the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop Series 16 class today.

2021-01-04

  1. Uploaded a revised copy of the logic diagram tool symbol list to the Logic Diagram Tool page.  It is very similar to what was there, but picks up a few typos I noticed along with a few other details.

2020-12-29

  1. Uploaded a copy of my most recent Engineers Notebook column to the ASHRAE - Engineers Notebook page.

2020-12-17

  1. Added a video to the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise page that shows how the basic logic that you will modify in the exercise evolved.  It also highlights how the resources that are provided can be used to support the exercise.

2020-12-10

  1. Uploaded the materials for the EBCx workshop class that I will help support today via a web meeting hosted by the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Added a page to the On Demand Training section of the website with a four video module series titled Introduction to Functional Testing.

2020-11-18

  1. Uploaded follow up information for the EBCx Workshop Class I helped with last week.

2020-10-22

  1. Fixed a typo in the formulas on the "Square Law" page and replaced the files with files with the corrected formulas thanks to the alert eyes of Jay Schuyler;  thanks Jay.

2020-10-09

  1. Build a new page that contains spreadsheets I used to plot my own thermodynamic diagrams for water and R-134a.  The page complements a new string of blog posts about the heat content of a pound of steam.

2020-10-09

  1.  Posted follow-up materials for the class I helped support yesterday to the EBCx Workshop Series 16 page.
  2. Added some resources to the Monitoring Plan Spreadsheet page.
  3. Added a video that provides and overview of monitoring plans and some of the things you might want to be thinking about when you develop one to the Videos page.

2020-10-08

  1. Replaced the lab files I uploaded previously because I zigged when I should have zagged and uploaded the lecture files twice (thanks Anthony).  Uploaded additional materials to the EBCx Workshop Series 16 page.

2020-10-07

  1. Uploaded materials for the EBCx workshop that I will be supporting at the Pacific Energy Center tomorrow to the EBCx Workshop Series 16 page.

2020-10-05

  1. Added an article that I wrote titled Analog Lessons for a Digital World to the Magazine Articles page.

2020-09-10

  1. Uploaded materials to support the PEC EBCx Workshop session I will be helping to support today.

2020-09-09

  1. Made some clarifying edits to the section of the Affinity Laws that deals with the cube rule thanks to comments from an alert reader (thanks Ray!).

2020-08-22

  1. Add two magazine articles I wrote for Heating, Piping, and Air Conditioning about right sizing pumps and fans to the Magazine Articles page.
  2. Added an Introduction to Monitoring Plans video to the Monitoring Plan Spreadsheet page.

2020-07-30

  1. Renamed the NCBC (National Conference on Building Commissioning) Training page to reflect the current reality (the conference is now the Building Commissioning Association Conference;  BCxA;  it has been for a while now;  us older folks are just catching up).
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the BCxA workshop I helped with on Monday to the BCxA and NCBC page.

2020-07-26

  1. I uploaded the materials for the NCBC class that I am helping to support tomorrow.

2020-06-24

  1. I uploaded the materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 16 class that I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2020-06-24

  1. I uploaded the materials for the Chilled and Condenser Water Systems class I am helping to support today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2020-06-23

  1. I uploaded a video of a web meeting I had with one of the groups of students doing through the PEC EBCx program regarding an exercise they are working on where they derive a flow and load profile for a central plant from trend data.   It includes a discussion and some resources regarding low delta t syndrome.

2020-06-22

  1. I uploaded a new version of the Bureaucratic Affairs Building model to the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise page and the Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt page.
  2. I added an answer video for the Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt to the Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt page.  In the video, I navigate through the model and reveal the answers to the questions associated with the scavenger hunt.

2020-06-19

  1. I added two informal videos to the SketchUp Resources page.  The videos are from two webinars I did where I walked students in an upcoming class through what they needed to do to get a copy of SketchUp installed on their computers and get familiar with the basics so they could work with the models in the class.

2020-06-17

  1. I uploaded materials that support the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy class I am helping to support today.

2020-06-10

  1. I uploaded materials that support the EBCx Workshop Series 15 class I am helping to support today.

2020-06-09

  1. I uploaded materials that will support an exercise that will be assigned in the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy session tomorrow.

2020-06-03

  1. I uploaded the follow up  materials for the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy session I helped support this morning to that page of the web site.

2020-06-02

  1. I uploaded a copy of the June Engineer's Notebook column that I wrote for the ASHRAE Journal titled Data Logging Through the Decades to the ASHRAE - Engineers Notebook page.
  2. Added a page dedicated to the Functional Testing Guide checklist for evaluating economizers during design, construction and ongoing commissioning processes.

2020-05-27

  1. I uploaded the follow up  materials for the past two sessions I have helped support for the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy to that page of the web site.

2020-05-24

  1. I added two more follow-up items to the EBCx Series 15 Workshop folder for the class I helped with on Thursday.  One is the Wall Street Journal article that I mentioned that discussed the impact of the on-going practice of allowing employees to work from home.  The other is a flushing procedure for bringing domestic hot water systems back on line after they have been idel for a while (Legionella is a concern).

2020-05-21

  1. I uploaded the materials for the EBCx workshop class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2020-05-20

  1. I uploaded the materials for the RCx101 class I will help support today for the Pacific Energy Center.

2020-05-13

  1. I uploaded the materials from the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy session I helped support today.

2020-05-07

  1. I created a web page for the ERDC 2020 RCx Academy training I am helping with and uploaded the materials from today's session to it.

2020-04-25

  1. Uploaded some follow-up materials that I thought might be of general interest related to topics that came up in one-on-one discussions I had with several students this past week, including:
  • The impact of rate and demand window changes on strategies that store energy, recover energy or shift peaks, and
  • How to deal with the "Ladder on its side" concept when you are drawing a really big system diagram and thus, have a really long ladder, and
  • How to read a triple duty valve and some other resources that show what they look like, including inside, and what you should consider when you apply one.

2020-04-23

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the class I will help support at the Pacific Energy Center last week to the EBCx Workshop Series 15 page.

2020-04-15

  1. Uploaded the materials for the class I will help support at the Pacific Energy Center tomorrow to the EBCx Workshop Series 15 page.

2020-02-12

  1. Started to upload informal videos to a sub-page under the Videos page in which I walk through the logic associated with the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW Logic Exercise.
  2. Added a sub-page to the PEC EBCx Workshop Series 15 page that contains information from student one on one discussions that I thought others in the class might also find useful.

2020-01-31

  1. Uploaded the video and logic diagram from the Webinar I supported this Wednesday afternoon that looked at how to develop the basic logic for controlling the heat exchanger in the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise.  Generally, the topic was the same as for the Webinar I supported on January 22nd.  But since it was a sort of open forum where I was answering student questions, some of the things we discussed in this session were different from the other session.   For instance, in this session, we got into a bit more detail about how finned tube radiation works and how you would come up with the set points for the reset schedule.

2020-01-23

  1. Created a page to allow documents from the now defunct Energy Design Resources (EDR) website to be accessed and downloaded.

2020-01-22

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 15 classes helped support on January 9th and 10th.
  2. Uploaded the video and logic diagram from the Webinar I supported this morning that looked at how to develop the basic logic for controlling the heat exchanger in the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise.

2019-12-17

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 15 class I will help support last week.
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review class I will help support last week.

2019-12-12

  1. Uploaded the materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 15 class I will help support today (2019-12-12).

2019-11-20

  1. The pages on the site that support the classes at the Pacific Energy Center were getting fairly large and taking a long time to open.  So, I reorganized them to create more pages dedicate to specific topics so that they would load more quickly.   There are now separate pages for each of the following Pacific Energy Center Class types;  Pacific Energy Center Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues Classes along with an archive for materials from previous versions of those classes, Pacific Energy Center EBCx Project Review Workshop, and ​Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series with a separate page for each class.
  2. Uploaded the follow up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 15 class I helped support on Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15, 2019.

2019-11-13

  1. Uploaded the materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 15 class I will help support on Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15, 2019.

2019-11-11

  1. Uploaded the materials for the Logic Diagrams Workshop I will be helping to support at the Pacific Energy Center on Wednesday, November 13, 2019

2019-11-10

  1. Uploaded the the follow up material for Thursday for last week's U of W class to the class web page.

2019-11-05

  1. Uploaded the the follow up material for Tuesday and Wednesday for the current U of W class to the class web page.
  2. Added a magazine article about commissioning steam valves and a related application bulletin about implementing course/fine control to the Magazine Articles page of the website.
  3. Added a page to the Videos section of the website that has a video showing how temperature stratification patterns vary in a mixed air plenum as an air handling unit goes through a day of operation.  The page also includes some information about velocity stratification in a mixed air plenum and data that demonstrates how a coil will smooth out both temperature and velocity stratification due to its thermal mass and resistance to air flow.

2019-11-05

  1. Uploaded the modified slides for the current U of W class to the class to the class web page.
  2. Uploaded follow-up materials for the PEC EBCx Series 15 Workshop class.
  3. Uploaded follow-up materials for the NCBC workshop.

2019-11-04

  1. Uploaded the modified slides for the current U of W class to the class to the class web page.
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the day to the class to the class web page for the U of W class.

2019-10-30

  1. Added an Affinity Laws page to the Useful Formulas section of the web site.  Or more specifically, finished building the page so that it no longer says "Under Construction".

2019-10-22

  1. Started uploading materials for the Electric League of the Pacific Northwest commissioning class to the ELPN page of the site.

2019-10-20

  1. Created a page to allow attendees of the upcoming Cx class sponsored by the Electric League of the Pacific Northwest to download class materials.

2019-09-24

  1. Started to upload materials for the class tomorrow to the NCBC 2019 web page.

2019-09-10

  1. Updated the upcoming events calendars on the Training Opportunities page to add some recently scheduled events.

2019-09-09

  1. Uploaded the "answers" to the Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW System Logic Exercise to this location.

2019-09-05

  1. Added a section to the NCBC training materials page where I will be placing the materials for the Control System Logic Workshop I will be supporting at the upcoming Building Commissioning Association Annual Conference.
  2. Revised the data for the next Existing Building Commissioning Project Review Workshop I will help support in October (was September) at the Pacific Energy Center.
  3. Added an Upcoming Events calendar for classes I occasionally provide for Portland General Electric.

2019-09-03

  1. Added a page referencing the calculation appendix in the Functional Testing Guide to the Useful Formulas portion of the website.

2019-08-30

  1. Added the Functional Testing Guide page to the website with a zip file that contains a downloadable version of the Functional Testing Guide, which is a tool that provides guidance for developing functional tests for building systems along with a number of other resources.  This blog post highlights some features of the guide if you are not familiar with it.   Until recently, you could access the guide from the internet but the sites that supported it seem to have taken that page down.   But if you download the zip file provided on the Functional Testing Guide page and follow tine installation instructions, you will be able to use the guide off line, just like you were able to previously with the online version.

2019-08-13

  1. Added the class materials for the Marriott AEP class session I am supporting today to the Marriott class AEP webpage.
  2. Added the slides I used today on what sets the cooling coil discharge temperature on most systems along with the maximum and minimum flow rates to the Marriott class AEP webpage  in the follow up zip file.

2019-08-06

  1. Added the follow-up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 14, Session 12 that I helped to support last week. 

2019-08-04

  1. Added an "official" version of the Bureaucratic Affairs Building Scavenger Hunt to the site. 

2019-07-31

  1. Added a Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) resources sub-page to the Resources page.
  2. Added the formulas for Circular Equivalent Duct, Effective Duct Length, and Hydraulic Diameter to the Useful Formulas page along with related discussion about why they are useful and the differences between circular, rectangular, and flat oval duct.
  3. Added an Effective Duct Length Tool to the Tools portion of the website.

2019-06-27

  1. Added the NCBC 2009 presentation I did about mentoring field technicians, which includes a case study revolving around a "significant emotional event" that occurred early in my career while working on a built up direct expansion refrigeration system serving an ice rink and chilled water cooling system to the NCBC page.

2019-06-25

  1.  Started to upload the materials for the System Diagram Workshop class that I will be supporting at the Pacific Energy Center tomorrow, June 26, 2019 to the Pacific Energy Center Classes page.

2019-06-24

  1. Fixed a few typos in general.
  2. Worked on the Training Opportunities page to get the event calendars located there up to date.

2019-06-23

  1. I have now finished the revisions I was making to the SketchUp Models page, which I started on the 19th.  So everything should be good to go.  Hopefully, the new organization and content makes it easier to work with the models and find the SketchUp Resources you need to use them.  And for two of the models, I added some leading questions to get you started on your scoping effort and point you in the right direction.
  2. As you may have noticed, I also reconfigured the site a little bit to make some of the things that were originally located under the Resources page directly available from the site header so they are easier to find.

2019-06-19

I have been working on a major revision to the SketchUp models pages today.  I still have a way to go and right now, the pages are in a bit of disarray.   So, if you are looking at them today, you may just want to wait a day before doing anything with them.

The goal of the effort is to improve and expand on the basic resources you need to work with SketchUp and use the models.  That part of the effort is pretty complete. So, if you are getting ready for the system diagram class at the PEC next week or simply getting ready to work with the models, the information on the SketchUp Resources page is pretty firm.  Meaning that in terms of downloading and installing the resources you need to work with the models and understanding how to do that, you should be good to go.

But in terms of working with the models, you need to give me a day or two to get the reorganization done; thanks for your patience.

2019-06-12

  1. Uploaded a number of different resources associated with the field class and related lab sessions this week to the Marriott AEP class page.
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the most recent EBCx Workshop class at the Pacific Energy Center to the PEC Class Materials Archive page.
  3. Uploaded all of the materials I had from the EBCx Series 12 Workshop class at the Pacific Energy Center to he PEC Class Materials Archive page.

2019-06-03

  1. Uploaded the slides and calculation examples from the Marriott AEP webinar this morning to the Marriott AEP class page.

2019-05-26

  1. Uploaded a video of a discussion with a student about how to do an energy calculation along with the spreadsheet we worked on together to the Marriott AEP class page.
  1. Uploaded a video of a discussion with a student about how to do an energy calculation along with the spreadsheet we worked on together to the Marriott AEP class page.

2019-05-22

  1. Uploaded the follow up materials for the Monday, May 20,2019  AEP Class webinar to the Marriott AEP class page.

2019-05-10

  1. Uploaded the materials for the most recent AEP Class exercise to the Marriott AEP class page.

2019-05-01

  1. Uploaded the materials for the RCx 101 class that I will help support today to the Pacific Energy Center Classes page.

2019-04-19

  1. Uploaded the materials for the current Marriott AEP class exercise to the Marriott AEP page.

2019-04-19

  1. Added a tool to the Tools page that allows you to create a third axis in an Excel spreadsheet and supports the blog post I wrote on the topic.
  2. Uploaded follow-up materials for the EBCx workshop I supported last week at the Pacific Energy Center to the PEC Class Materials Archive.

2019-04-12

  1. Uploaded the materials from the presentation I did yesterday for the ASHRAE Oregon chapter on commissioning control systems to the ASHRAE page. I also included links to the resources I mentioned during the talk.

2019-04-08

  1. Uploaded the example calculation I created in the webinar today to the Marriott AEP web page. It demonstrates how to calculate the savings associated with getting the H-O-A switch on the lead evaporator pump starter back into the Auto position for the pump in the chiller plant model.

2019-03-25

  1. Uploaded the next SketchUp model exercise to the Marriott AEP web page.

2019-03-22

  1. Placed the follow-up materials for yesterday's class on the main University of Wisconsin DDC Class page.
  2. Uploaded the answer key for the chilled water plant scoping exercise to the Marriott AEP web page.

2019-03-21

  1. Placed the models we might use today and related scene guides for them on the main University of Wisconsin DDC Class page.

2019-03-20

  1. Placed the follow-up materials for today's class on the main University of Wisconsin DDC Class page.

2019-03-19

  1. Placed the follow-up materials for today's class on the main University of Wisconsin DDC Class page.

2019-03-18

  1. Moved the October 2018 University of Wisconsin DDC Class materials to the University of Wisconsin Archive page and placed the materials for today's class on the main University of Wisconsin DDC Class page including some follow-up information.

2019-03-17

  1. I realized I forgot to include the slides I shared that showed the chiller with a free cooling cycle in the upload yesterday for the EBCx Workshop.  So, I have added that PowerPoint to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials Archive page. Slide 79 is where the information regarding a chiller with the free cooling option starts, but the other slides may be useful if you are trying to understand vapor compression refrigeration cycles and what the components associated with that look like in the field.

2019-03-16

  1. I uploaded the follow up materials associated with the logic diagram exercise answer for the EBCx Workshop to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials Archive page. Note that there is a READ ME file that describes what the other files are.
  2. I uploaded the follow up materials associated with the EBCx Project Review Workshop to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials page.  Note that there is a READ ME file that describes what the other files are and also includes some links that address questions that came up.

2019-03-12

  1. I uploaded the ball room AHU scoping exercise for the Marriott AEP class on the Marriott AEP class page. 

2019-03-04

  1. I started uploading the follow-up information from the AEP face to face session last week.  I started with the files you need to do the chiller plant exercise since the webinar associated with it will be in a week.  I will continue adding the rest of the information this evening and tomorrow so check back if you don't find what you want right now. 

2019-02-19

  1. Added my NCBC presentation on power failures and power failure recovery as a resource, including links to some information on those topics and integrated operation and control testing.  

2019-02-15

  1. I forgot one of the supporting files for the Bureaucratic Affairs Building SketchUp model exercise and added it just now.  Specifically, the description of the history of the facility was missing (02 - Bureaucratic Affairs Building Description v2.pdf).  Sorry for the confusion.
  2. I also replaced the 01 - Bureaucracy Building v9 SUv8.zip file including testing that it would open in an older version of SketchUp by opening it with my copy of Sketchup Pro version 8.  At my end, I am running SketchUp Pro v18, but when I distribute files, I back-save them to SketchUp Pro v8.  Apparently, in this case, I only thought I had done that.  Someone just e-mailed me saying that when they try to open the file I put up yesterday with an older version of SketchUp, they get an error message telling them the file I had originally put up there was a version 18 file.  My apologies for that  and I believe the issue is now rectified.

2019-02-14

  1. Added another SketchUp Model based exercise.   This exercise uses the model as a supporting piece of information to support a control logic exercise that I use in some of my classes.  More specifically, in the exercise, you modify the control logic diagram, point list, and narrative sequence for a heat exchanger to add a reset schedule.  
The current model depicts the hot water heating system serving the Bureaucratic Affairs Building, located on the mythical Center Of the State University campus in lovely Golden Girl, Missouri.  So, even if you are not doing the exercise, you might find the model useful to understand what a relatively small, simple system supporting finned tube radiation and reheat coils would look like. 

Since the model is not yet developed to the point where it has partitions and all of the detailing that I have in some of the other models, it is also a good one to open up and learn the basic SketchUp skills you need to explore the other models (zooming, panning, orbiting, measuring, and using scenes). 

And since the model will eventually support a scoping exercise like the ones associated with the Chiller Plant model, the Cooling Tower model, and the Ball Room Air Handling Unit model, there are already a few existing building commissioning "Easter eggs" for you to find in it.

​In about a month, I will go over this exercise in the most recent class I have used it in.  At that point, I will add the answers to the model's page so you can check yourself if you try the exercise and are not in the class.

2019-02-04

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the AEP Webinar on centrifugal machines that I supported this morning.

2019-01-28

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the AEP Webinar on loads and psychrometrics that I supported  this morning.

2019-01-08

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the AEP Webinar on Scoping I supported on Monday morning.

2018-12-21

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the AEP Webinar I supported on Monday morning.

2018-12-20

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Variable Speed Drive class that was presented last week at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-12-11

  1. Started to upload the materials for the Variable Speed Drive class I am helping with tomorrow at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-12-05

  1. Set up a new web page to support this years Marriott AEP class.

2018-11-15

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop classes on November 8th and 9th.  Bear in mind that these are only my materials. Ryan will provide a complete set of materials via the class website he maintains.  But this is how I get my materials to him so if you want an "advanced look", this will get you there.

2018-11-13

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Systems class. 

2018-11-07

  1. Uploaded the materials for the Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Systems class.  There were issues with the web site editor that kept me from doing that until just now. You can also find copies of the materials at this link.

2018-10-29

  1. Added a page to the Tools web page to highlight the Pacific Energy Center's Universal Translator Tool.
  2. Added the follow-up materials for the Logic Diagram Class I helped support last week to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials web page.
  3. Added the follow-up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series 14 Session 3 that I helped support last week to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials Archive web page.

2018-10-24

  1. Finished uploading the materials for today's Logic Diagram Workshop at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-10-23

  1. Started to upload the materials for the Logic Diagram Workshop that I will help support at the Pacific Energy Center tomorrow.

2018-10-20

  1. Uploaded follow-up materials to the  University of Wisconsin DDC Controls Class page for the Wednesday and Thursday sessions, something that I had forgotten to do until just now.  Sorry about that.

2018-10-14

  1. Uploaded class materials to the NCBC Assessing and Optimizing Central Chilled Water Plant Load and kW per Ton Profiles class page.

2018-10-09

  1. Uploaded follow-up materials to the  University of Wisconsin DDC Controls Class page.

2018-10-08

  1. Uploaded follow-up materials to the  University of Wisconsin DDC Controls Class page.

2018-10-07

  1. Set up the web page for this week's University of Wisconsin DDC Controls Class.
  2. Set up the web page for the class I will be helping with at the National Conference on Building Commissioning next week.

2018-10-03

  1. Updated the SketchUp models home page to reflect the most recent version of free SketchUp and how to work with the models.
  2. Set up the web page for the class I will be helping with at the National Conference on Building Commissioning next week.

2018-09-22

  1. Uploaded follow up materials for the Control Systems, Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class that I supported this week at the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Uploaded follow up materials for the EBCx Workshop Series class that I supported this week at the Pacific Energy Center.
  3. Uploaded follow up materials for the EBCx Project Review class that I supported this week at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-09-18

  1. Uploaded the content for the Control Systems;  Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues class  that I am supporting at the PEC tomorrow to the Pacific Energy Center Classes page.

2018-09-16

  1. Uploaded the pre/post class quiz questions and answers to the Portland General Electric Class Materials page.
  2. Added a page that includes tools and resources for assessing savings achieved by adding insulation, in particular, insulation to mechanical systems.

2018-09-11

  1. Uploaded the content and handouts for the Building Tune-ups for Efficiency class to the that I supported for Portland General Electric to the Portland General Electric Class Materials page.

2018-09-03

  1. Uploaded the follow-up information for the NAVFAC classes I was involved with last week.

2018-08-31

  1. Added a web page for some sessions I am supporting for Portland General Electric and uploaded the content from the session in April at the NW Facilities Expo that provides an overview of the commissioning process with a focus on existing building commissioning.

2018-08-21

  1. Added the content for the upcoming NAVFAC NW DDC Controls Class to the NACFAC page.

2018-08-09

  1. Added a downloadable copy of the job posting for a support position at the Pacific Energy Center Tool Lending Library to the PEC Tool Lending Library page.  You can also learn about more about the library and the posting in a recent blog post I put up.

2018-08-04

  1. Added the follow up materials for the System Diagram Workshop that was held last Wednesday at the Pacific Energy Center.
  2. Updated the training page to show some new class dates.
  3. Added copies of some papers I wrote for ICEBO back when I was at PECI that some may still find useful.

2018-08-01

  1. Added the remaining materials for the System Diagram Workshop today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-07-31

  1. Started to upload the materials for the System Diagram Workshop at the Pacific Energy Center on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.
  2. Added a number of legacy SketchUp Make (free SketchUp) install files to the SketchUp page along with some information on why you might want to use them.

2018-07-20

  1. Added a recording of a GoToMeeting session I did with a student to discuss their EBCx project and their system diagram to the PEC Class Materials Archive page.

2018-07-18

  1. Added a number of magazine articles that Jay Santos wrote (and a couple that I wrote) about control system design and logic diagram development on our Magazine Articles page.
  2. Added a link to the Cooling Tower Scoping Exercise to the SketchUp Models home page.

2018-07-05

  1. Added a video to the Cooling Tower Flow Variation page that shows a pressurized cooling tower distribution system in action, which is a contrast to the first two videos, which show gravity feed cooling tower distribution systems.
  2. Added a video to  the Cooling Tower Flow Variation page that shows how weirs interact with variable condenser water flow to cause the flow in a distribution basin to favor the entering face of the fill before allowing flow to reach fill that is deeper into the tower.

2018-07-04

  1. Added a second video that shows a really mysterious cooling tower flow variation situation that we ran into recently at a facility down in the Bay Area.
  2. Did some minor edits here and there to fix some issues with links and content.

2018-07-01

  1. Added (finally) my first video illustrating some of the problems that can come up when you try to vary flow over a cooling tower.  I should have a blog post up to complement this video in the immediate future and when I do, I will add that link here and to the page that the video is on.
  2. Updated the model in the Chilled Water Plant System Diagram Exercise and added a scene guide to make it easier to get around in the model.
  3. Added a Cooling Tower Scoping Exercise to the SketchUp Models page.  It is is similar in nature to the Ballroom AHU Scoping Exercise and includes the model, a scene guide, and the answers in the form of a findings list with some supporting information for each of the findings.  (Don't cheat;  give the exercise a shot before you look at the answers).
  4. Added a link on the home page to RCx University.  This is a really great site created by a team lead by Brian Clark at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) to support their RCx training program.  It is available to the general public and is very well organized to facilitate a self education process for those interested in learning the skills and techniques you need to work in this field.  The only way you can truly appreciate the site is to go visit it.  Once you are there, you will have a hard time leaving and I am sure its bookmark will be somewhere near the top of your favorites list.

2018-06-26

  1. Created a web page where I plan to place scans of the 1964 Carrier Design Manual (second printing 1968).   Even though the manual was written a while ago, since it is based on physics, and since buildings and systems that were designed back then (in the olden days) are still around, the manual can be a useful tool if you encounter a design from that era, either in its original configuration or modified.
  2. Added a video of a GoToMeeting session with a student from the PEC were we discuss the system diagram he is working on for a very complex air handling system and how to move from paper and pencil (nothing wrong with that incidentally) to using something like PowerPoint and the System Diagram tool we have on this website to do the drawings.  In the video, in addition to discussing the system diagram, I demonstrate how to work with MS Office drawing objects like the ones in the System Diagram and Logic Diagram tools.  Note that there are also a number of other videos at this location where I am discussing system diagram techniques and concepts, and in some cases, savings assessment techniques with several students, all of whom offered to share them since the information may be helpful to others.

2018-06-14

  1. Uploaded a paper and related resources for presentations I was involved with at ACEEE 2004, and NCBC 2004 regarding real time testing for building envelope leakage.
  2. Uploaded a recording of a GoToMeeting session I had with a student to discuss a system diagram they had developed and how to go about performing a savings calculation for potential fan static pressure reductions and schedule optimizations in an air handling system they are working on.

2018-06-12

  1. Uploaded the followup materials for the June 6, 2018 RCx 101 Class.
  2. Uploaded follow-up materials for the EBCx Series 13, Session 11 class; primarily in the form of a recording of a GoToMeeting session I had with a student to discuss a system diagram they had developed and how to go about performing a savings calculation for a HHW system reset schedule.

2018-06-06

  1. Finished uploading materials to the website for the RCx 101 Class.

2018-06-04

  1. Started to upload materials to the website for the Wednesday RCx 101 Class.

2018-05-17

  1. Uploaded the followup materials for the Thursday ​NAVFAC Pacific class.

2018-05-16

  1. Uploaded the followup materials for the Wednesday ​NAVFAC Pacific class.

2018-05-14

  1. Uploaded the followup materials for the Monday NAVFAC Pacific class.

2018-05-10

  1. Uploaded the flyer for the next  Existing Building Commissioning Workshop class I helped teach at the Pacific Energy Center.  We will be starting a new series on June 28, 2018.  The prerequisite RCx-101 class will be presented on June 6, 2018.  You can find out more about both classes along with the flyer on the Training page.
  2. Posted the presentations for the week for the NAVFAC Pacific DDC Controls Class I am helping with next week.  I also posted some supplemental materials for the Monday session.

2018-05-08

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials associated with the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop class I helped teach last week at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-05-07

  1. Added upcoming events to the training web page.
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials associated with the Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class I helped teach last week on Chilled and Condenser Water systems at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-05-05

  1. Made a few clarifying improvements to the set up story on the Ballroom AHU Scoping Exercise page;  thanks for your suggestions Brian!
  2. Added a spreadsheet tool that I use to visualize things like transmitter operating lines or reset schedules;  anything that is defined by the equation of a straight line.   The page also includes some slides about calibration since that is one of the primary things I use the tool for.

2018-05-02

  1. Added the materials for today's class at the Pacific Energy Center on Chilled and Condenser Water Systems.

2018-04-26

  1. Added a new SketchUp model exercise in the form of an air handling system that you can scope out for existing building commissioning opportunities.

2018-04-14

  1. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Pumps;  Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues class that I helped with at the Pacific Energy Center on Wednesday.
  2. Uploaded the follow-up materials for the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop class that I helped with at the Pacific Energy Center on Thursday.
  3. Moved the materials from last year's Pumps;  Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues class to the PEC Class Materials Archive page.

2018-04-13

Added
  1. Uploaded the remaining materials for the NAVFAC Jacksonville class.

2018-04-11

Added
  1. Uploaded the remaining materials for the class on Pumps at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-04-10

Added
  1. Started to upload materials for tomorrows class on Pumps at the Pacific Energy Center.

2018-04-03

Added:
  1. Uploaded the basic presentations we are using for the NAVFAC SE class.

2018-04-02

Added:
  1. Added the supporting information for the Monday and Tuesday classes for NAVFAC SE.

2018-03-20

Added:
  1. Added the follow up and supporting materials for the U of W DDC class Wednesday and Thursday sessions.
Updated:
  1. Updated the Logic  Diagram Tool and related symbol list to version 9, which fixes a number of typos, improves several symbols, and adds a symbol for hard wired interlocks like safeties.  These control elements lie outside of the control system programmed logic, but must work in concert with it.  This symbol allows you to indicate that the functions exist so there impact can be assessed by someone studying the logic for a particular system.
  2. Updated the sample logic diagrams included on the Logic Diagram Tool page to reflect the latest version of the logic diagram tool.
  3. The logic diagram tool uses Microsoft Office drawing objects and shapes for the symbols.   If you are not familiar with how to use them, I added some links to on-line tutorials about the basics for you to reference on the Logic Diagram Tool page.   Since the System Diagram Symbols are also built from Microsoft Office objects, the techniques illustrated by the links on the Logic Diagram Tool page will also help you work with the system diagram symbols.

2018-03-16

Repaired:
  1. Fixed a problem with the PEC VSD Class materials download.  I had uploaded the wrong class previously.

2018-03-13

Added:
  1. Uploaded materials that will support the U of W DDC Controls Class we are teaching today in Orlando Florida along with the follow up materials for the class yesterday.

2018-03-12

Added:
  1. Uploaded materials that will support the U of W DDC Controls Class we are teaching today in Orlando Florida.
  2. Uploaded a new version of the logic diagram tool and the PowerPoint file that defines the symbols it uses.  It is not substantially different from the previous version but it includes some minor fixes to the symbols and we have started adding additional detail to the symbol definition files that illustrate how they work.

2018-03-07

Modified:
  1. Finished uploading materials for the Variable Air Volume Systems;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class that I am teaching with Ryan Stroupe today.

2018-03-06

Modified:
  1. Started to upload materials for the Variable Air Volume Systems;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class that I am teaching with Ryan Stroupe at the Pacific Energy Center on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.

2018-03-01

Modified:
  1. Modified the class dates for upcoming Pacific Energy Center classes to reflect recent changes to the schedule that we made to minimize wear and tear on the old guy (me) and save travel costs.   They are not big changes.  In general terms, the Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class I do each month will move from Tuesday of the week I am there to Wednesday of the week I am there.  The EBCx Project Review class (open only to graduates of the EBCx Workshop Class and similar programs elsewhere) will move from Monday of the week I am there to Friday of the week I am there.

2018-02-17

Added:
  1. Added the follow up content for the Economizers;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class to the Pacific Energy Center Classes webpage.

2018-02-06

Moved:
  1. Moved the content from the Variable Speed Drives;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class down the page to make room for the content for today's class.
Added:
  1. Added content for the Economizers;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class to the Pacific Energy Center Classes webpage.
Repaired:
  1. Repaired a problem that was causing some of the links in the buttons on the Pacific Energy Center Classes web page to ask for a password instead of taking you to the correct location.   Something had changed the html code that made some of the links work and to be honest, I really don't know how that happened.  But I have fixed and tested all of the links on the Pacific Energy Center classes page and they seem to all work again.   I will test the buttons on the  other pages later today or tomorrow and make sure they work.  If you encounter an issue like this, be sure to let me know, and thanks to the person who brought this to my attention (it took me a while to figure it out).
  2. Related to the preceding, the buttons only jump you down a page in most instances or in some cases, jump you to a different page on the web site.  So, if you run into this problem before I find and fix any issues that are left, the work around is to not use the button and either page down until you find the content further down the page or, if the button was taking you to a different page on the site, navigate to that page using the drop down menus.

2018-01-22


Updated:
  1. Updated the Logic Diagram Tool with a new version that clarifies some of the instructions about using the tool (the information on the "Instructions" tab, all the way to the left in the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet).

2018-01-19


Updated:
  1. Updated the Logic Diagram Tool with a new version that fixes a few minor bugs.  The examples that were in the original tool were moved to separate files;  see below.
  2. Reorganized the drop down menus so they were in alphabetical order.
Added:
  1. Added the follow up materials for an Oregon ASHRAE event I spoke to a new page I created under the Resources - Materials from Classes and Presentations page.
  2. Added examples of logic for the mythical Bureaucratic Affairs Building HHW system, a typical mixed air temperature control loop, and a cooling tower with variable speed fans and a bypass valve on the Logic Diagram Tool webpage.

2018-01-12

Added:
  1. Started to develop a "What's That Thing?" page illustrating the components of a field erected direct expansion refrigeration system that I was fortunate enough to spend some time with.   Currently, I am loading pictures into the slide show.  Once I get that done, I will create a page that you can link to if you want to know more about any of the items you see in the slide show.

2018-01-06

Added:
  1. Added a web page with the follow up materials from the presentation I did at the 2018 BEST Annual Institute.

2017-12-17

Added:
  1. Added the follow up materials from the most recent EBCx Project Review workshop.

2017-12-17

Added:
  1. Added an Archive Page for the Pacific Energy Center class materials.  This will provide a location for me to make the resources from older classes available when I do a new version of a class.
Shifted:
  1. Shifted my materials for the EBCx workshop class to the Pacific Energy Center Class Materials Archive page.  The reason Ryan and I decided to do this is that class is led by multiple instructors and in addition, some of the items Ryan provides are only available to class attendees.  Thus, the only way to get a comprehensive download of all of the materials for a given class is to use Ryan's FTP site.  It turns out that it created confusion for me to post my materials for the class on the PEC Class Materials web page.  So bottom line, you will still find my materials there but you should use Ryan's FTP site or the USB drive he passes around in class as the source for a comprehensive download of all of the class materials.

2017-12-16

 Added:
  1. Changed the home page a bit so the copyright on the picture always shows.  The picture is one my brother took of the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania skyline a while back. I lived most of my childhood there and its a pretty cool picture.
  2. Added the last of the followup materials for the recent NAVFAC class in Norfolk Virginia.

2017-12-13

Added:
  1. Added quick link buttons to the Pacific Energy Center class materials web page.
  2. Began to upload materials for the EBCx workshop class tomorrow.

2017-12-12

Added:
  1. Uploaded the materials for the Variable Speed Drives class that I am helping to teach today at the Pacific Energy Center.

2017-12-06

Added:
  1. Added followup materials for the NAVFAC class for this week up through today.

2017-12-04

Added:
  1. Added a section on the NAVFAC classes materials webpage for the NAVFAC Atlantic class this week.

2017-11-22

Added:
  1. Added the remaining content about induction motors to the Induction Motor Principles On Demand webpage.

2017-11-18

Added:
  1. Added a web page for the ACEEE papers I have written and started to upload content to it.
  2. Uploaded follow-up materials from the PEC EBCx Workshop sessions last week.

2017-11-15

Added:
  1. Added a webpage with Pneumatic Control Resources.  These resources were originally located on a different "cloud" but I moved them to here to improve access and make them easier to organize and maintain.  I have also added a little silent movie that provides an overview of pneumatic hardware that I have encountered on my EBCx projects along with animations that illustrate how one and two pipe pneumatic controllers work and a few bottom lines on the topic of pneumatic control and actuation.
  2. Uploaded the follow up materials for the Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Systems class that I helped Ryan Stroupe present at the Pacific Energy Center last week.

2017-11-07

Added:
  1. Finished uploading the content for today's class at the Pacific Energy Center on Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Systems.

2017-11-06

Added:
  1. Added a webpage to post articles written by Jerry Williams, one of my friends and mentors and a Senior Vice President at 8760 Engineering.
  2. Added a webpage as at temporary home for some on demand content I developed with Ryan Stroupe of the Pacific Energy Center and began the process of uploading the content. The content consists of narrated slides that explain some of the basic principles behind induction motor operation.   They are complemented by some videos on the Videos page.
  3. Added a video that illustrates a pump test along with how a centrifugal load interacts with an induction motor.
  4. Started to upload the content for tomorrow's class at the Pacific Energy Center on Fans, Ducts and Air Handling Systems.

2017-11-04

Added:
  1. Added my NCBC 2015 presentation about how to operate filters for best life cycle cost and the benefits associated with that approach, along with the ACEEE paper that I wrote with Mike Chimack on the same topic.
  2. Added the NAVFAC SW DDC class follow-up materials to the NAVFAC class materials web page.

2017-10-31

Added:
  1. Added a NAVFAC webpage and the follow-up materials from the Monday session of the NAVFAC San Diego DDC Class to the Materials from Classes and Presentations page.

2017-10-30

Added:
  1. Added future class dates for a number of classes and venues to the Training page.
  2. Added two videos to the Video page that illustrate how instability in one system can ripple out and trigger issues in a different system.

2017-10-27

Added:
  1. Added a Control Standards and Logic Diagram Examples page that contains links to a number of University standards.  I will also be adding logic diagram examples that I develop with the logic diagram tool to this new page as time permits.

2017-10-25

Added:
  1. Added a Pacific Energy Center Tool Lending Library page to the General Resources page.
  2. Added a Pacific Energy Center Resource Center page to the General Resources page.
  3. Added the followup materials from the Control Systems;  Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues class to the Pacific Energy Center class materials page.
  4. Added the followup materials from Mondays EBCx Project Review Workshop class to the Pacific Energy Center class materials page.
  5. Added resources to the Data Logging Resources web page.
  6. Added a case study about a clean room make up air system to the Case Studies webpage.

2017-10-24

Added:
  1. Added the materials for today's Control Systems;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues class to the Pacific Energy Center Class page.
  2. Moved the materials from last month's System Diagram Workshop class from the Current Class section to their own section on the Pacific Energy Center Class page. 
  3. Added the MCC Powers valve and damper sizing engineering bulletins to the General Resources section of the website.
  4. Added the Honeywell Gray Manual to the General Resources section of the website.

2017-10-23

Added:
  1. Added a page with the information I have pulled together on our field experiences with Variable Flow Refrigeration Systems.

2017-10-17

Added:
  1. Started adding the follow-up materials from the NCBC workshop to the NCBC page.

2017-10-15

Added:
  1. Added the models for the NCBC Variable Flow Chilled Water Plants workshop to the NCBC webpage.
  2. Added install files for older versions of SketchUp to the SketchUp Models page so that people with older machines that will not support the current 64 bit version of SketchUp can still work with the models if they want to.
  3. Updated the models for the Chilled Water System Diagram exercise to the latest version of the models.   The new models are not fundamentally different from the models that were there previously, but have more detail.

2017-10-14

Added:
  1. Added the PID resources to the Resources page.
  2. Uploaded the models we will use in the NCBC workshop on Monday.

2017-10-13

Added:
  1. Added the National Building Control Information Program reports to the General Resources page.
  2. Added the follow up information for Wednesday and Thursday to the U of W  classes web page.

2017-10-10

Added:
  1. Added the models we will use in class tomorrow to the U of W  classes web page.

2017-10-09

Added:
  1. Follow up materials from the class today along with a few things to support the class tomorrow were added to the U of W  classes web page.

2017-10-08

Added:
  1. Created a web page for the upcoming U of W DDC class and uploaded the supporting materials for my sessions tomorrow.

2017-10-07

Added:
  1. Added a logic diagram tool page that has an Excel spreadsheet based tool that will allow you to use Excel to develop control logic diagrams along with a number of related resources.
  2. Added a page about Eikon for Educators and WindLGC, which are alternatives to the Logic Diagram Tool with the added benefit of allowing you to simulate your logic once you have developed it.
  3. Added an NCBC Presentations page to allow me to post papers and information from past and current presentations at the National Conference on Building Commissioning.

2017-10-02

Added:
  1. Added the follow up materials from the EBCx Series 13 Session 2.

2017-09-25

Added:
  1. Added a number of data logging resources including PECI's data logging best practices guide, a series of articles I wrote for Heating, Piping, and Air Conditioning magazine about data logging, and a sample monitoring plan spreadsheet.

2017-09-21

Added:
  1. Added my materials from the second session of the 13th Series of the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop that I help teach at the Pacific Energy Center.

2017-09-20

Added:
  1. I added the follow up materials for the System Diagram Workshop at the Pacific Energy Center yesterday.
  2. Added the materials from the Logic Diagram Workshop from last month at the Pacific Energy Center.
  3. Added the materials from the Steam and Hot Water Systems class from late June at the Pacific Energy Center.
  4. Added my materials from the first session of the 13th Series of the Existing Building Commissioning Workshop that I help teach at the Pacific Energy Center.

2017-09-19

Added:
  1. I added the materials for the class today at the Pacific Energy Center on System Diagrams.

2017-08-30

Modified:
  1. The date for the next EBCx Workshop and Project Review session at the PEC changed and I modified the Training page schedule for the class to reflect that.

2017-08-29

 Added:
  1. Added an interactive exercise that you can do to try your hand at making a system diagram of a central chilled water plant by working in a SketchUp Model of the plant.

2017-08-27

 Added:
  1. Added a Copyright and Permissions page under the Contacts page.   We are still freely sharing things, but felt we needed to do due diligence in terms of protecting our intellectual property a bit.

2017-07-12

 Added:
  1. Added the Useful HVAC Equations and Concepts Concepts page.

2017-07-10

Reorganized:
  1. Re-organized the General Resources section to make independent pages for each of the resources.
 Added:
  1. Added a general resource page that contains copies of Bill Coad's writings, including Energy Conservation is an Ethic, his Fundamentals to Frontiers columns, his Engineering Discussions from his website, his article about Steam System Fundamentals and his book on energy engineering, 

2017-07-08

 Added:
  1. Added the most recent version of an EBCx Skills Guidebook that we use as a resource for a number of the technical classes that I teach.  It is structured around the framework of the ten key commissioning skills that I discuss in my blog post titled Key Retrocommissioning Skills .
  2. Added a 10 Skills Learning Objectives Checklist  tool that complements the guidebook by providing a list of learning objectives for each of the skills that you can use to track your progress if you undertake a self study effort focusing on commissioning skills, in particular, existing building commissioning skills.

2017-06-30

Added:
  1. Added the Chilled Water Flywheel case study that was presented at the National Conference on Building Commissioning 2013 (NCBC 2013).
  2. Added a System Diagrams Resources page, which includes PowerPoint and AutoCAD symbols libraries.
  3. Added new training and presentation dates that have come up on my schedule in the next 5-6 months or so.
Modified:
  1. Fixed miscellaneous errors and typos.

2017-06-26

Added:
  1. Added the materials from the PEC class last month titled RCx 101.
  2. Added a cooling tower image slide show to the "What's That Thing" home page.  I still need to add information describing the various images to the actual cooling tower page, but this is a start.
  3. Fixed the problem I mentioned previously (see the 2017-05-22 "Head's Up") about the axis being mislabeled in the pump curve examples and in the sample Plot Digitizer Spreadsheet.  I think I have all of them fixed now and a new version of the spreadsheet uploaded.

2017-05-22 

Added:
  1. The materials from the PEC class last month titled Chilled Water and Condenser Water Systems;  Design, Performance and Commissioning Issues.
Heads Up:
  1. I managed to miss-label the axis on the pump curves and related images that I recently uploaded to the website;  The Y axis should be head in ft.w.c. and the X axis should be flow in gpm.  I have them the other way around;  couldn't see the forest for the trees I guess.   Specifically, the issue exists with the images on the Square Law formulas page, the Pump Digitizer Pump Curve Example page, and in the curves in the Pump Digitizer Spreadsheet tool you can download from that page.  I will be fixing that and uploading new versions of the files,  but I probably will not get to that for a day or two and wanted to let you know.  The issue  is purely a labeling issue with the axis and you can change it yourself if you have already downloaded a copy of the spreadsheet too.  My apologies for the error, and my thanks to Sabastian St. John and Jay Cmiel for pointing it out to me.

2017-05-14 

Added:
  1. A pump optimization case study that looks at how the dynamics of piping systems that have large pumps in parallel serving long, common headers can be leveraged to save energy.
  2. A copy of a magazine article that I wrote for Consulting Specifying Engineer that looks at condenser water system piping design issues, where things are literally a game of inches.  This item as well as the pump optimization case study complement a blog post I wrote about pump cavitation.
  3. A Fisher Controls bulletin that discusses control valve cavitation that I reference in a blog post I wrote about pump cavitation.

2017-05-11 

Added:
  1. ​A Plot Digitizer Pump Curve example, which is a spreadsheet that illustrates a pump curve created in Excel using Plot Digitizer data and which can serve as a template for creating your own Plot Digitizer generated pump and fan curves.
  2. Information on the "Square Law" including downloadable .wmf files with the formula in them along with an explanation of how to apply it along with a spreadsheet tool that generates a system curve using the square law based on a design point or a point established by a field test.
  3. The materials from the PEC Pumps;  Design, Performance, and Commissioning Issues class.
  4. Additional examples of pumps and pump related information in the Pumps portion of the What's That Thing page.
  5. Additional information about the Pacific Energy Center EBCx Workshop Series class.

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