Standards Followed

 

It can be said that Energy modeling is the most comprehensive integration of individual routine for HVAC, lighting system, chiller and building envelop. It is important to understand the fact that the enormous but strategic data entry is required for completing a good energy model. Once the energy model for the building is ready with the desired input, it give off results in the form of load breakup annual energy consumption and even the breakdown of energy consumption this can be system wise breakup or equipment energy use breakup or zone wise breakup.

Having said that, we will shed some light on why energy modeling is required in LEED framework. The LEED standard by Canada Green Building Council is designed to enable low energy building development through the introduction of its Green rating system. The software available for energy modeling is sensitive enough to repot a change in annual energy consumption even if we, for e.g. slightly alter the window size on any side of a large building. The above gives rise to huge number of possibilities of improvement and optimization during the design process of a green building. It also gives off certain financial indication about the feasibility of certain options over the other available options. This constitutes strong reasons to go for energy modeling in a building.

The American Society for Heating Refrigeration and Air–conditioning Engineers ASHRAE, have developed various code and standard, which are internationally approved and used world wide for efficient building design. One such standard which is used extensively in energy modeling for building specifically for LEED projects is ASHRAE 90.1.2004 IESNA. The Appendix G in ASHRAE 90.1,2004 describes the hypothetical base-line building for any type of building proposed by the architects and developers. Thus this base-line building when modeled in energy simulation software give some value for energy consumption, which becomes a reference point for the building. There are some other technicalities like the calculation of base-line energy consumption requiring the ASHRAE 90.1,2004 model building to be rotated to 90°, 180°, and 270° and the respective annual energy consumption is averaged to calculate the reference energy consumption, which constitute the base line building.

We simulate the energy use (heating, cooling, lighting, etc.) of buildings using the DOE2 based computer software packages EE4 and eQUEST. This allows us to explore the costs and benefits of using different levels of insulation, different types of glazing and framing systems, different types of HVAC systems, etc. In short, it allows complete design flexibility for all your projects.

If you want to create an energy efficient cost effective building please invite API to be part of your team. We work closely with architectural firms to achieve a successful and industry leading project design.