Evaluation of Auditor V1.0 By the HERS BESTEST Software Simulation Testing Protocol

Transcription

1 Evaluatin f Auditr V1.0 By the HERS BESTEST Sftware Simulatin Testing Prtcl Prepared by: Clif Payne Piedmnt Assciates, LLC. 514 Avnwd Rad Haverfrd, PA (610) piedmntassciates@verizn.net September 5, 2011

2 CONCLUSION Auditr V1.0 passes the HERS BESTEST Tier 1 sftware evaluatin because all f its prjected lad calculatins fall within the reasnable range f results fr the test cases as established by the three reference sftware prgrams. The results indicate that Auditr V1.0 s physical mdeling methdlgies and calculatins cnfrm t industry best practices. BACKGROUND The HERS (Hme Energy Rating System) BESTEST (Building Energy Simulatin Test) is a verificatin prcedure develped by the Natinal Renewable Energy Labratry (NREL) t determine the accuracy and effectiveness f the energy lad predictin capability f energy use analysis sftware. Multiple versins f the BESTEST prcedure have been develped and adapted fr certifying different types f energy use analysis sftware. HERS BESTEST is used in this evaluatin because it emphasizes the mdeling f residential huses. Many utilities, hme perfrmance spnsrs, utility cmmissins and state energy ffices require that energy auditing sftware used in their residential energy efficiency prgrams has passed a third party certificatin prtcl, which frequently includes the HERS BESTEST. The validatin methdlgy cnsists f cmparative testing in which results frm sftware prgrams are cmpared t results frm ther sftware prgrams. The cmparative apprach includes bth sensitivity testing and intermdal cmparisns. It uses a wide variety f building cnfiguratins and characteristics as test cases fr the evaluatin. The cmparative prcedure uses results frm three widely used and well-validated, detailed building energy simulatin sftware prgrams t develp a range f reasnable results fr each f the test cases. The reference prgrams used t generate the test case results are: 1) BLAST 3.0, Level 215: Develped by the U.S. Department f Defense fr use in analyzing energy efficiency imprvements fr their buildings. 2) DOE2.1E-W54: At the time f HERS BESTEST Develpment, DOE2.1E was cnsidered t be the mst advanced f the prgrams spnsred by the U.S. Department f Energy and the technical basis fr setting natinal building energy cdes and standards in the United States. 3) SERIRES/SUNCODE 5.7: SERIRES is a public dmain prgram develped by NREL. SUNREL, the calculatin engine behind the TREAT sftware, was develped as an upgrade t SERIRES. The results frm these three reference prgrams are then statistically analyzed t determine the 90% cnfidence interval fr each set f test case results. These 90% cnfidence intervals establish the range f acceptable results fr each test case. HERS BESTEST prcedures describe tw Tiers f sftware test cases Tier 1 and Tier 2. BESTEST Tier 1 tests cnsist f exercising the elements f a basic huse with typical glazing and insulatin. Specific Tier 1 tests are designed t test a prgram s ability prduce energy cnsumptin and savings results as described belw. BESTEST Tier 2 tests are mre fcused n testing a sftware prgram s ability t guide passive slar design, and are nt addressed in this dcument. Nte: Sftware is cnsidered t pass a HERS BESTEST Tier if it passes ALL tests included within the Tier. TEST CASES The fllwing Tier 1 test cases are prvided by the HERS BESTEST prcedure: Case L100: The Base Case Building. This is a 1539 sq.ft, single-stry, wd-frame, and fully vented crawlspace hme with 270 sq.ft. f single-glazed windws (distributed with 90 sq.ft. n the nrth and suth faces and 45 sq.ft. n the east and west faces). The walls are insulated with R-11 insulatin and the ceiling and flr are insulated with R-19 insulatin. This is the case against which mst ther cases are cmpared t determine if the rating tl can accurately determine energy differences due t changes in building cnfiguratin. Case L110: High Infiltratin (1.5 ach). Exactly the same as Case L100 with the exceptin f the infiltratin rate, which is increased frm its base case value 0.67 air changes per hur (ach) t a value f 1.5 ach. Case L120: Well Insulated Walls and Rf. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the wall insulatin is increased frm R-11 t R-23 and the ceiling insulatin is increased frm R-19 t R-58. Case L130: Duble-Pane, Lw-Emissivity Windws with Wd Frames. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the single-glazed windws are replaced with high-efficiency windws having an verall U-factr f 0.30 and an verall Slar Heat Gain Cefficient (SHGC) f

3 Case L140: Zer Windw Area. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the windws are replaced with wd frame walls having R-11 insulatin. Case L150: Suth-Oriented Windws. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the entire 270 sq. ft. f windws is mved t the suth face f the hme. Case L155: Suth-Oriented Windws with Overhang. Exactly the same as Case L150 except that an paque verhang is added at the tp f the suth facing exterir wall. The verhang extends utward 2.5 feet and is psitined 1 ft abve the tp f the 5-ft high windws. Case L160: East- and West-Oriented Windws. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that all the windws are mved t the east and west faces f the building with 50% (135 sq.ft.) n each face. Case L170: N Internal Lads. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the internal gains are reduced frm 68,261 Btu/day t zer. Case L200: Energy Inefficient. Exactly the same as Case L100 except fr the fllwing: Infiltratin rate is increased frm 0.67 ach t 1.5 ach, Exterir wall insulatin is replaced by an air gap, Crawlspace flr insulatin is remved, and Ceiling insulatin is reduced frm R-19 t R-11. Case L202: Lw Exterir Slar Absrbance. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the slar absrbance f the rf and walls is reduced frm 0.6 t 0.2. Case L302: Uninsulated Slab-n-Grade. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the flr system is changed frm a fully vented crawlspace t an uninsulated, cncrete slab-n-grade. Case L304: Insulated Slab-n-Grade. Exactly the same as Case L302 except that R-5.4 exterir fundatin insulatin is added arund the slab perimeter. Case L322: Uninsulated Basement. Exactly the same as Case L100 except that the flr system is changed frm a fully vented crawlspace t an uninsulated cnditined basement with 1-0" f the uninsulated basement wall and the uninsulated flr band jist expsed. This case is nt used fr cling energy lad results. Case L324: Insulated Basement. Exactly the same as Case L322 except that R-11 insulatin is added at the inside f the basement walls and the flr band jist. This case is nt used fr cling energy lad results. With the exceptin f Cases L322 and L324, each f the abve test cases is simulated in Clrad Springs, CO t evaluate heating energy lads and in Las Vegas, NV t evaluate cling energy lads. Annual Heating Lad Results fr Clrad Springs, CO Table 1 belw cnsists f the 90% cnfidence intervals fr the maximum and minimum ranges f allwable heating lad predictins prduced by the three reference prgrams cmpared against the heating lad predictins f Auditr V1.0 in Clrad Springs, CO. All Auditr V1.0 heating lad results fall within the 90% cnfidence intervals required by natinal HERS standards Table 1. Annual Heating Lad Results fr Clrad Springs, CO (Millin Btu s) Test Case Range Minimum Auditr V1.0 Range Maximum Result L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass 3

4 L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass Figure 1a belw is the graphic representatin f the data cntained in Table 1 abve. Annual Heating Lad Differential Results fr Clrad Springs, CO: Table 2 belw cnsists f the 90% cnfidence intervals fr the maximum and minimum ranges f allwable heating lad differential predictins prduced by the three reference prgrams cmpared against the heating energy lad differential predictins f Auditr V1.0 in Clrad Springs, CO. All Auditr V1.0 heating lad differential results fall within the 90% cnfidence intervals required by natinal HERS standards. Table 2. Annual Heating Lad Differential Results fr Clrad Springs, CO (Millin Btu s) Test Case Range Minimum Auditr V1.0 Range Maximum 4 Result L110-L100 (1) Pass L120-L100 (2) Pass L130-L100 (3) Pass L140-L100 (4) Pass L150-L100 (5) Pass L155-L150 (6) Pass L160-L100 (7) Pass L170-L100 (8) Pass L200-L100 (9) Pass L202-L200 (10) Pass

5 L302-L100 (11) Pass L302-L304 (12) Pass L322-L100 (13) Pass L322-L324 (14) Pass Figure 2a belw is the graphic representatin f the data cntained in Table 2 abve. Annual Cling Lad Results fr Las Vegas, NV Table 3 belw cnsists f the 90% cnfidence intervals fr the maximum and minimum ranges f allwable cing lad predictins prduced by the three reference prgrams cmpared against the cling energy lad predictins f Auditr V1.0 in Las Vegas, NV. All Auditr V1.0 cling lad results fall within the 90% cnfidence intervals required by natinal HERS standards. Table 3. Annual Cling Lad Results fr Las Vegas, NV (Millin Btu s) Test Case Range Minimum Auditr V1.0 Range Maximum Result L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass L Pass Figure 3a belw is the graphic representatin f the data cntained in Table 3 abve. 5

6 Cling Lad Differential Results Table 4 belw cnsists f the 90% cnfidence intervals fr the maximum and minimum ranges f allwable cling lad differential predictins prduced by the three reference prgrams cmpared against the cling energy lad differential predictins f Auditr V1.0 in Las Vegas, NV. All Auditr V1.0 cling lad differential results fall within the 90% cnfidence intervals required by natinal HERS standards. Table 4. Annual Cling Lad Differential Results fr Las Vegas, NV (Millin Btu s) Test Case Range Minimum Auditr V1.0 Range Maximum Result L110-L100 (1) Pass L120-L100 (2) Pass L130-L100 (3) Pass L140-L100 (4) Pass L150-L100 (5) Pass L155-L150 (6) Pass L160-L100 (7) Pass L170-L100 (8) Pass L200-L100 (9) Pass L200-L202 (10) Pass Figure 4a belw is the graphic representatin f the data cntained in Table 4 abve. 6

7 References 1. Judkff, R. and J. Neymark, "Hme Energy Rating System Building Energy Simulatin Test (HERS BESTEST)," Vl. 1 and 2, Reprt N. NREL/TP Natinal Renewable Energy Labratry, Glden, Clrad (Online at Energy Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 7