C.D.S. Newsletter January 2009

In this issue...

• Announcing TRACE 700 Version 6.2!
• Optimize TRACE for More LEED® Points
• Import TOPSS Selections Into TRACE
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Meet the C.D.S. Support Staff...Clair

TRACE 700 Version 6.2 Is Now Available!

The use of TRACE has increased significantly over the past few years, primarily due to the interest in use of the LEED Green Building Rating System™. Version 6.2 continues to improve on the numerous features—such as energy modeling for LEED certification—that were implemented in the previous versions.


What’s new in version 6.2:

• Underfloor air distribution systems. Constant and variable-volume underfloor air distribution systems are now available.
• New ASHRAE Standard 62.1 report. View detailed components of the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 calculation used to determine outdoor air requirements.
• Enhanced supply-air-temperature reset capabilities. Reset supply air temperature based on outside air or space conditions as well as limit the amount of reset allowed.
• Ability to model hot-water reset. Model a reduction in boiler energy usage by resetting the hot-water supply temperature based on outdoor air dry bulb (also required for LEED modeling by ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G).
• Updated weather data. Use ASHRAE design weather parameters from the 2005 Handbook of Fundamentals.
• Hot gas reheat dehumidification feature available for unitary equipment. Accurately account for energy savings when recovering heat from the refrigeration circuit in unitary equipment for improved dehumidification performance.
• Ability to import CenTraVac™ selections from TOPSS. Import selections to get accurate unloading and full load performance when doing energy calculations.
• Ability to account for duct leakage. Input supply air leakage up- and down-stream of terminal units based on system type.

A detailed list of enhancements is available on the TRACE Release Notes page. To order your copy of TRACE 700 Version 6.2, click here.

Optimize the Use of TRACE to Maximize LEED Credit Points

Since its inception 15 years ago, the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) efforts to define high-performance green buildings has resulted in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems. Nine rating systems defining various industry markets set the standard for designing and constructing sustainable buildings. As the rating systems evolve, those looking to achieve LEED certification continue to require the most up-to-date tools to help maximize credit points. Many of you already know how TRACE 700 helps to achieve Energy and Atmosphere prerequisite 2 and gain credit points under Energy and Atmosphere credit 1, but there are other credit points TRACE 700 can help attain. Four additional credits lend themselves to the modeling capabilities of TRACE 700.

• Water Efficiency credit 3
  The Equipment Energy Consumption report shows the amount of make-up water associated with the cooling coil condensate. This information may be helpful in achieving this credit.
  
• Energy and Atmosphere credit 5, option D: Measurement & Verification
  The model used for EAc1 can be used towards achieving this credit. Reference the “International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol: Concepts and Options for Determining Energy Savings in New Construction Volume III” for detailed information on how to appropriately adjust the model from EAc1 to be used for this credit.
  
• Energy and Atmosphere credit 6: Green Power
  The model used for EAc1 can identify the baseline to achieve Green Power credits.
  
• Indoor Environmental Quality credit 8: Daylighting & Views
  Credits are awarded when a specified level of daylighting is achieved. When users create daylighting definitions within TRACE, the program generates a special report showing the foot-candles of daylight present in the spaces with daylighting controls.
  

Similar credits exist in many of the other rating systems. Feel free to contact our support center with any questions regarding the capabilities of TRACE 700 to meet these credits or any others you think TRACE may be able to help achieve.

Import TOPSS Selections Into TRACE

Recently, the TOPPS development team along with a team from C.D.S created the ability for customers to import TOPSS CenTraVac selections into TRACE 700 version 6.2. This new feature streamlines the equipment creation process in TRACE eliminating the need for users to manually build power consumed and ambient relief curves.

When a Trane Sales Engineer runs a CenTraVac selection, an option exists in TOPSS to export an XML file to TRACE. With this file, TRACE users may import the file through the Cooling Equipment library. During the import process, users choose to include pump and cooling tower information from an existing chiller library member or exclude this information. If users choose to exclude this information, it may be entered at a later time. After import, users will notice the newly created chiller includes the appropriate condenser and evaporator temperatures plus power consumed and ambient relief curves.

Future plans for TRACE include adding additional chiller families as well as rooftop unit. Find more information on TOPSS or contact C.D.S. support.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Environmental Impact calculated on the Monthly Energy Consumption? The program utilizes the values of each environmental component (SO2, CO2, etc.) provided by an Environmental Protection Agency database, based upon averages for each state, in conjunction with the TRACE 700 simulated energy consumption per year to calculate the environmental impact. The environmental impact can be seen on the different Energy Consumption Reports. For more information, visit www.epa.gov.

International locations will not display this environmental information due to the fact that the EPA only publishes data for the US.

How do I share global templates? Global templates are stored in the TRACE 700 library and can be shared in one of two ways:

1. By e-mail: If you are sharing a template for a single project, you can load the templates into a project (which converts them to project templates), archive the project, and e-mail the TRACE archive file to the other user. Remember, the templates will only be available in that single project and will not be loaded into the other user's library.

2. By creating an export file: If you want to load the templates into another user's library (assuming you do not share the same library through a network installation), create a library export file and then import that file onto the other user's computer. To create the export file (which will export ALL custom libraries from the given computer), open the Library and Template editor and select File > Export Custom Library. A library.exp file will be created in your Projects directory (in version 6.1.1 or earlier), or you will be prompted to save the file to a specific location. Take note of where the export file has been saved. Once the file has been created, send the *.exp file to the other user to import.

To import the library export file, the user will need to place the *.exp file into their Projects directory (or any directory for versions later than 6.1.1), open the Library and Template editor, and select File > Import Custom Library. Once the process is complete, a message displays the number of library members that were imported.

How do I restore fields to the values from the templates? All red values originate from templates. Numbers/text that are black are user-entered. Overriding a template value or selecting a new item from a list changes the value in the field to black. To restore a numeric value from the template, enter an asterisk (*) in the field and press Enter. For text fields where a drop-down menu is used, select *Template.

When changing or updating a template, the changes will only affect the fields in red. In other words, if the fields were user-entered on the room level (the values are black), the changes to templates will not affect these fields as the program will not overwrite user-entered values.

Meet C.D.S. Support

Clair Jacobson

I joined Trane in 1981 and have been in the CDS Department for the past 19 years. Since I work primarily in the Support Center, my best guess is that I've taken about 70,000 support calls during that time. That in turn means that I've talked to a lot of interesting people with good senses of humor.


Outside of work my interests include history, travel, and books. I find the frontier history of the Great Plains, and of the Dakota or Sioux Indians, to be particularly rewarding.

Q. What three items would you want if stranded on a desert island?

If stranded on an island, the three items I would want most would be smokes, a sufficient quantity of wine, and some writing materials.

Q. What is the most enlightening book you've read in the past year?

One of the most interesting books I've read recently is The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman. Perhaps not surprisingly, Parkman's first-hand account is about his 1846 travels across the Great Plains, including encounters with the buffalo and Dakota Indians.