C.D.S. Newsletter June 2011

When modeling an energy recovery device in TRACE, sometimes the energy savings are less than expected. If that is the case, here are a few things to consider:

• Make sure that you have defined the correct device for your application. This Engineers Newsletter covers the operation and selection of an air-to-air energy recovery device.
• Check the sensible and latent efficiencies, and adjust if necessary. ARI Standard 1060-2000, Rating Air-to-Air Energy Recovery Ventilation Equipment defines the formulas to calculate full- and part-load efficiencies for these devices. Also, the manufacturer should be able to provide these values at the device’s actual operating conditions.
• Define the correct supply-side and exhaust-side deck locations. These entries define the air streams that will be exchanging energy. Each device has specific deck locations to choose from. Make sure that the deck location you select has airflow defined to it. For example, if you have chosen Room Exhaust as the Exh-side Deck, you will need to define room exhaust in the rooms (located on the Airflows tab of Create Rooms).
• Define the correct options and controls for the air-to-air recovery device. Include bypass dampers whenever possible to prevent the fan from seeing the added static pressure drop. Add modulated controls to ensure that the device is not overheating the air, and add economizer lockout to turn it off when the air handler is in economizer mode.
• Check the ventilation schedules. Ventilation schedules control the input of outside air into the space, but they also affect wheel operation because Ventilation upstream is commonly set as the Sup-side Deck.
• Check the schedule assigned to the recovery device. Schedule the device only if you are sure that it will not operate at certain times of the year; otherwise, leave it available 100% and set the controls to modulate. This will allow the device to recover all of the time and modulate it if it is heating the air too much.
• Run a full year weather simulation. The 8760 weather will account for the peaks and lows in the weather profile that will have an impact on the energy recovery device.
• If performing an economic study, apply the first cost savings. The biggest benefit from air-to-air energy recovery devices comes from the reduction in peak load that allows mechanical equipment to be downsized. Apply the first cost savings in the economics section to ensure payback is accurate.

C.D.S. Support Mourns the Loss of Clair Jacobson

If you have called the C.D.S. Support Center, you may have spoken with Clair Jacobson, a straight-shooter with an excellent sense of humor. He worked in the C.D.S. department for 21 years and was a mentor to the C.D.S. “newbies.” We are saddened to inform you that Clair passed away April 28 after a battle with lung cancer.

Clair enjoyed his job because he liked talking to people. He wrote in a previous C.D.S. Newsletter: “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.”

Clair had a passion for storytelling and history—he had particular interest in the Dakota Indians and wrote books and articles about the 1863 battle at Whitestone Hill. He was also a former Boy Scout troop leader and an active member of his church. He was a positive force at Trane and we miss him greatly.

New Courses Available for LEED Credential Maintenance

New on-demand courses have recently been added to the Trane.com Continuing Education offering, including courses that qualify for 1.5 LEED-specific continuing education (CE) hours from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As part of USGBC’s credential maintenance program, LEED APs are required to earn 30 CE hours biennially, 6 of which must be LEED-specific.

Course Spotlight: Upgrading Existing Chilled-Water Systems
This course will provide designers with specific strategies for chiller upgrades, optimization or replacement. It covers reusing components of a chilled-water system and identifies areas where control upgrades would be beneficial.

The courses are offered at no charge. Visit www.trane.com/continuingeducation to view all online courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I keep a copy of custom library members?

It is good practice to periodically create a backup copy of custom library members, especially before installing TRACE updates, uninstalling TRACE, or making several changes to the current library members.

The backup copy is created by using the Export Custom Library function. Follow the procedure below to create a backup copy of custom library members.

Note: This function does not replace archiving project files. The Archive Project function generates a compressed file containing all of the project information, including the custom library members.

1. From the TRACE toolbar, click the Library/Template Editors icon.

2. From the Library/Template editor menu bar, click File, then click Export Custom Library.

3. The file name will default to Library.exp. Rename the file to reflect today's date.

4. Click Open.

How do I renew TRACE 700?

Thirty days before the expiration of your TRACE software license, a reminder message will pop up when you start TRACE. Click Renew to go to the online order form. After your renewal has been processed, you will receive an e-mail confirmation (typically within 7 business days). Upon receipt, complete the following steps to activate the software and reset your license expiration date.

• Restart your TRACE family program.
• When the license activation pop-up window appears, click Activate Now.
• Follow the prompts to complete the activation process.

When the activation process is complete, the message "Activation Successful" and your new license expiration date will display. The renewal pop-up message should no longer appear at program start up.

If the pop-up message still appears, please contact C.D.S. Support for further assistance.

If you have other activation questions, refer to FAQs: TRACE 700 Activation.