Detailed HVAC - Biomass Boiler & Gas fired Calorifier

jlong · Posts: 25

Is it possible to set the fuel type to match that of wood pellet or wood chip boiler within designbuilder?

The building I am modelling has a biomass boiler with secondary gas fired boiler.

It also has a separate gas fired water heater with preheat calorifier heated via solar panels. I know it is possible to install the second calorifier, but not in series with each other only in parallel

This is for compliance with Ashrae 90.1 and for associated LEED credit.

Please Help

Andy Tindale · Posts: 2619 Location: Stroud

I think that this is under development at the moment but will check for you. It will certainly possible to connect boilers to solar hot water loops in the next beta. I seem to remember that it will also be possible to connect boilers in series in the near future.

Andy

Andy Tindale · Posts: 2619 Location: Stroud

Also to answer your specific question about biomass fuel type, this isn't possible currently but we will look at allowing user-defined fuels when introducing the more flexible results system that is under development at the moment.

Andy

jlong · Posts: 25

Hi Andy,

thanks for the quick reply. do you know if it is possible to edit the IDF file to 'model' biomass, and if there is a quick soloution to modelling the solor within the IDF file? coded text for example. im new to the whole E+ and am not confident in editing IDF files for such a large building.

Andy Tindale · Posts: 2619 Location: Stroud

Hi James,

There is no "built in" fuel option for biomass as far as I know, though it is probably possible to set up a meter to do this. I can't advise on this as I've never done it myself.

The easiest thing to do would be to use a different fuel to account for biomass consumption and just display results in a spreadsheet with say "Coal" switched to "Biomass". The important thing will be to ensure that you use the right boiler efficiency curve for a biomass boiler. The name of the fuel can be changed in results.

You could consider using our next beta with solar heating systems. Editing HVAC IDF data is difficult for a people new to E+. It should be available in the next few days.

Andy

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