Building owners don’t care about what Pressure Independent (PI) Control Valve technology does. They only care about what it saves. With the new Belimo PIV Energy Modeling Plug-in, mechanical designers can accurately determine the energy savings associated with PI control valves. And they can share this valuable information with building owners in a way that is valuable and real to them!
The PIV Plug-in was developed for use with two of the most popular building energy simulation
tools on the market, Trane Trace™ 700 and DOE eQuest to answer these important questions:
• What’s the payback for using PI control valves in a given building?
• How do I quantify the benefits of PI technology so I can justify the cost to an owner?
• How many LEED points can I get for using PI control valves?
“Best Case” Versus “Base Case”
How much energy does a poorly controlled hydronic system waste? Until now, we never really knew. That’s because most modeling tools assumed the impossible – that all pressure dependent control systems controlled flow perfectly!
We know that’s not the case. The fact is, without pressure independent technology, hydronic systems suffer from inaccurate control all the time. Chronic over-flow through coils, poor waterside ∆T, and inefficient operation problems are the rule, not the exception. This is evidenced in the epidemic numbers of “Low Delta T Syndrome” in HVAC systems.
Engineers could never really accurately model energy efficiency with these “best case” assumptions. Nor could they demonstrate the benefits of pressure independent control without a “base case” comparison. Not until now.
Modeling that Reflects Real World Scenarios
With the help of Belimo’s PIV Energy Modeling Plug-in, engineers can finally model a building with and without pressure independent control valves!
This executable file installs new pump performance curves that allows owners to compare a system design with and without pressure independent control valves.
With this new modeling capability, engineers can:
• Compare the annual energy consumption of two models to estimate the savings achieved through pressure independent control valves.
• Calculate a reliable ROI for Pressure Independent Control Valves.
• Generate necessary documentation for LEED points achieved under Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance.
Credible Curves – the Key to a “Base Case” Comparison
Belimo pressure dependent pump performance curves are installed in the standard Trane Trace™ 700 and eQuest performance curve libraries, so their operation is fully transparent and compatible with existing models.
Belimo developed these curves through intense study and collaboration with leading experts in energy modeling and software engineering. They are based on actual, newly installed hydronic systems with conventional pressure dependent control valves. They are the key to the base comparison that engineers need to quantify and demonstrate the savings of pressure independent control valves.
Full documentation of the development of the Belimo pressure dependent pump performance curves is included along with the plug-in to make your models easily defensible to the most demanding audience.
Software is Free and Installs in Seconds!
The Belimo PIV Energy Modeling Plug-in for Trane Trace™ 700 and eQuest installs on your computer in seconds. Software management utilities are included to allow you to remove the software should you ever desire to.
Computer Requirements:
• Microsoft Windows XP, Windows XP Professional, or Windows 7
• Trane Trace 700, Version 6.2.X and/or eQuest, Version 3.6X