Hello,

we’re currently simulating an hotel building pursuing LEED v4 Certification. Regarding the simulation procedures, we have two questions:

  1. Schedules: for purposes of energy simulation, is it mandatory to use default schedules from some specific reference (e.g. COMNET) or is it possible to model the expected schedules for lighting, equipment, occupancy (based on the type and location of the hotel and considering the previous hotel operation experience shared by the owner)? In any case, the baseline and proposed building would consider the same operating schedules. Below the main figures associated with owner expectations:
    1. lighting: circa 5 EFLH per day;
    2. equipment: circa 5 EFLH per day (except minibars that work permanently)
    3. occupancy: circa 12 EFLH per day.

  1. Occupancy rates: for purposes of energy simulation is it mandatory to consider 100% of the guest rooms floor area ventilated and conditioned for 8.760 h/year? In this particular hotel, the expected annual occupancy rate is circa 60%, with seasonal variations ranging between 40% (winter periods) and 100% (summer). A management strategy will be implemented to minimize the number of guest room active floors (total: 5 floors), as follows:
    1. monthly occupancy rate equal or below to 40%: 3 floors active, 2 floors inactive;
    2. monthly occupancy rate between 40% and 75%:  4 floors active, 1 floors inactive;
    3. monthly occupancy rate higher than to 75%: all 5 floors active;

Please note that monthly occupancy rates will be considerered equally for proposed and baseline.

AHUs used for guest room ventilation are endowed with variable speed drives and pressure sensors connected to the AHUs are installed by floor (thus, air dampers associated with empty floors will be closed). Given this, we would like to confirm if for simulation purposes we can consider that:

  1. guest rooms located on inactive floors are not conditioned, ventilated and do not have energy consumption associated with lighting and equipment (except the mini-bars, kept working 8.760 h/year);
  2. AHUs serving guest rooms will monthly adjust its outdoor airflow rate to the active number of floors (e.g. 3 floors active correspond to 60% of outdoor airflow rate and lower fan energy use). For the inactive floors, a pulse ventilation of 2 hours per day will be also considered.

Please note that these assumptions shall be considered equally for proposed and baseline.

Regards.