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HVAC Load Calculation Software

Sarah Gudeman

Principal | Practice Lead

BranchPattern

LEEDuser Premium Member

6 thumbs up

January 27, 2020

Wondering if we can have a dialog on HVAC load calculation software... we are currently still using Trane Trace 700, but with the future migration to Trace 3D+ coming are looking into other options. Never used HAP but I haven't heard great things, and we dabbled in IES VE for a while, but went back to Trace since at that time there was no sunset date established.

In thinking more about integration with energy modeling software tools and gbXML import / export functionalities, I'm wondering where other MEP firms are seeing or feeling like the future is leading. We have not been impressed with the functionality of Trane 3D+ so far... but HAP feels like a step backwards. While IES is a larger investment and then would parallel some of the energy modeling functionality OpenStudio / Energy+ offers (not to mention our lighting design group wouldn't use it, so we'd lose efficiencies there). And then there are the load calculation functions in Revit, but I don't personally know of anyone using those to actually size equipment or designs.

Curious what others are feeling like when peering into the future sunset of Trace 700, and I thought an interesting conversation would be had here as we continue to evolve as an industry. Thoughts?

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Donald Posson

Vice President

SmithGroup

LEEDuser Premium Member

0 thumbs up

Mon, 01/27/2020 - 17:35

We have already made the jump from Trace 700 to IES as our load calculation standard. It definitely required a large investment in re-training our engineering staff across the firm, however, we have found numerous benefits to the switch, including... 1. Engineering staff are cross trained to help with both HVAC load calculations and energy modeling (IES is the std for our energy modeling group) 2. IES uses the Heat Balance Method for loads.

Kim Shinn

Executive Principal and Senior Wizard

TLC Engineering Solutions

LEEDuser Premium Member

62 thumbs up

Mon, 01/27/2020 - 22:00

Like SmithGroup, TLC made the jump also from Trace 700 to IES almost 10 years ago, with similar observations. We have a few old hide-bound mossbacks that have clung onto Trace, but with its incipient demise, I am hoping we can move everyone onto the IES platform. We have an enterprise license for IES. We had resistance in the transition, mostly around the reports - engineering checksums and room sheets, mostly. But IES listened to us and has come up with much friendlier reporting, which dampened a lot of the pushback. As for the gbXML import capability... sigh. We still find it most productive to get simple mass models from architects, or even simple PDF's of floor plans and elevations and create the 3D geometry ourselves. Full-blown Revit models from architects have way too much detail and very poor geometric discipline (it is ungodly how many holes exist in most architects' BIM models - literal holes where the exterior envelope is discontinuous).

Brian Turner

CMTA

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Mon, 01/27/2020 - 22:12

To add a 3rd voice to that of Don and Kim, CMTA is gradually migrating toward IES as well. We still use Trace some for now but understand that it will not be available for new projects after 2022. Also mostly unimpressed by Trane 3D compared to other available tools.

Pete Jefferson

Principal

BranchPattern

LEEDuser Premium Member

0 thumbs up

Tue, 01/28/2020 - 14:29

A 4th here for IES as well, with that switch coming circa 2011, so we probably had the benefit of Kim's feedback to IES. I know we've shared a lot of feedback with their team over the years, and have had good support. There are so many efficiencies when your load calcs are done in the same program as your modeling, which is one of the reasons we selected IES. That said, the software landscape has changed dramatically since then, so I feel like we're probably due to revisit our tools in general.

We did struggle with deployment across all offices and practicing engineers, so in the end, we decided to create an expert in each office who handles most of the load calcs for that office (we also share across offices). We still allow Trace for relatively simple projects that don't include energy modeling, but that seems to be gradually diminishing in quantity as each year goes by.

Sarah Gudeman

Principal | Practice Lead

BranchPattern

LEEDuser Premium Member

6 thumbs up

Tue, 01/28/2020 - 16:57

Thanks for the responses so far, all! Reinforcing my suspicions that if we're going to train people to use new software, it might as well be IES instead of Trace 3D+. We clearly weren't ready for it back 8-9 years ago, but it seems like a natural progression at this point. It is interesting to me that there aren't really a lot of competitors in the field. I wouldn't even say that IES and Trace are in the same league when it comes to software and while there are lots of new entries and interest into the energy modeling / building optimization arena people seem content to conveniently forget about load calculations sometimes.

Paul Erickson

Principal / Building Performance Practice Leader

Affiliated Engineers, Inc (AEI)

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Tue, 01/28/2020 - 18:58

We have been moving towards EnergyPlus and IES. With 17 offices there is still some holding onto TRACE, but like others have mentioned, TRACE 3D Plus left much to be desired in our beta testing efforts. IES has been the go-to for our CA offices, due more to the T24 energy modeling shared benefits than ease of adoption. EnergyPlus (uses heat balance method similar to IES) has not necessarily been an easy adoption either, but the overall ability in energy modeling to do a lot of pre- and post-processing has been attractive to us. The load calcs are essentially a useful byproduct in that case. This flexibility also makes for connecting into larger database and scripted mechanical design workflows much easier. We are currently exploring the new Revit analysis capabilities for load calcs, which will leverage EnergyPlus, but using OpenStudio SDK. Paul Erickson LEED® AP BD+C Principal AEI | AFFILIATED ENGINEERS, INC. 5802 Research Park Boulevard | Madison, WI 53719 P: 608.236.1112 | C: 303.859.7523 perickson@aeieng.com | www.aeieng.com Follow us: [twitter] [instagram] [linkedin]