I am working on a factory building, of which only the office area (10%) is conditioned using split A/C systems and the factory area (90%) is being cooled by using direct evaporative cooling system. I believe that using an evaporative cooling system, at a location where, the ambient weather conditions allow the same is an effective way to reduce energy consumption and so, a sustainable strategy. My question is how to treat the factory area in the baseline, is it considered a conditioned area? As per ASHRAE 90.1, - an enclosed space within a building that is cooled by a cooling system whose sensible output capacity exceeds 5 Btu/h·ft2 of floor area is a conditioned cool space. I am not sure whether this definition applies to direct evaporative cooling systems.
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Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
March 5, 2018 - 11:01 am
Yes, if the system meets the minimum cooling output capacity then the space is cooled and you can compare your system with the appropriate Appendix G baseline system.
Amgad Khattab
Managing PartnerEngineering Solutions
March 6, 2018 - 12:36 am
I have been in a debate with a LEED reviewer in another LEED factory project last year. We were using also direct evaporative cooling system. The reviewer refused to consider the area served by the direct evaporative cooling system as a conditioned space. His point of view was that the direct evaporative cooling system doesn't include a cooling coil and doesn't has the capability to directly control temperature inside the space as there is no thermostat used to control any cooling coil operation.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
March 6, 2018 - 9:06 am
There was some debate among the reviewers on this point until recently. We have been instructed to follow the guidance I shared.
Amgad Khattab
Managing PartnerEngineering Solutions
March 6, 2018 - 9:43 am
Thanks Marcus
Dang Thi
ESD EngineerGreenViet Consultancy Company
3 thumbs up
February 25, 2020 - 4:30 am
I wonder, to apply the direct evaporative cooling system for other projects, do we need provide and demonstrate to LEED reviewers the documents? Or do we have any LEED Interpretation?
Thanks.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
February 25, 2020 - 11:06 am
You typically need to provide the design documents and the energy modeling reports. I am not aware of an Interpretations but you should be able to find out by Googling LEED Interpretation evaporative cooling.
Dang Thi
ESD EngineerGreenViet Consultancy Company
3 thumbs up
February 25, 2020 - 9:31 pm
Many thanks to Marcus. Recently, we submit to LEED v4, the REVIEWER always approved that system. However, in the LEED v3 they rejected so We want ask LEED Interpretation to show them. By the other ways, we have already provide the design documents and explained detail to them.