Date
Inquiry

Our project is a 41,000 sqft museum building with exhibit, studio, classroom, retail, office space, and an auditorium. Because of the tight humidity control, the museum requires a constant volume air handling system for the museum spaces in the building. The constant volume system designed is permissible under the ASHRAE 90.1-1999 Chapter 6 prescriptive path. Specifically, two critical requirements of the prescriptive path are satisfied by the design: - The design\'s fan power limits are within those prescribed in section 6.3.3.1 for constant volume systems. - Reheating of the supply air is allowed per exception 6.3.2.3, as this is a museum building with a specific dehumidification system. According to the ECB method, systems with water cooled condensers and fossil fuel heating that serve multi-zone non-residential spaces shall be compared to "System 2." System 2 is a VAV system with chilled water and a fossil fuel boiler. Because the space-use dictates a constant volume system, and given that the proposed system is allowable per the Chapter 6 prescriptive path, we are asking the USGBC to allow us to compare the constant volume systems of the proposed design to constant volume systems in the budget building.

Ruling

(Revised 2/7/07) The project is requesting a waiver from the Energy Cost Budget requirements of comparing their proposed system type to a variable volume system. Yes, the project team may model the budget building as constant volume. The project has met the requirements of table 11.4.3A note 4. Applicable Internationally.

Internationally Applicable
On
Campus Applicable
Off