Forum discussion

NC-v4 EAp2:Minimum energy performance

v4 DES option 1 path 2 full performance accounting

I have a Zone 2A 6 story new construction residential dorm building uses ERU DOAS(gas fired(steam not generated on site but campus loop +DES chilled water) that provide outside air to fan coil units with electric heat. the project  has campus central plant for cooling only heating source is onsite fcu with elec heat. I used trace 700 for energy model so individual fcu system is modelled with optional ventilation fan for Outside air and energy recover. proposed  system is chilled water fan coil units with electric heat and hence plant loop is chilled water and electric heat. upstream (campus efficiency modelled) and downstream secondary loop modelled as designed. now baseline system Ashrae 2010 maps to system 2 pthp. according to des path 2 baseline should be modelled as standalone dx coil and heating will be electric heat. if i model this way it will be comparing centralized proposed building with standalone decentralized baseline pthp systems and energy savings are negative. according to Ashrae 90.1-2010 appendix g3.1.1.2 if building uses only purchased chilled water only and not purchased heat then g3.1.1.1a and g3.1.1b shall be used to select the baseline hvac system with modifications listed, in this case system 1 &2 maps to constant volume fan coil units with fossil fuel boilers. so i assigned the pthp cooling coil to chilled water loop and heating coils to fossil fuel boiler.is this modelling approach correct? in both cases upstream and downstream plant is modelled and baseline efficiencies are modelled strictly to appendix g. If i use this approach then i get about 20% savings for proposed. any insight on modelling DES path 2 full performance accounting, this will be helpful.

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Thu, 09/03/2026 - 21:04

For DES Option 1, Path 2: Full DES Performance Accounting, the Baseline is modeled according to conventional Appendix G requirements for site-generated thermal energy (i.e. no modifications for DES). So the Baseline in your residential dorm building would either be System 1 or 2 as defined in Tables G3.1.1A and G3.1.1B. In either case the Baseline cooling will be DX and the heating type will either be an on-site hot water fossil fuel boiler (System 1) or an electric heat pump (System 2). Which system is correct will be determined based on the heating source of the Proposed building. It sounds like your FCUs use electric heat; however, you mention that the DOAS is gas fired (steam not generated on site but campus loop) which sounds like its heating source is campus steam. If this is accurate it is considered a fossil/electric hybrid heating source which corresponds to Baseline System 1 with an on-site boiler using the same energy source(s) as the campus steam plant. Let me know if I am misunderstanding. 

Fri, 09/04/2026 - 16:08

Thank you Tyler, my apologies I was looking the doas eru(annexair) incorrectly. DOAS ERU uses energy wheel, hydronic cooling coils and the preheat coil (HDA300)is sized for if energy wheel fails and this heating coil is indirect gas fired furnace which uses natural gas from utility provider and is metered.  All of the heating to the spaces in the building scope is by fcu with elec heat so thats the reason i am a bit confused for heating source on proposed and baseline. 

Fri, 09/04/2026 - 17:14

I understood incorrectly the DOAS ERU unit (annex air) is hydronic - cooling CHW, heating is (HDA300)indirect gas fired and uses natural gas from utility and is metered. this pre heat section is used if energy wheel fails. the whole/majority of the building unit uses FCU-elec heat and chw. will it be still hybrid for baseline?

Fri, 09/11/2026 - 09:58

Hi Ami,From what you have described and definition of hybrid systems reads "any combination of fossil and electric heat", I think baseline system type 1 is applicable.

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