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Simulation Detailed Results

The main Display options are in the bottom left of the screen. They allow you to control the content of the Detailed data and also the Display style.

The 'Analysis' tab has detailed simulation results (displayed as a line graph by default).

For more on how the output is calculated see: Calculation of DesignBuilder Output from EnergyPlus Report Variables.

Environmental/Comfort Output

• Air Temperature - the calculated average temperature of the zone air.
• Radiant Temperature  - the (area * emissivity) weighted average of the zone inside surface temperatures.
• Operative Temperature - the mean of the zone air and radiant temperatures.
• Outside Dry-Bulb Temperature.
• Relative Humidity - the calculated average relative humidity of the air.
• Fanger PMV - Fanger Predicted Mean Vote calculated according to ISO 7730.
• Pierce PMV ET - the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) calculated using the effective temperature and the Pierce two-node thermal comfort model.                
• Pierce PMV SET - the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) calculated using the 'Standard' effective temperature and the Pierce two-node thermal comfort model.                
• Pierce Discomfort Index (DISC) - the Discomfort index calculated using the Pierce two-node thermal comfort model.
• Pierce Thermal Sens. Index (TSENS) - the Thermal Sensation Index (PMV) calculated using the Pierce two-node thermal comfort model.
• Kansas Uni TSV - the Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) calculated using the KSU two-node thermal comfort model.
• Discomfort hrs (summer clothing) - the time when the zone is occupied that the combination of humidity ratio and operative temperature is not in the ASHRAE 55-2004 summer clothes region.
• Discomfort hrs (winter clothing) - the time when the zone is occupied that the combination of humidity ratio and operative temperature is not in the ASHRAE 55-2004 winter clothes region.
• Discomfort hrs (all clothing)  - the time when the zone is occupied that the combination of humidity ratio and operative temperature is not in the ASHRAE 55-2004 summer or winter clothes region.

More on Comfort Analysis...

Fabric and ventilation

• Glazing  - the total heat flow to the zone from the glazing, frame and divider of exterior glazing excluding transmitted short-wave solar radiation (which is accounted for in Solar Gains Exterior Windows below).

For windows without an interior shading device this heat flow is equal to:

+ [Convective heat flow to the zone from the zone side of the glazing]

+ [Net IR heat flow to the zone from zone side of the glazing]

– [Short-wave radiation from zone transmitted back out the window]

+ [Conduction to zone from window frame and divider, if present]

Here, short-wave radiation is that from lights and diffuse interior solar radiation.

For windows with an interior shading device this heat flow is equal to:

 [Convective heat flow to the zone from the air flowing through the gap between glazing and shading device]

+ [Convective heat flow to the zone from the zone side of the shading device]

+ [Net IR heat flow to the zone from the zone side of the glazing]

+ [Net IR heat flow to the zone from the zone side of the shading device]

– [Short-wave radiation from zone transmitted back out the window]

+ [Conduction to zone from window frame and divider, if present]

• Walls - Sum of heat gains to the zone from external wall inner surfaces.
• Roofs - Sum of heat gains to the zone from external roof inner surfaces.
• Ceilings - Sum of heat gains to the zone from ceiling inner surfaces.
• Floors - Sum of heat gains to the zone from internal floor inner surfaces.
• Floors (ext) - Sum of heat gains to the zone from external floor inner surfaces (e.g. floor in cantilevered space, roof eaves etc, not ground floors).
• Ground floors - Sum of heat gains to the zone from ground floor inner surfaces.
• Partitions - Sum of heat gains to the zone from internal partition inner surfaces.
• Doors and Vents - Sum of heat gains to the zone from door and vent inner surfaces.
• External Infiltration - heat gain through air infiltration (non-unintentional air entry through cracks and holes in building fabric) when using Simple natural ventilation option.
• External Natural Ventilation - heat gain due to the entry of outside air through natural ventilation, as defined on the HVAC tab, when using Simple natural ventilation option.
• Internal Natural Ventilation - heat gain from other zones due to air exchange through open internal windows, doors, vents, holes and virtual partitions.
• External Mechanical Ventilation  - heat gain due to the entry of outside air through the air distribution system.  You can exclude mechanical ventilation from the cooling design calculations by unchecking the 'Air Distribution On' Model Data.
• External Air - heat gain due to the entry of outside air through external windows, vents, doors, holes and cracks when using Calculated natural ventilation option.
• Mixing Air - heat gain due to the entry of inside mixing air through internal windows, vents, doors and holes when using Scheduled natural ventilation option.

Airflow

• Mech Vent + Nat Vent + Infiltration - The sum of outside air (in ac/h) flowing into the zone through:
• The HVAC air distribution system +
• Infiltration +
• Natural ventilation

Internal Gains

• Task Lighting - heat gain due to task lighting.
• General Lighting - heat gain due to general lighting.
• Miscellaneous - heat gain due to miscellaneous equipment.
• Process - heat gain due to process equipment.
• Catering - heat gain due to cooking.
• Computer and Equipment - heat gain due to computer and other IT-related equipment.
• Occupancy - sensible gain due to occupants.  Please note that this can vary depending on the internal conditions.  With very high temperatures the sensible gain can drop to zero with all cooling effects taking place through latent heat transfer.
• Solar Gains Exterior Windows -  (used to be called 'Transmitted solar gains'). Short-wave solar radiation transmission through all external windows. For a bare window, this transmitted radiation consists of solar radiation passing through the glass and diffuse radiation from solar reflected from the outside window reveal, if present. For windows with a shade, this transmitted radiation is totally diffuse (shades are assumed to be perfect diffusers). For windows with a blind, this transmitted radiation consists of beam + diffuse short-wave radiation that passes between the slats and diffuse radiation from beam-to-diffuse reflection from the slats. The heating effect of solar radiation on opaque roofs and walls is accounted for in the Roofs and Walls fabric heat conduction data. Solar re-reflected back out of the external window and transmitted through interior windows is not subtracted.
• Solar Gains Interior Windows -  Total beam + diffuse solar radiation transmission through interior windows. Requires the 3-Full interior and exterior solar model option to be set.
• Zone Sensible Cooling - is the sensible cooling effect on the zone of any air introduced into the zone through the HVAC system. It includes any 'free cooling' due to introduction of relatively cool outside air and the heating effect of any fans present. Cooling always shows as a negative heat gain in the results. It is therefore not the same as a cooling coil energy delivery when mechanical ventilation is involved. It is best thought of as the HVAC cooling contribution to the zone heat balance.  
• Zone Sensible Heating - is the sensible heating effect of any air introduced into the zone through the HVAC system including any 'free heating' due to introduction of relatively warm outside air and the heating effects of fans. It is therefore not the same as a heating coil energy delivery when mechanical ventilation is involved. It is best thought of as the HVAC heating contribution to the zone heat balance.

Surface heat gain data refers to heat transfer from the inside surface of the building elements to the zone.

Note: taken together the Internal gains and the Fabric and ventilation data above give an approximate Zone Heat Balance, i.e. the data represents all of the heat flows into and out of the zone.

Technical Note

System Heat Flows

These heat flows are plotted on the System Energy axes:

Simple HVAC

Zone Heating - energy supplied by local room heaters and reheat coils to maintain room internal heating temperature setpoint temperature when using Compact HVAC data.

Total Cooling is the rate at which total energy (sensible and latent) is removed from the mixed outside and return air stream in order to bring the mixed air stream to the specified temperature and humidity ratio of the supply air stream.

Sensible Cooling is the rate at which sensible energy is removed from the mixed outside and return air stream in order to lower its temperature to the specified temperature of the supply air stream. Any energy needed for moisture addition or removal is ignored.

Compact HVAC

• Zone Heating - energy supplied by local room heaters and reheat coils to maintain room internal heating temperature setpoint temperature when using Compact HVAC data.
• Preheat - energy supplied by preheat coils to temper the outside air before it enters the outside air mixing box when using Compact HVAC data.
• AHU Heating - energy supplied by the AHU heating coil when using Compact HVAC data.
• Total Cooling - at building level: sensible + latent cooling transfer to the supply air from the AHU cooling coil + any single zone unitary and fan coil units in the building. At zone level: sensible + latent cooling transfer to the supply air from a single zone unitary or fan coil unit.
• Sensible Cooling - sensible only cooling transfer from the cooling coil to the supply air. Latent coil heat can be calculated as the difference: Total Cooling - Sensible Cooling.
• Heat Recovery Sensible Cooling - the sensible cooling rate of the supply air by the heat exchanger. This rate is determined using the supply air mass flow rate through the heat exchanger unit, the supply air inlet and outlet conditions, and the specific heat of the inlet supply air. A positive value is reported if the supply air is cooled by the heat exchanger, else the rate is set to zero.
• Heat Recovery Total Cooling - the total cooling rate of the supply air by the heat exchanger. This rate is determined using the supply air mass flow rate through the heat exchanger unit, and the enthalpy of the supply air entering and leaving the unit. A positive value is reported if the enthalpy of the supply air is decreased by the heat exchanger, else the rate is set to zero.
• Heat Recovery Sensible Heating - the sensible heating rate of the supply air by the heat exchanger. This rate is determined using the supply air mass flow rate through the heat exchanger unit, the supply air inlet and outlet conditions, and the specific heat of the inlet supply air. A positive value is reported if the supply air is heated by the heat exchanger, else the rate is set to zero.
• Heat Recovery Total Heating - the total heating energy added to the supply air by the heat exchanger.

Building Level Only

Fuel breakdown

The data for fuel consumption for building level broken down by end-use:

• Heat Generation - total fuel consumption due to operation of heat generators such as boilers and heat pumps.
• Chiller - total chiller fuel consumption.
• Fans - total electrical energy consumed by HVAC fans.
• Pumps - total electrical energy consumed by HVAC pumps.
• Preheat - heating energy transferred from main plant preheat coils to HVAC system air when using Compact HVAC data.
• Lighting - electricity consumed by general and task/display lights.
• Room Electricity - electricity consumed by room equipment other than lights (computers, equipment, process etc).
• Room Gas - gas consumed by room equipment (miscellaneous, process and catering)
• Room Oil - oil consumed by room equipment (miscellaneous, process and catering)
• Room Solid - solid fuel (such as coal) consumed by room equipment (miscellaneous, process and catering)
• Room Bottled gas - bottled gas (propane) consumed by room equipment (miscellaneous, process and catering)
• Room Other - other fuel consumed by room equipment (miscellaneous, process and catering)

Fuel totals

Total fuel consumption for building, data available at building level only:

• Electricity  - total building electricity consumption.
• Gas - fuel consumption total building gas consumption.
• Oil - total building or oil consumption.
• Solid - total building solid fuel consumption.
• Bottled gas - total building gas consumption.
• Other fuel consumption - total consumption of all other fuels.

CO2 production

Total carbon dioxide emission for building, data available at building level only:

• CO2 - total CO2 emissions mass.

Site Weather data

Weather data stored at the site level and derived from the hourly weather file:

• Outside Dry-Bulb Temperature
• Outside Dew-Point Temperature
• Direct Normal Solar
• Diffuse Horizontal Solar
• Wind Speed
• Wind Direction
• Atmospheric Pressure
• Solar Altitude
• Solar Azimuth

Note: although Site weather data is stored at the Site level, it can be displayed at Building, Block and Zone levels too.