Copyright 2002 by XENERGY and E Cube for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, or distribution of this information in any form is restricted.

EQUIPMENT SIZING & INSTALLATION

Michael D. Haughey, P.E.

Boulder, CO

Spec and Sell Energy Efficiency 2002

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Why is Proper Equipment Sizing Important?

Q It positions you as an energy efficiency expert and sets

you apart from the average contractor
Y Proper equipment sizing shows you are thinking about energy
efficiency, proper equipment selection, and high quality from the
drawing board to the end product.
Q It positions you as a value-added service provider
Y You are giving the owner a personalized service that closely looks at
his/her concerns and building specifics
Y You are working to ensure that the owner is investing wisely
Q It contributes to overall credibility and professionalism

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Equipment Sizing
Steps in equipment sizing and selection

Load Calculations

Equipment Selection

Ductwork, Piping & Accessory Sizing & Selection

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Importance of Load Calculations

Performing load calculations reduces the chance of improperly
sized equipment.
Q This means REDUCING the chance of...
Y Occupant comfort problems
Y Poor equipment efficiency/performance
Y Excessive equipment wear and tear
Y Larger than necessary utility bills

Q This means INCREASING the chance of…

Y The high occupant comfort levels
Y Utilizing the equipment’s maximum
efficiency/performance potential
Y Contributing to longer equipment life
Y Overall client satisfaction

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Overview of Load Components

Internal Loads
Q People (Occupant Density & Activity Level)
Y Usually determined by code requirements, ASHRAE Std. 62
recommendations and/or by owner’s knowledge of his/her building use
Y Varies upon use of space and occupant activity level (office, retail,
restaurant, etc.)
Y Cooling load per person depends of space use
» Per ASHRAE, office type load is 250 BTUh/p sensible heat gain, 200
BTUh/p latent heat gain.
» Total heat gain of 450 BTUh/p
Y Proper determination of occupant density/loads improves chance of…
» Good temperature/humidity control
» Adequate ventilation air and improved IAQ

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Overview of Load Components

Internal Loads
Q Lighting
Y Usually expressed in Watts/ft2
Y Important to review type of light fixtures
» Light to space will vary for fixtures mounted in ceiling plenum
» Actual wattage of energy efficient fixtures (including ballast
energy) should be used rather than a familiar rule of thumb
(discussed later)
Y Important to evaluate path of heat to plenum
Q Equipment
Y Usually expressed in Watts/ft2, HP, or Watts listed for each
item and an accounting for diversity
Y ASHRAE Handbooks have tables relating to heat gain from
equipment
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Overview of Load Components

External Loads
Q Conduction
Y Heat gain through exterior surfaces (walls, windows, roofs, floors) due to
temperature differences
Y Depends on conductivity or thermal resistance of building material
» “U” Value or “R” value ( R = 1 / U )
» Load calculation handbooks usually have U values for typical wall, roof, and
window constructions
• Also check manufacturer specs on actual products
» Q = U x A x dT
Where: Q = Heat Gain Across Surface (BTUh)
A = Area of Surface (ft2)
dT = Temperature difference across surface

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Overview of Load Components

External Loads

Q Solar Heat Gain

Y Directly related to…
» Shading Coefficient (SC) of the glass
• Measure of how much radiant heat is transmitted through the glass
» Exposures (North, South, East, etc.)
» Location of building
» Time of day
» Altitude
» Atmosphere
Y Check ASHRAE and other handbooks for tables on solar heat gain
factors

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Overview of Load Components

Ventilation Loads
Q Outdoor Air heating/cooling
Q Largely dependent on local code, ASHRAE Std 62
Q IAQ concerns are major driving force
Q Also look at type of space
Beauty parlors, restaurants, etc. may need more minimum OA intake levels
due to more internal odors, contaminants
DESIGN » These spaces may also require more than normal OA make-up
TIP for exhaust

Q Psychrometric calculations are necessary when determining

ventilation loads
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So you’ve completed your load calculations…

You’ve double checked them
You’ve printed out a report to give to your client

Now it’s time to select some High-Efficiency

Equipment!

Let’s discuss a few important issues...

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Use of Safety Factors

DESIGN
Package DX equipment should NOT be significantly oversized! TIP

Q Typically no more than 10% safety factor added to RAW load

Y Discussed by ASHRAE Std. 90.1
Y Remember not to add safety factor upon safety factor
Y Keep people, lights, equipment, etc. to their raw values
Y Then add 10% to FINAL load value (this is the design load - stay close to this
size!)
Q Problems with Oversizing Equipment
Y Excessive cycling, temperature swings
Y Poor humidity control
Y Possible too much airflow & noise
Y Adds to cost of equipment, ductwork and accessories
Y May result in overall poor occupant comfort
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Nominal Equipment Sizes

Q When the next equipment size is beyond your 10% safety
factor... DESIGN
Y Review your loads! TIP
» Check for any excess allowances
» Look at load diversity and actual space use
• Have you allowed for diversity in equipment use?
(every piece of equipment may not be on at the same time, etc.)
• Have you sized the equipment for rare occurrences?
Y If you have to go with the larger size…
» Look at using anti-short cycle timers
» Look at zone dampers with bypass
» Try to select a size where part load eff. is
high at most common operating level
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Rules of Thumb
NEVER use rules of thumb to size and select equipment
Y This may lead to many of the equipment sizing problems listed
previously DESIGN
TIP
Q Rules of Thumb should be used as a sanity check only
Y Are useful to verify ballpark value of final load calculations
Y Are useful for verifying the ballpark value of software calculations
Remember...
Y Rules of thumb are different for each type of building
» An office building will not have the same “load per square foot” rule of
thumb as a restaurant or classroom, etc.

In general… stay away from rules of thumb!

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Ductwork, Piping & Accessory Sizing &

Selection
Should be sized and selected to maintain the efficiency and
performance of the AC unit
Q Ductwork & Piping
Y Should be sized per pressure drop / noise /
velocity recommendations of design
guidelines
Y Undersized ductwork and piping can lead to
» Excessive wear and tear on the equipment
» Poor occupant comfort
» Many other problems
Offer your customers the option of installing slightly larger than normal
ductwork.
Q This will allow for quieter operation and less power required by the equipment
Q It will mean more REVENUE for you SALES
TIP
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 Ductwork, Piping & Accessory Sizing &
Selection
Q Accessories
Y Economizer
» Major energy savings impact
» Enthalpy control for more humid climates
Y Dampers
» Tight sealing
» Position RA and OA blades to provide good air mixing
Y Filters
» Match the unit
» Make sure dP is not too high
» No gaps in filter housing
Y Thermal Expansion Valves (for split systems only)

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 Equipment Sizing Resources

Manuals and Handbooks

Load Calculating Software
Design Software Packages
Classes & Seminars

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 Equipment Sizing Resources

Manuals and Handbooks

Q Offer easy reference
Q Can be used anywhere (field, office, etc.)
Q Some offer forms to keep track of load inputs
Q Good for those who are not comfortable with software
Y Is the source material for software tools!
Q Can range from very detailed and theoretical to
simplified, easy reference versions

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Manuals & Handbooks

Q Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) www.acca.org
Y Manual B - Principles of Air Conditioning
Y Manual C - What Makes a Good Air Conditioning System
Y Manual D - Duct Design
Y Manual E - Room Air Distribution Considerations
Y Manual G - Selection of Distribution System
Y Manual J - Residential Load Calculations
Y Manual N - Commercial Load Calculations
Y Manual P - Psychrometrics
Y Manual CS - Commercial Applications Systems & Equipment
Q Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractor’s National
Association (SMACNA) www.smacna.org
Y Similar Manuals to ACCA, but no manual N

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Manuals & Handbooks

Q Carrier www.carrier-commercial.com
Y System Design Manual - Volume 1 “Load Estimating”
Q Trane www.trane.com
Y Air Conditioning Manual
Y Rooftop VAV Design Manual
Q Refrigeration Service Engineer’s Society www.rses.org
Y Selecting Air Conditioning Equipment
Q ASHRAE www.ashrae.org
Y Various Handbooks on theory and equipment
» More detailed and scientific than others

Q McGuiness
Y Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings
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Load Calculating Software

Q Does most or all of the calculations for you
Q Most offer easy interface for input of data
Y Usually Windows based
Q Most have a lot of flexibility to account for various design
scenarios, construction materials, weather, etc.
Q Calculations methods are usually based on established
ASHRAE methods
Q Allow for the input of “template” data to be used for similar
jobs/buildings
Y Reduces effort and time spent on subsequent load calcs
Many software DEMOs available for FREE!
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Load Calculating Software

Q Wrightsoft www.wrightsoft.com
Y Right J or Right N
» Residential (multi-zone) and commercial load calculation
» Based on ACCA Manual J & Manual N
Y Right - HVAC Tools
» Hydronic pipe sizing, Gas pipe sizing, fan laws, duct sizing, etc.
Y Right - Psychrometrics
Q Trane www.trane.com
Y Load Express
» For light to medium commercial
» Short learning curve - geared towards new software users
Y TRACE Load 700
Y Engineer’s Toolbox
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Load Calculating Software

Q Elite www.elitesoft.com
Y CHVAC - commercial load calculation
» 2, 10, 50, 100 zone and unlimited zone versions
» 2 and 10 zone versions are focused on light commercial
» Automates compliance with ASHRAE Std. 62 - IAQ
Y RHVAC - residential load calculation
» Based on Manual J
Y HVAC Tools
» Collection of utilities
Y Ductsize
Y Psychart

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Load Calculating Software

Q Carrier www.carrier-commercial.com
Y Block Load and Block Load Lite
» Block load does single and multiple zones
» Block Load Lite just does single zone applications
Y Duct Design
Y Water Piping Design
Q Carmel www.64.163.147.66/carmel
Y Loadsoft 4.0 - commercial loads
» Can purchase upgrade from other packages such as Trane,
Wrightsoft, Elite, etc.
Y Residential 3.0 - residential loads
Y Pshychrometric 4.5
Y Toolbox 3.0

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Design Software
Q Most packages include loads, psych, duct sizing, energy
calcs, coil selection, etc.
Q Can be very detailed and provide room by room results
and systems and building totals
Q May be a helpful resource for larger commercial jobs
Q Products
Y Wrightsoft
» Rightsuite Residential
» Rightsuite Commercial
Y Carmel
» Design Build 4.0
Y Others

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Classes & Seminars

Q Many manufacturer’s and organizations have them
Q Can be about general design or related to a company’s
software package or manual
Q Very helpful since they are interactive
Y Immediate answers to questions
Q Check websites or get on mailing lists
Q Offered by...
Y ACCA
Y SMACNA
Y Trane
Y Carrier
Y Carmel
Y Others
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Equipment Installation
Properly sizing
and selecting
high efficiency
equipment is only
HALF of the Properly installing
process! that equipment
and accessories is
the second HALF

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Equipment Installation
Remember you are selling High Quality!
Q Follow Manufacturer’s and Industry Guidelines.
This will help:
Y Minimize chance of faulty operation
Y Minimize chances of premature failure
Y Minimize occupant comfort complaints
Y Minimize maintenance/service problems
Y Allow yourself to spend more time selling, less time fixing
Y Improve the chances of customer satisfaction
INSTALL
Make sure you check ASHRAE 90.1 for the latest requirements. TIP

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Special Focus Items

Q There are installation items that can greatly affect the

overall efficiency of a system
Q Sometimes these are overlooked
Q Paying special attention to these items will
Y Help maintain the highest efficiency and quality possible
Y Once again, set you apart from the average contractor!

So what are they?

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Special Focus Items

Duct Sealing

Utilities estimate that as much as 25% of heating and cooling costs are lost
through leaky ductwork.
RSES Journal Sept 2001

Q Improper duct sealing can also result in:

Y Poor temperature and humidity control
Y Excessive pressure loss and poor fan performance
Y Excessive air noise INSTALL
Q Reduce the chance of these problems by: TIP
Y Using mastic and then duct sealing tape
Y Checking the installations
Y Performing a duct leakage test and documenting the results

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Special Focus Items

Ducted vs. Plenum Returns
Q Issues related to open plenum returns
Y Efficiency is affected by tightness of building envelope
Y For older buildings, building cavities/plenums can be very leaky
» This results in loss of conditioned air and system pressure

Q Benefits of ducted returns

Y Greatly reduce the chance of leakage (given proper sealing)
Y Reduce problems with poor temperature control
Y Reduce likelihood of degrading system efficiency
Y Generally improve occupant comfort
Y Allow for the opportunity to insulate ductwork
May cost more, but the end result is a much higher quality end product!

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Special Focus Items

Duct Insulation

Q Very often on small commercial projects, ductwork in the

ceiling plenum is not insulated
Y This results in poor system performance/efficiency
Y For longer runs, considerable temperature change of conditioned air
can result
» Avg Discharge Air temp from AC unit in summer is about 55 deg. F
» Avg temp in ceiling plenum may be 78 deg. F or higher
» Opposite for the heating season
Y This is especially important on top floors where there are heat
gains/losses, or in single story buildings

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Special Focus Items

Duct Insulation

Q Benefits of Insulating Ductwork

Y Provides the best chance of maintaining discharge air temperature
from the unit all the way to the air outlet
Y Improves chances of good temperature control
Y Improves chances of optimizing occupant comfort

May cost more, but the end result is a much higher quality end product!

Carefully repair all duct liner tears INSTALL

Y Use stronger liners that resist tearing TIP

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Special Focus Items

Hard Duct Connections to Air Outlets
Q Outlets connected directly with flexible ductwork can result
in:
Y High pressure loss and poor airflow at diffuser inlet
Y Degraded diffuser/register performance
Y Excessive noise
Q Benefits of hard duct connections (round elbows, etc.)
Y Reduce pressure drop
Y Reduce air noise
Y Improve overall airflow
Y Help to optimize system performance and efficiency
May cost more, but the end result is a much higher quality end product!

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Variables to Keep in Mind

Q Custom roof curbs may be required
Y Pay special attention to quality of duct connections to curbs
Q Space constraints
Y May affect supply air and return air path
Y May affect ductwork size & air velocity - noise concern
Q Proximity of OA intake to existing exhausts and vents

Keep a checklist of items

like these to look for
when you visit a job site.
INSTALL It can help minimize
TIP unpleasant surprises.

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Installation Resources
Q Building Codes, Local Codes and Code Handbooks
Q ACCA www.acca.org
Y Manual L - Recommended Installation Practices
Q SMACNA www.smacna.org
Y Installation Standards
Q Carrier www.carrier-commercial.org
Y Installation Procedures Handbook
Q Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA)
www.eeba.org
Y Mixed Climate Builder’s Guide (& other builder’s guides)
Q RSES www.rses.org
Y Service Application Manuals (SAM)
Q Consortium for Energy Efficiency www.cee1.org
Y Commercial HVAC Installation Guide
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Conclusion
Properly Sizing and Installing Equipment...
Q Promotes the highest possible efficiency for the
selected equipment
Q Contributes to maintaining the benefits of high
efficiency equipment : comfort, quality,
energy/cost savings, reliability
Q Contributes to overall customer satisfaction
Q Adds Value
Q Sets you apart!

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