Within the 'Simulator' page there's a tab that corresponds to each Simulation type and quantity configured in the Simulator Wizard 'Landing' page. In the example below our 'Simulation collection' consists of just 1 'Supply side calculated flow' Simulation...
Within each tab there are two icons. These icons look at a Simulation in one of 2 distinct ways...
Annual sub tab:
The annual sub tab combines an equipment profile with an annual utilisation profile to establish 'existing' specific efficiency, 'new' specific efficiency, utilisation as well as 'before' and 'after' pressure profiles.
Use the Annual sub tab to evaluate what the annual energy, cost and CO2 benefits of a given equipment profile would be versus an alternative equipment profile. Alternative equipment profiles can...
- Maintain the same equipment but alter usage by changing pressure cascade settings
- Apply Metacentre system control to evaluate the benefit of using a system controller to unify equipment control
- Evaluate the benefit of reducing overall system pressure (target pressure)
- Change the equipment profile to evaluate the benefits of change (introduce alternative equipment sizes or equipment capable of variable output (e.g. VSD))
Time span sub tab:
The time span sub tab is similar to the Annual sub tabs in many ways, however the time span sub tab focuses on a specific time span rather than attempting to Simulate any annual benefits.
Use the Time span simulation to evaluate what the energy, cost and CO2 benefits of a given equipment profile would be versus an alternative equipment profile during a specific period of time.
Which Simulation sub tab is most suitable?
Simulation Wizard aims to Simulate either 'audited' or 'un-audited' equipment scenarios and offer 'before' (RED) and simulated 'after' (BLUE) results. By providing the 'annual' and 'time span' sub tabs, users have the ability to look at Simulations in either an 'annual' format or a specific 'time span' format. Which is best will depend on whether the simulation relates to an audit or not and whether you want to simulate a specific 'time span' or to 'annualise' the simulation results. In deciding which simulation is most suitable, it's worth understanding the primary difference between them...
The primary difference between 'Annual' and 'Time span' is of course time; one is an 'Annual' simulation and the other is a specific 'Time span' simulation. Time can be un-audited, a completely hypothetical scenario or it can be linked to an actual audit. A simulation that's not linked to an audit is completely hypothetical so its very much a question of preference. A simulation linked to an audit is real data creating a dilemma...
When AIR-INSITE runs an Annual simulation linked to an audit, AIR-INSITE has no way of knowing how the equipment might operate in future. Consequently the Annual sub tab compares the installed equipment's 'specific efficiency' (RED or BLUE) alongside audit utilisation data to display 'Annual' simulation results.
When AIR-INSITE runs a 'Time span' simulation linked to an audit, AIR-INSITE knows precisely how the equipment operated during the specific time span. Consequently the Time span sub tab compares the actual 'specific efficiency' (RED or BLUE) alongside the audit time span utilisation to display 'Time span' simulation results.