eQuest

eQuest
Name	eQuest
Genre	Building energy simulation

eQuest

eQuest is a widely used building energy simulation front-end and analysis tool that integrates detailed hourly simulation engines and schematic design workflows. It is employed by architects, engineers, consultants, and institutions to estimate energy consumption, assess compliance with codes, model HVAC systems, and support green building certification. Users often place eQuest alongside other legacy and contemporary simulation platforms in design, policy, and research projects.

Overview

eQuest functions as a graphical user interface and preprocessor that drives advanced simulation engines to model thermal loads, HVAC performance, and energy use over time. Practitioners commonly situate eQuest within workflows that include major firms and organizations such as Arup, AECOM, Honeywell, Siemens, Johnson Controls, and Skanska for integrated design and commissioning. It interacts with standards and codes promulgated by bodies like the ASHRAE, U.S. Department of Energy, California Energy Commission, European Committee for Standardization, and International Code Council. eQuest output is often used alongside data and reporting systems from ENERGY STAR, LEED, BREEAM, WELL Building Standard, and Living Building Challenge projects.

History and Development

eQuest emerged from long-standing simulation research and commercial toolchains developed in association with university groups and national laboratories. Its lineage links to modeling concepts advanced at institutions such as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Commercial development involved firms and entities that collaborated with consultancy networks including PWC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and engineering consultancies like WSP Global and Stantec. Over time, eQuest evolved alongside competing simulation initiatives from corporations and research consortia such as IES VE, Trane, Carrier, Dassault Systèmes, and software publishers like Autodesk and Bentley Systems. Policy shifts from agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and directives from the European Commission shaped the tool’s adoption in compliance and retrofit programs.

Features and Functionality

Key features include schematic building creation, automated zoning, HVAC template libraries, load calculations, and annual hourly simulation capabilities aligned with thermal models from research projects at Princeton University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and University of Cambridge. The tool supports climate datasets and weather files coordinated with centers like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Met Office, and Japan Meteorological Agency. Outputs integrate with measurement and verification frameworks used by Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens Gamesa, and Rockwell Automation for performance contracting and operational analytics. The interface includes libraries referencing equipment catalogs from manufacturers including Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Lennox International, Rheem, and Bosch.

Applications and Use Cases

eQuest is applied in new construction design, energy code compliance, retrofit feasibility, and life-cycle cost analysis for projects managed by developers and institutions like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gensler, Perkins+Will, HOK, and Foster + Partners. Municipalities and agencies such as the City of New York, State of California, Department of Defense, U.S. General Services Administration, and European Investment Bank have commissioned studies using eQuest outputs for policy assessments, resilience planning, and procurement. It supports case studies in higher education campuses such as Harvard University, University of California, University of Michigan, ETH Zurich, and Imperial College London, and in healthcare and campus projects for systems integrators like Philips and GE Healthcare.

Comparison with Other Building Energy Simulation Tools

When compared to platforms including EnergyPlus, OpenStudio, IES VE, TRACE 700, HEED, DesignBuilder, Carrier HAP, TRNSYS, and eQUEST alternative (note: do not use the restricted name), eQuest is often positioned as a user-friendly schematic-driven interface emphasizing rapid conceptual modeling and pre-design analysis. Research groups at National Institute of Standards and Technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories have produced comparative studies and validation work benchmarking eQuest against EnergyPlus and DOE-2 engines. Large consulting firms such as Arup and Atkins have preferred different tools depending on project phase, with interoperability efforts involving formats championed by the BuildingSMART initiative, IFC, and software vendors including Autodesk Revit and Graphisoft.

Adoption, Licensing, and Support

Adoption occurs across private consultancies, institutional facilities management, and governmental agencies. Licensing and distribution models have historically involved partnerships with vendors, training programs run by organizations such as ASHRAE, AEE (Association of Energy Engineers), USGBC, and consultancy training arms at firms like CBRE and Jones Lang LaSalle. Support ecosystems include certification courses, third-party trainers, and professional communities that convene at conferences like AIA Conference on Architecture, Greenbuild, ASHRAE Winter Meeting, World Future Energy Summit, and BuildingsNY. Academic programs at universities including Cornell University, Princeton University, MIT, and TU Delft incorporate tool-based instruction and research projects.

Limitations and Criticisms

Critiques focus on user assumptions, input-detail sensitivity, and the potential for misuse in high-stakes procurement and compliance contexts observed in audits by entities like the Government Accountability Office, California Energy Commission audits, and industry reviews from Consulting Specifying Engineer. Limitations noted by practitioners at firms such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, AECOM, and WSP Global include challenges with detailed CFD coupling, dynamic occupant modeling advanced in research at University College London and ETH Zurich, and integration gaps with building automation systems from Honeywell and Johnson Controls. Academic critiques from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Texas at Austin, and Imperial College London discuss validation, calibration, and uncertainty quantification relative to sensors and metered data used by providers like Schneider Electric and Siemens.

Category:Building energy simulation software