eQUEST

eQUEST [63] is a user-friendly building energy simulation tool consisting of a building creation wizard, an energy systems' wizard, and a graphical interface module. It incorporates an enhanced DOE-2 simulation program, which performs an hourly based energy simulation based on properties of opaque and glazing construction elements, occupancy patterns, loads, and ventilation. The simulation module also accounts for the performance of conditioning systems, such as fans and chillers, boilers, and other energy-consuming devices. The eQUEST foresees utilities for parametric analysis of alternative designs and viewing of immediate, collated results. It foresees energy-cost estimating, daylighting, and lighting system control as well as quickly imposing energy-efficiency measures (by selecting preferred measures from a list).

Azar and Menasa [13] used eQUEST to conduct a sensitivity analysis on the occupancy behavioral parameters of typical office buildings of different sizes and in different climate zones. Sensitivity levels varied with building size and weather conditions, and the highest sensitivity was observed when altering the "heating temperature set-point" parameter in small-size buildings located in dry climatic conditions. Recently, the software was used to review the effects of thermal and optical properties of electrochromic windows (ECWs) on the energy performance of a typical office building configuration in Korea [64]. Kim et al. [65] demonstrated the flexibility in incorporating user-defined solar models as input conditions into the software towards the estimation of typical office building energy performance. In view of the important need for the lowest possible deviation between simulated and actual energy consumption when it comes to Energy Performance Contracts (EPC), the eQUEST has been already used to calibrate energy simulation results using actual electricity bills and further applied to investigate EPC reliability for an actual office building in Taiwan [66]. The software allows detailed techno-economic assessment of novel technologies in buildings, as demonstrated by Seyednezhad and Najafi [67]. They investigated various operating conditions for a Thermoelectric-based cooling and heating system on an office-type building in Melbourne, FL, USA, and determined the cost, as well as potential savings, for each tested operating condition. Wang et al. [68] used the software to develop a strategic approach on the energy efficient analysis of the water-heating-system retrofit by applying a heat pump system in a university dormitory located in a central part of Taiwan.
