ASHRAE 140-2014 PDF

Standard 140 specifies a standard method of test for evaluating the technical capabilities and applicability of software used in calculating the thermal performance of buildings and their HVAC systems. These test procedures can be used to identify and diagnose predictive differences from whole-building energy simulation software that may be caused by algorithmic differences, modeling limitations, input differences, coding errors, or documentation errors.

The current set of tests focuses on building thermal envelope and fabric loads and HVAC equipment performance and includes

1. comparative tests, in which a program's results may be compared to a different version of itself or to the results of other programs, and
2. analytical verification tests, in which a program's results may be compared to analytical, quasi-analytical, or verified numerical model solutions.

This procedure tests software over a broad range of parametric interactions and for a number of different output types, thus minimizing the concealment of algorithmic differences by compensating errors. Different building energy simulation programs, representing different degrees of modeling complexity, can be tested. However, some of the tests may be incompatible with some building energy simulation programs.

The revised 2014 edition of Standard 140 includes all the test cases of Standard 140-2011 and adds a set of analytical verification test cases for evaluating models of ground-coupled heat transfer related to slab-on-grade floor construction.

The 2014 edition also includes online access to electronic supporting files. The following software may be required to view some files: Microsoft Windows® · Microsoft Word® · Microsoft Excel® · Microsoft Notepad® · Adobe Reader® 

Keywords: Building Energy Analysis; Method of Test; Test; Computer Programs