LOAD ESTIMATING, LEVEL 1: FUNDAMENTALS

If the building is an industrial application, then the motors driving the process machinery also
are a source of internal heat gain. There are sources beyond Figure 28 for data used in calculating
motor heat loads, including manufacturers, ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard, and the Federal En-
ergy Policy Act (EPACT). Minimum efficiency levels continue to climb because of the
substantial use of electricity by motors.

Equipment within the space that is fired by natural gas is normally limited to cooking appli-
ances and miscellaneous laboratory items like Bunsen burners. To limit the large amounts of both
sensible and latent heat liberated by the natural gas combustion and the process itself, most of
these devices are located under hoods directly exhausted to the outside. Even though, a certain
percentage of the heat makes it into the space. Tables 51 and 52 in SDM-1 give values on an ex-
tensive list of gas-fired restaurant appliances and lab equipment. When high densities of
equipment are present, like in medical laboratories and industrial pilot plants, data should be
taken directly from the manufacturer’s literature.

In most commercial applications, the level of insulation provided on both hot and cold piping
and tanks keeps this internal load component at a negligible level. In industrial plants, such heat
gains to the space are common, along with common items like furnaces and dryers. These con-
tribute sensible heat to the space by convection and radiation from the outside surfaces, and
frequently dryers contribute sensible and latent heat from the drying process.
Heat transmission tables (No. 54 through No. 58) can be found in SDM-1, and most manufac-
turers publish similar performance data to assist with either manual or software load estimating.
Most estimating methods have an entry for miscellaneous loads where both sensible and latent
load values may be entered. The user must sum up the sensible and latent gains for the piping
lengths, equipment, or moisture transfer and then enter them into the manual form or computer
software.

Bare and Insulated Piping

Both hot and cold piping exposed to the condi-
tioned air in a room will have an effect on the load
calculations. Hot water and steam piping heat transfer
amounts depend on both the insulation type and thick-
ness, and the temperature of the hot water or the
pressure of the steam. Tables 54 and 55 in SDM-1 can
be used in those cases where this may be a factor.
Heat transfer coefficients for piping conveying cold
fluids can be found in SDM-1, Table 56.
Closed and Open Tanks
Tanks that contain liquids at
temperatures different than the
room cooling or heating set points
are a source of heat gain or loss.
SDM-1 Table 57 may be used for
sensible heat transfer from
uninsulated closed tanks, and Table
58 gives Btuh per ft free water
surface for open tanks.

Load Estimating
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