Field Evaluation of the Building Loads Analysis and System Thermodynamics (BLAST)Program Enhancements

摘要

The Building Loads Analysis and Thermodynamics (BLAST) computer program modelsenergy consumption and comfort parameters of new or existing facilities to help U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) District designers create more comfortable and energy efficient buildings. In response to users' requests, 11 new modeling options have recently been added to the program, including the ability to run BLAST on a microcomputer (286 or 386 IBM-compatible) platform. Technology Transfer Test Bed (T3B) funds were provided to determine whether the recent BLAST enhancements were convenient, and applicable to the needs of Corps districts. Five districts were asked to select any of BLAST's new options, to evaluate the options, and to compare them with a second, comparable program of their choice. Most respondents found the enhancements satisfied their needs for building energy analysis. Participants' responses were found to depend somewhat on previous experiences and attitudes toward BLAST. Some surveys revealed several minor bugs in the program, and most respondents recommended expanding the program's