Design Alternatives

This section describes how to use design alternatives.

The Design Alternative feature allows you to modify the base assumptions about your model and then run a simulation that estimates the impact of the modifications on energy efficiency. This feature helps you make significant design decisions quickly. The Design Alternative feature is accessed from My Project tab  Run List tab page.

The top portion of the table has standard links to the Run List. The bottom portion of the page has tabs corresponding to the values in the run.

Adding Design Alternatives

The following video shows how you can an alternative run to your project:

1. Go to the Project Runs page associated with the project. Select the appropriate run by checking the box next to its name, and then click Actions   Create a Design Alternative.

   Or, go to Design Alternative tab from Project Run List tab and create a new alternative.

2. Click a tab and select a value to apply to this alternative.

3. Enter an Alternative Name, and then click the Add Alternative button.

4. Continue doing this until all the desired Design Alternatives are added.

5. Click the Run Added Alternatives button to put the alternatives in the run queue.

Note: Depending on the model complexity, server load, and the number of alternatives you are analyzing, it will take between several seconds up to an hour to complete your runs. Users can also add and run alternatives individually as they are defined or group of alternatives and run the group at one time. Once all the alternatives are run, you can review the results either on the Design Alternatives page or the Run List page.

Note: The larger and more complex your model is, the longer it takes to run. To decrease the time it takes to analyze the alternatives, submit design alternatives individually as they are defined. Then, while that alternative is running, define and submit additional design alternatives.