Glossary

Terms you’ll meet in InverseHub and SimReader.

Analysis type: Standard Baseline, Custom Baseline or Parametric Analysis: what a project compares. Set when you create the project; SimReader takes it from the project.
Appendix G: The Performance Rating Method of ASHRAE 90.1: the proposed design against a baseline building the standard defines.
Appendix I: An informative appendix of ASHRAE 90.1-2022 with performance targets in site energy, source energy or carbon instead of energy cost.
Baseline building, budget building, standard reference design: The comparison building of each path: the baseline building for the Performance Rating Method, the budget building for the Energy Cost Budget Method, the standard reference design for IECC Total Building Performance.
BPF (building performance factor): The code’s factor, by building type and climate zone, that sets how much better than the baseline a design must perform (Performance Rating Method, 90.1-2016 and later).
Comment code: The 4-digit code emailed to someone who comments on a shared report, to confirm their email. It works for 15 minutes. InverseHub no longer uses PINs.
DEC and ECB: Design energy cost (the proposed design’s) and energy cost budget (the budget building’s), compared by the Energy Cost Budget Method.
ECM: Energy conservation measure, compared with the base design in a Parametric Analysis project.
eGRID subregion: The EPA region of the electricity grid that serves the project. It sets the source energy and carbon factors of electricity for the IgCC and some other codes. For LEED in Canada, the same field holds the province or territory.
Exceptional calculation: Savings the simulation program can’t model, calculated separately and subtracted from the proposed design.
Modeling phase: A stage of the project (Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Preliminary Review, Final Review, Approved, Post-Construction). Each keeps its own results and inputs.
PCI and PCIt: Performance cost index (the proposed design’s energy cost over the baseline building’s) and its target. A design complies when its PCI is at or below the PCIt.
PRE: The energy cost of the on-site renewable energy a code requires (ASHRAE 90.1-2022 and the codes based on it). It comes off the target or the budget.
Process load: Energy use the code doesn’t regulate (for example kitchen or computer equipment). Mark process end uses in SimReader with Process.
Renewable fraction: The share of a building’s energy the IgCC 2021 expects from renewables. It lowers the IgCC 2021 targets.
Unmet load hours: Hours when a design’s HVAC doesn’t keep the zones at their set points. A total over 300 hours is flagged in red.
zEPI: Zero energy performance index of the IgCC: the proposed design’s source energy use intensity on a scale where 100 is a typical building and 0 is net zero.