HVAC: VRF Setup

This 39-minute course provides a comprehensive introduction to Multi-Zone VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) Systems, covering both simplified HVAC templates and detailed system configurations for energy modelling. Through practical demonstrations and real-world examples, participants will master the fundamentals of configuring VRF systems, understanding performance curves, and interpreting simulation outputs to validate design decisions and optimise system efficiency.

Key Course Content

This course walks you through the essentials of VRF system modelling, focusing on how refrigerant-based heating and cooling systems offer individualised climate control through modulated flow based on specific zone requirements. You'll get hands-on experience configuring multi-zone models and learn practical techniques to specify VRF components including outdoor condensing units, indoor terminal units, and performance curves through systematic modelling workflows.

You'll start by understanding the key differences between EnergyPlus HVAC template systems and detailed VRF configurations, learning when simple templates with concealed assumptions become insufficient for accurate system representation. The course teaches you to configure essential model parameters including space types and tagging, infiltration and occupancy settings, thermostat controls, and HVAC availability schedules. You'll discover how to reference the platform documentation to understand VRF input definitions, default values, and technical parameters for both simple and advanced system specifications.

From there, you'll dive into detailed system configuration, learning to specify condenser settings (COP values, waste heat recovery options, air-cooled versus evaporative-cooled configurations), terminal unit parameters (supply airflow rates for cooling, heating, and ventilation modes, parasitic loads, fan efficiency), performance curves (bi-quadratic capacity modifier curves, energy input ratio curves, boundary curves defining operating regimes), and piping considerations (length corrections, heating and cooling mode factors). The course demonstrates how manufacturer-specific data can replace EnergyPlus defaults to improve accuracy, whilst acknowledging the practical challenges of obtaining detailed supplier performance data.

You'll then explore simulation outputs including zone sizing results (design loads, supply airflow requirements, peak occurrence timing, sizing factors), zone metres (electrical demand and thermal energy tracking with monthly summaries), plant metres (central condensing unit performance for heating and cooling), fan system performance (airflow delivery and power consumption at design and part-load conditions), terminal unit outputs (refrigerant flow modulation, coil performance), and complete system metrics (diversity sizing opportunities, capacity ratios, efficiency validation). The course emphasises how low diversity—zones peaking at different times—enables outdoor units to be sized smaller than total indoor capacity, delivering both cost savings and efficiency gains.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be proficient in configuring multi-zone VRF systems for energy simulation, interpreting detailed performance outputs to validate design assumptions, and using manufacturer data to optimise system specifications for compliance and performance analysis.

Course Completion

A Certificate of Competency will be awarded upon achieving an 80% pass mark on the final assessment, demonstrating practical understanding of VRF system configuration methodology, performance curve applications, and simulation output interpretation techniques.

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