There are many advantages to using high performance control sequences, but these are often hard to properly specify and deploy correctly. ASHRAE Guideline 36 provides a great starting point to develop an accurate sequence, but editing what is in the guideline is also a challenge. To help with this, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has developed a new software tool called ctrl-flow with funding from the US Department of Energy. This tool is freely available for online use at https://ctrl-flow.lbl.gov.

The initial release of ctrl-flow allows designers to easily input project information, the desired systems, and their configurations. The tool will then provide an edited sequence based on ASHRAE Guideline 36-2021 that is specific to the selected options. This saves the time and effort needed to manually edit the guideline and reduces risks of editing errors.

Currently the tool supports the following:

· Options for SI or IP units

· Code compliance for ASHRAE 90.1 / 62.1 or California Title 24

· Selection of climate zones

· Airside systems including Multiple-Zone VAV Air Handlers and Cooling-only and Reheat VAV Terminals

Future releases of the tool will include:

· Support for a broad range of systems including all systems in Guideline 36

· The ability to provide additional project information and then download more detailed documentation including:

o Points lists

o Systems diagrams

o The control logic for the specified sequence in the Control Description Language (CDL) as well as in the Control Exchange Format (CXF)

o A Modelica model of the HVAC system selected that can be used with tools such as the Spawn of Energy Plus.

The tool is designed to help support the needs of HVAC system designers, control contractors, commissioning agents, and energy modelers in evaluating and deploying advanced control sequences. More information on the tool is available on the site or by contacting ctrl-flow@lbl.gov.