The Preferences tool serves the following purposes:

  • It allows the user to customize many of TREAT’s defaults. For example, the user can set custom heating and cooling season dates to be used for every newly created project instead of standard TREAT dates.
  • It allows the user to automatically fill in the inputs that are likely the same for every project. For example, the user can define fuels to be automatically generated for every new project at the time the project is created, eliminating the need to fill in the TREAT Fuels/Rates screen. The user can also specify a long-term and daily weather site to be used for each new project. A wide range of other inputs can be set through Preferences.
  • It allows the user to specify lighting and appliances to be generated at the time a new space is created. This feature is useful for users who do not collect lighting and appliance information on site. Automatic generation of lighting and appliances saves time and allows the user to account for interaction between base load and heating/cooling.
  • Preferences data is used to supply inputs for several other tools such as the New Building Wizard, Visual Inspection Wizard and Measurements Wizard. See description of these tools for more details.
  • It helps to speed up inputs on Surfaces and Windows screen by specifying the list of typical constructions to be shown in the Description combo boxes. This often eliminates the need to look for the surface in TREAT libraries.

TREAT comes with a default set of preferences. You may customize these defaults by modifying and saving input on Preferences screens. All project inputs generated by Preferences can be modified later using regular TREAT screens, just as any other inputs.

Project Group -> Preferences dialog presents these options: 

  • Fuel/Rates tab: Up to four fuels can be selected. They will be automatically included in each project and will be available for selection as heating or hot water fuel in the New Building Wizard.
  • Weather/Defaults tab: Weather sites, heating and cooling seasons, and other inputs that appear on the Weather/Defaults input screen can be selected to be automatically included in each new project.
  • Surface Constructions tab: Up to 20 frequently used surfaces from the Surfaces Library can be selected. They will appear in the drop-down lists on the Surfaces screen, Surface Insulation Improvement Wizard, and New Building Wizard. One surface can be selected to appear at the top of the list; the rest of the list will be sorted according to the sort order selected.
  • Windows tab: Up to five frequently used glazings and frames can be selected. They will appear in the drop-down lists on the Windows screen, Window Replacement Improvement Wizard, and New Building Wizard. One of each can be selected to appear at the top of the lists.
  • Lighting/Appliances tab: There are seven sub-tabs for different types of spaces, these include:
  • Whole building
  • Living Space
  • Sleeping Quarters
  • Office Area
  • Other Heated Area
  • Unheated High ACH
  • Unheated Low ACH

The types of spaces correspond to the selections on the TREAT Spaces screen. For each type of space, there is an option to automatically add lighting or appliances when the space is created. For each type of space, lighting inputs of Typical Watts per Fixture, Hours On/Day and Average Wh/SqFt-Day can be specified. For each type of space, up to 10 appliances can be selected from the Appliance Library.

  • Inspections tab: Up to 10 inspections can be selected to be included in the Inspections Wizard. The Inspections Wizard is accessible from the Inspections screen and quickly creates inspection records of the types specified.
  • Measurements tab: Up to 10 measurements can be selected to be included in the Measurements Wizard. The Measurements Wizard is accessible from the Measurements screen and quickly creates measurement records of the types specified.

Reset to Default button:

This will clear all preferences that the user has selected and restore the default preferences that are included with TREAT.

Next button:

This scrolls through the tabs on the Preferences screen.

Save and Close button:

This saves changes and closes the screen.

Cancel and Close button:

This closes the screen but does not save any changes made since the last time the screen was opened.