Energy Plus Tools


EnergyPlus Tools TDG is developing several support tools for EnergyPlus. So far we have developed a drawing program for use with EnergyPlus geometry input files plus 2 proof-of-concept simulation tools. You may download and use these interface support tools at no cost.
EZPlus-Parm - A Parametric Analysis Tool for EnergyPlus EZPlus-Parm is a standalone Windows-based tool intended primarily for EnergyPlus parametric analysis. It was designed primarily to simplify the running of multiple parametric EnergyPlus simulations. EZPlus-Parm helps a user organize and edit all needed files. This stand-alone Windows-based tool is intended to make the text-based use of EnergyPlus faster, easier, and more accurate. The tool assumes that the user is somewhat familiar with typical text-based interfaces for energy simulations. We are not developing a completely closed front-end, like VisualDOE, PowerDOE or eQuest. Users of our interface support tools will still face text-based E+ input files and results files. In our experience, many DOE-2 users still do their primary input generation and file editing using the text-based DOE-2 input files, and should thus find it easy to make this type of transition to EnergyPlus. We suspect that users of our EnergyPlus support tools might include simulation consultants, simulation engineers, researchers, building physicists, and building industry professionals with reasonable energy analysis experience. EzPlus-Parm: Download Note: EZPlus-Parm is being updated and is not currently available for downloading.
DrawEzPlus DrawEzPlus Version 1.1: Download This is a 3-D geometry-rendering tool that uses a series of OpenGL commands to generate displays of the 3-D geometry imbedded in an EnergyPlus file. The underlying text of the EnergyPlus file is also presented in a separate window within DrawEzPlus 1.1. For more detail, go to: DrawEzPlus.
EnergyPlus Online Simulations for EcoAdvisor Online Multimedia Training This tool has been developed to be online and is being imbedded in the EcoAdvisor set of online training modules for sustainable buildings. This tool is structured to be used by anyone under constrained conditions and requires no special knowledge of EnergyPlus. TDG has built a proof-of-concept "online interface" for EnergyPlus. It is intended to be highly interactive and to let a user explore many design options. The use of EnergyPlus will be totally transparent to the user of EcoAdvisor. The user does not need to know how to use EnergyPlus. The user simply makes design-related "decisions" in the usual EcoAdvisor multimedia fashion by selecting a choice from the options presented. The user's choices can trigger the need for one or more energy impacts. EcoAdvisor can accomplish the needed EnergyPlus simulations in background mode, using input files for typical buildings and climates, and will present selected summary results graphically to the user. We have explored 3 ways for providing feedback to the EcoAdvisor user about the energy impacts or user decisions: Pre-calculated EnergyPlus results: these will be available for just a few key typical building and climate locations. EnergyPlus simulations performed online in "real time:" User decisions would trigger a completely online automatic process in which simulations are performed on the EcoAdvisor web-server that uses pre-defined and parameterized EnergyPlus files and climate locations. EnergyPlus inputs and outputs are online but simulation processing locally on the user's computer: using a simulation "package" of executables and climate data that is downloaded to the user's machine. This entire process is transparent, once the user agrees to download the simulation package and successfully installs it. A shockwave web interface will allow users first download simulation executables onto the local computer, type in the installed location, then the web interface will permit users change building parameters like orientation, exterior wall construction, shading types, glass types etc. A "Run" button may be used to kick off simulation runs in the background after changes have been made. Energy use will be fed back to users in the form of bars or numbers, more specifically, the web interface will find and parse through the DOE-2 results and filter out the targeted parts. We have used the 1st option in previous EcoAdvisor modules and have code available for use. We have also successfully tested the 3rd option for EnergyPlus. Each option has advantages and limitations. For example, using The pre-calculated "canned" simulations has the obvious issue of lack of flexibility in responding to particular user objectives and climate locations. Similarly, a major issue with running simulations on the web server is the potential of bogging down the server disk space, memory and CPU time if multiple users try to run parametrics at the same time. Apparently for this reason one online server limits users to one run at a time. Conversely, with the option of downloading the simulation package, there are issues of (1) making the download process as easy and foolproof as possible and (2) properly protecting software intellectual property rights. We are addressing examining these issues at the present time. We currently favor using options 1 and 3 above. We plan to refine both of these options, and to let the user choose which option to use.
Last edited 24 Nov 04