EnergyPlus Utilities, Tools and Interfaces

 
Utilities
Included with EnergyPlus
to Create Input Files
and Run Simulations.
EP Launch
IDF Editor
IFCtoIDF
Users' Tools
Tools Developed
and Provided by
Third-Party Vendors.
DrawBDL+3.1
Ecotect
EP_GEO
EP_SYS
DrawEzPlus
EzPlusParm
GreenBldgStudio
TSe+
    TSe+Mat
    TSe+Glz
    TSe+Con*
 Interfaces
Interfaces Developed
and Provided by
Third-Party Vendors.
DesignBuilder
EP-Quick
EPlusInterface
E+IEQ*
 Developers' Tools
Software Tools
for Model
Developers.
VisualSPARK+*
* In Development
EnergyPlus Utilities Download EnergyPlus

EP-Launch
provides a simpler alternative for running EnergyPlus than batch files. EP-Launch allows the user to select the input file directly or from a list of recent or sample files. It also allows easy selection for weather data files. After the EnergyPlus run completes, EP-Launch reports errors or warnings. In addition, EP-Launch acts as a file manager for each run and can help open a text editor for any of the input and output files, it opens spreadsheet for several results files, and starts up a viewer for the building drawing file.

IDF Editor
allows users a simple way of creating or editing EnergyPlus input data files (IDF). Any EnergyPlus object may be viewed and edited using a spreadsheet-like grid. For inputs with several options, a list is provided. When a numeric input has a range of valid values, those values are displayed. It also automatically provides a list of object names when an object needs to be linked to another. By displaying all objects of the same kind next to each other in a grid, it is easy to see how inputs are different across the building. The IDF Editor outputs an EnergyPlus input file with proper syntax and comments to help the user understand the input values. In addition, the IDF Editor converts standard inch-pound units into SI units compatible with EnergyPlus.

IFCtoIDF -- Getting Building Geometry from CAD
IFCtoIDF is a utility for importing building geometry from commercial CAD tools into EnergyPlus; it comes bundled with the EnergyPlus package. This utility is based on the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model standard from the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI). More information on this utility can be found at the IFCtoIDF page. For more information on the status and availability of IFC-compliant software tools visit the IAI Implementation Support Group . website and look under International Overview of IFC-Implementation Activities.


EnergyPlus Tools

Joe Huang and Associates
31 Sarah Lane
Moraga CA 94556-2563
Ph: (925) 247-9180 		DrawBDL+3.1
allows users to visually review the building geometry in both EnergyPlus and DOE-2 input files. DrawBDL+3.1 can export the DOE-2 surface data in EnergyPlus IDF format; useful for those users who wish to convert their DOE-2 input files into EnergyPlus input files.

 
Square One Research
Centre for Research in the Built Environment
Bute Building
King Edward VII Avenue
CARDIFF, CF10 3NB
Wales
United Kingdom
Ecotect
couples an intuitive 3-D design interface with a comprehensive set of performance analysis functions (visualization, solar and daylighting analysis, shadows and shading, lighting design, thermal performance, UK building regulations, ventilation, and acoustic analysis) with interactive information displays. It also can export an EnergyPlus IDF file.
For more details, click here for an article from the Building Energy Simulation User News.

 
NaturalWorks
Paul F. Linden
Guilherme Carrilho da Graça 		EP_GEO and EP_SYS
NaturalWorks has developed two spreadsheet-based interfaces that can complement the simple interface tools that are included in the standard EnergyPlus installation.
 
EP_GEO (building geometry)
A spreadsheet that uses a set of simple macros to create rectangular building geometry, windows, shading, infiltration, internal gains and temperature control (using 'purchased air'). Rectangular zones can be automatically created in an idf file by simply entering zone height, width and length. An offset in zone origin can be used to insert multiple zones in an existing file.
 
EP_SYS (systems)
This spreadsheet allows for creation of Purchased Air, Fan Coil And Variable air Volume systems in a large number of zones. The list of zones in an existing IDF file can be automatically imported and individual zones selected for insertion of one of the three basic types of systems available in the tool.


The Deringer Group, Inc.
1250 Addison Street #204
Berkeley, CA 94702
Ph: (510) 843-9000
Fx: (510) 843-9300
EnergyPlus Online Simulations
are online tools embedded in the Deringer Group's EcoAdvisor, a set of training modules on sustainable buildings. These tools can be used by anyone and require no special knowledge of EnergyPlus.
 
EnergyPlus Interface Support Tools
This set of stand-alone Windows-based tools is intended to make the text-based use of EnergyPlus faster, easier, and more accurate. The tools assume that the user is somewhat familiar with typical text-based interfaces for energy simulations. So far there are two proof-of-concept tools.
 
DrawEzPlus
is a 3-D rendering tool that reads the geometry data in an EnergyPlus input file and uses a set of OpenGL commands to render the building objects. Two key steps are involved. First, the EnergyPlus input file is parsed and all vertices data is extracted into a temporary file, organized by type of building object. Second, the temporary file is processed by a set of OpenGL utilities that produces renderings of the 3-D data. The current version allows the user to: toggle between orthogonal (parallel lines do not converge) and perspective views, toggle between line and surface (fill) presentation modes, and select to draw any mix of key building objects (floor, walls, roof, windows, and attached and detached shading). DrawEZplus 1.1 will produce renderings in either orthogonal view simulations.
 
EzPlus-Parm
is a stand-alone Windows tool intended primarily for EnergyPlus parametric analysis. It was designed to simplify the running of multiple parametric EnergyPlus simulations and helps a user organize and edit files.

 
GeoPraxis, Inc.
205 Keller Street, Suite 202
Petaluma, California 94952
Ph: (707) 766-7010 Voice
Fx: (707) 766-7014 Fax
John F. Kennedy, P.E. 		Green Building Studio
is a web-based service provided by GeoPraxis, Inc. It gives 3-D CAD users quick, reliable, and free estimates of a building's energy costs during the early stages of conceptual design. Green Building Studio is powered by GeoPraxis' IDEA Server building energy simulation management software that incorporates EnergyPlus into this solution. Key to the integrated interoperability exhibited in GBS-compliant 3-D CAD applications is the Green Building XML schema (gbXML). Green Building Studio creates an EnergyPlus IDF file.

 
Taylor Systems Engineering, Inc.
9801 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite 100
Fair Oaks, CA. 95628
Ph: (916) 961-3400
Fx: (916) 961-3410 		TSe+ is the first of a suite of tools to manage data for EnergyPlus. These (alpha) tools are available free of charge from Taylor Systems Engineering.
 
TSe+Mat (materials library)
is an interface to the materials datasets that come bundled with EnergyPlus and allows users to manage their frequently used material inputs for EnergyPlus data by manipulating new and existing material DataSets from EnergyPlus and exporting them in the required IDF format.
 
TSe+Glz (glazing library)
is the second module of the TSe+ suite. It was an alpha release as of Sept 2003. TSe+Glz allows the the user to create, edit and manage window glazing, and gas, shade and blind materials and constructions.
 
TSe+Con (for constructions)
In Development


EnergyPlus Interfaces
 
DesignBuilder Software, Ltd.
Palace Chambers
41 London Road
Stroud
Gloucestershire, GL5 2AJ
United Kingdom
and in the United States
DesignBuilder Software
18 Tanglewood Rd.
Amherst, MA 01002
email
Tel: (413) 256-4647
Fax: (413) 256-4823
DesignBuilder
provides a range of environmental performance data such as annual energy consumption, maximum summertime temperatures and heating and cooling loads as well as detailed feedback on temperatures and heat flows in the building. Featuring an easy-to-use sketch screen, hierarchical defaults, facades, customisable templates and data detail, DesignBuilder can be used effectively at any stage of the design or evaluation process. DesignBuilder provides an interface to the latest EnergyPlus version for envelope, solar, ventilation and daylighting capabilities as well as heating and cooling load modelling. Users can export models created in DesignBuilder as EnergyPlus input files. The software comes with summer and winter design data for 1439 worldwide locations and access to more than 500 hourly simulation weather files. A fully functional beta version has been available since April 2003.
For more details, click here for an article from the Building Energy Simulation User News.

 
Glazer Software
Jason Glazer
EP-QUICK
EP-Quick is an easy-to-use program that creates an EnergyPlus input file for a building, without HVAC, using simple templates for the shape and zone layout. EP-Quick is not a full interface for EnergyPlus but simply a way to generate input files quickly.
You may use the main "tree" interface to examine and modify many different details of the building, including:
    * Overall Geometry - depth, width
    * Building - roof, floor, interior constructions
    * Defaults - default values used in "Floorplans"
    * Internal Gain Types - lighting, people, schedules
    * Floorplans - zones, exterior walls, windows, etc
    * Corners - locations of the building vertices
    * Roof corners - locations of special roof vertices

 
EPlusInterface
Santosh Philip 		EPlusInterface
is an open source initiative to develop a comprehensive interface for EnergyPlus. The code is freely available for anyone to use. The license is GPL. Modules currently under development are listed below; a few are ready to use. For latest downloads and status check the website.
EPlusTUI: Text based interface tui = text user interface
EPlusGUI: Graphical interface for Linux, Mac and Windows
API: A set of well documented API that can be used to develop specialized interfaces
CAD Interface: Protocol for building 3-D CAD models for EnergyPlus with conversion routines to generate EnergyPlus files
Material Library: Develop standard libraries for materials, construction, windows, systems, plants etc.
Import/Export: Protocol for transferring (import/export) elements between files.
For more details, click here for an article from the Building Energy Simulation User News.

 
Taitem Engineering
109 South Albany Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Ph: (607) 277-1118
Fx: (607) 277-2119
E+IEQ   In Development
focuses on the energy and indoor environmental quality trade-offs of building design. Taitem Engineering plans to include these capabilities in E+IEQ:
Calculate building energy use and cost.
Calculate movement of airflow between zones of a building, natural ventilation and infiltration (implement link to COMIS).
Check compliance with building code ventilation requirements.
Also, E+IEQ will feature "Qsmart defaults", wizards and customizable component libraries to speed data entry.
Interface capabilities are planned to be gradually expanded to cover the broader scope of EnergyPlus. A first E+IEQ beta version is planned for 2005. If interested in being notified when the beta version becomes available, please send email to EPlusIEQ@taitem.com.


EnergyPlus Developers' Tools
 
VisualSPARK+
Dimitri Curtil 		VisualSPARK+   In Development
is a user-friendly version of the SPARK program, an equation-based simulation environment that allows users to build customized models of complex physical processes by connecting calculation objects that represent system components like walls, fans, heat exchangers, chillers, ducts, mixing boxes, controls, etc. SPARK is aimed at the simulation of innovative and complex building systems that are usually beyond the scope of whole-building programs like EnergyPlus or DOE-2. VisualSPARK adds a user-friendly graphical interface to SPARK to simplify use of the program.
VisualSPARK is available as a free download.