Software tools for building envelopes: EnergyPlus: New, capable and linked

Drury B. Crawley, Curtis O. Pedersen, Michael J. Witte, Linda K. Lawrie, Richard K. Strand, Robert H. Henninger, Frederick C. Winkelmann, Richard J. Liesen, Jason Glazer, W. F. Buhl, Daniel E. Fisher, Don B. Shirey

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

For more than two decades, the U.S. government supported the development of two hourly building energy simulation programs—BLAST and DOE-2. Designed in the days of mainframe computers, expanding their capabilities further became increasingly difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. For these reasons, a U.S. federal agency began developing a new building energy simulation tool in 1996. This new simulation program, known as EnergyPlus, builds on the capabilities and features of BLAST and DOE-2 and was released in April 2001. EnergyPlus includes a number of innovative simulation features (such as variable time steps, configurable modular systems that are integrated with a heat balance-based zone simulation) and input and output data structures tailored to facilitate third-party module and interface development. Other planned simulation capabilities include multizone airflow and electric power and solar thermal and photovoltaic simulation. EnergyPlus will also be linked to two other simulation programs—TRNSYS (solar thermal, photovoltaic, and complex HVAC systems) and SPARK (complex HVAC systems). As we neared completion of EnergyPlus version 1.0, the development team began working with interface developers so that easy-to-use interfaces would be available soon after EnergyPlus version 1.0 was released. Beginning in late 1999, a series of five beta versions were released for testing. Version 1.0 of EnergyPlus was released in April 2001.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationBuildings VIII
Subtitle of host publicationThermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings
PublisherAmerican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
ISBN (Electronic)1883413966, 9781883413965
StatePublished - Jan 1 2001
Event8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings 2001 - Clearwater, United States
Duration: Dec 2 2001Dec 7 2001

Publication series

NameThermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings
ISSN (Electronic)2166-8469

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Thermal Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings 2001
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityClearwater
Period12/2/0112/7/01

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering

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