DOCSEARCHbyAlgolia
Submit Docs

EnergyPlus Documentation

repository·develop·Indexed 23 days ago

https://github.com/natlabrockies/energyplus

A comprehensive whole building energy simulation program used to model energy and water consumption. The project features a C++ implementation with a CMake build system, providing a C API and Python bindings for extending functionality. Documentation includes guides on building from source, managing input/output syntax changes between releases, and transitioning IDF files between major versions.

Tokens
224.4K
Snippets
302
Records
831
Agent score
81%

What's inside EnergyPlus

  1. Overview of specialized EnergyPlus input groups

    develop

    EnergyPlus contains several specialized input groups for advanced modeling tasks:

    GroupDescription
    Energy Management System (EMS)High-level control connecting sensors and actuators via a programming language.
    External InterfaceEnables co-simulation via Functional Mockup Units (FMUs).
    Operational FaultsModels problems in sensors, controllers, meters, and equipment (useful for existing buildings).
    Performance Curves/TablesCharacterizes HVAC equipment performance using polynomials or tables.
    ParametricsDefines simple parametric cases within an input file using the ParametricPreprocessor.
    Demand Limiting ControlsRegulates peak demand by managing building systems.
    Solar CollectorsModels systems converting solar energy to thermal energy (including PV integration).
    Water SystemsDescribes water usage from wells, rain, and storage.
    Room Air ModelsDescribes non-uniform, non-fully mixed room air temperatures.

  3. Overview of the Googletest Mocking (gMock) Framework

    develop

    gMock is a C++ framework for creating and using mock classes. It is designed to help improve system design and testing by providing a declarative syntax for defining mocks and controlling their behavior.

    Key features include:

    • Declarative Mock Definition: Define mocks using a clear syntax.
    • Partial (Hybrid) Mocks: Create objects that combine real implementation with mocked behavior.
    • Argument Validation: Uses a rich set of matchers to validate function arguments.
    • Behavior Control: Intuitive syntax for specifying how mocks should respond to calls.
    • Automatic Verification: Expectations are verified automatically without requiring a manual record-and-replay step.
    • Ordering Constraints: Supports expressing arbitrary (partial) ordering constraints on function calls.
    • Extensibility: Users can define custom matchers and actions.
    • C++ Optimized: Handles overloaded functions and arbitrary types, and does not rely on exceptions.

  4. Overview of the Gas Fired Absorption Heat Pump (GAHP) Module

    develop

    The Gas Fired Absorption Heat Pump (GAHP) module is a specialized EnergyPlus model designed for space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) applications, particularly in cold climates. Unlike general-purpose absorption chillers or electric heat pumps, the GAHP is optimized for fuel-fired heating modes where heat is extracted from the condenser to meet hot water or space heating demands.

    Key characteristics include:

    • Equation-Fit Modeling: Uses manufacturer-provided parameters and performance curves rather than simple constant values.
    • Load Modulation: Supports Part Load Ratio (PLR) modeling.
    • Specialized Features: Includes support for defrost operations, specific flow control methods, and standby electricity options which are not available in standard ChillerHeater:Absorption:DirectFired or HeatPump:PlantLoop:EIR:Cooling/Heating objects.

  5. Overview of the View Factor Calculation package

    develop

    The View Factor Calculation package consists of four primary components used to perform view factor calculations via the NIST View3D program:

    1. View3D.exe: The core NIST view factor calculation program.
    2. View3D32.pdf: Documentation supplied by NIST for the program.
    3. ViewFactorInterface.xls: An Excel workbook that provides a user interface for interacting with View3D.exe.
    4. Auxiliary Programs Document: Contains the specific instructions required to use the Excel interface.

    Important Usage Notes

    • Prerequisite: You must read the Auxiliary Programs instructions before attempting to use the interface.
    • Macros: The ViewFactorInterface.xls workbook relies on macros; these must be enabled for the interface to function correctly.
    • Documentation Discrepancies: Note that some information in View3D32.pdf may be inconsistent with the actual behavior of the program. However, certain advanced features of the program require following the documentation's logic to utilize them.

  7. What is Btwxt?

    develop

    Btwxt is a C++ library for N-dimensional numerical interpolation on regular (rectilinear) grid data sets. It allows you to construct a RegularGridInterpolator from a set of N grid axes and a flattened collection of grid point data.

    Key features:

    • Supports linear and cubic spline (Catmull-Rom) interpolation methods.
    • Supports constant or linear extrapolation methods.
    • Allows independent specification of interpolation/extrapolation methods and limits for each axis.
    • Axes must be strictly increasing but do not need uniform spacing.
    • Grid data must be provided as a single flattened vector, ordered according to the grid axes.

  12. Overview of JsonCpp

    develop

    JsonCpp is a C++ library designed for manipulating JSON values. Its primary capabilities include:

    • Serialization and Deserialization: Converting JSON values to and from strings.
    • Comment Preservation: It can preserve existing comments during the unserialization/serialization process, which is useful for storing user-editable configuration files.
    • Data Representation: Supports numbers, strings, ordered sequences of values, and collections of name/value pairs.