Computer Laboratory 1: Installing and Using EnergyPlus

Material prepared by GARD Analytics, Inc. and University of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign under contract to the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory. All material Copyright 2002-2003 U.S.D.O.E. - All rights reserved

2

Purpose of this Lecture

Gain an understanding of How to Install EnergyPlus How to Use EnergyPlus Auxiliary Programs and

Documentation for EnergyPlus

3

Installing EnergyPlus

EnergyPlus Components

EnergyPlus Folders

4

Installing EnergyPlus

Documentation 12759k

EP-Launch 1819k

IDFEditor 415k

SampleFiles 29065k

WeatherConvertor 2428k

BLASTTranslator 4978k

DOETranslator 663k

GroundHeatTransferPreProcessor 770k

IFCtoIDF 2910k

Included in default installation

Select Components Menu

5

Installing EnergyPlus (cont’d)

After installation the EnergyPlus directory will contain the following subdirectories (if default components are selected): BACKUP DataSets Documentation Example Files PostProcess

PreProcess Templates Trnsysspv WeatherData

6

EnergyPlus Folders

EnergyPlus Location selected

during install Default is c:\

EnergyPlus Batch files Executables Readme

7

DataSets Folder

DataSets – Predefined Objects

Locations Design Days Materials Constructions Schedules and more

MacroDataSets ##if blocks for

parametric batch runs

8

Documentation Folder

Documentation User & Developer

Documentation Bookmarks to

Navigate Searchable <Ctrl-

F> PDF Format Requires Acrobat

Reader 5.0 or higher (www.adobe.com)

9

ExampleFiles Folder

ExampleFiles Dozens of

example inputs Named by key

feature e.g., CVBbRh.idf Many concepts

are best learned by example

10

WeatherData Folder

WeatherData User can download additional EPW weather files at

www.energyplus.gov

11

Start Menu Shortcuts

Start Programs EnergyPlus Vn-n-n Programs

DocMainMenu Docs Menu Page

EP-Launch Easy-to-Use Run Tool

IDFEditor Input File Editor

12

Start Menu Shortcuts (cont’d)

IFCtoIDF Convert IFC Files

WeatherConverter Process Weather

Data Create Weather

Reports

13

User Documentation

Eplus Main Menu EnergyPlus\

Documentation\EPlusMainMenu.pdf

Start Programs EnergyPlus Programs DocMainMenu

Getting Started Input Output Reference Output Details and Examples Engineering Reference Auxiliary Programs/Developer

Guides Frequently Asked Questions

14

Auxiliary Tools

Run-time Tools EP-Launch

Input/Output Tools IDF Editor WinEPDraw

15

EP-Launch

Assistance in running EnergyPlusReads EPL-Run.bat fileCreates RunEP.bat file and

executesDisplays run status (eplusout.end)Can view all input and output Files Several user options available

16

EP-Launch

Select and edit input file

Select weather file

View output filesRun

EnergyPlus

Access EnergyPlus documentation

17

EP-Launch Setup

Select desired text editor program(defaults to .txt editor)

Select drawing viewer for DXF files (VoloView Express is free from www.autodesk.com)

Select desired spreadsheet program to view csv files

18

EP-Launch Options

Open only ERR and EIO output files

Pause batch file after EnergyPlus execution to read traceback if crash

Wide format for long path names

19

EP-Launch Alternate Layout

20

Results

ERR file contains warnings and errors (always look here!)

EIO file contains additional EnergyPlus results, including verification of location, environment, summary reports, etc.

View menu – ERR/EIO only (F2)RDD file lists the output variables

available from the run

21

Results (cont’d)

ESO file contains the raw output from the run (users rarely look here)

CSV versions of ESO and MTR files can be opened by clicking on the “Spreadsheet” button Can be imported into any spreadsheet

program that accepts the CSV formatDXF file can be viewed by clicking on

the “Drawing File” button Can be imported into any CAD program that

accepts the DXF format

22

IDF Editor

Not really an “interface”Reads IDDStructures data entry based on IDDWrites objects in IDD order

e.g. Run Period, Design Days, all Materials, all Constructions, all Zones, all Surfaces

Files generated by other means will be rearranged

CANNOT read IMF files (see EP-Macro)

23

IDF Editor

Select object type from class list

Objects shown here for selected class

Pull-down list of keywords or references when applicable

Description of entry, max and min when applicable

24

WinEPDraw

Creates dxf drawingDoes not run simulation*.epderr file reports errorsRun independentlyEP-Launch drawing button will run if

dxf file not present dxf file older than idf

25

Summary

EnergyPlus install includes documentation and example files

Various auxiliary programs can be used with EnergyPlus when a more sophisticated interface is not available, the most important utilities are: EP-Launch (launches EnergyPlus) IDF Editor (edits input files for EnergyPlus)