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Many graphical user interfaces for EnergyPlus are available or under development. Demand Response Quick Assessment Tool, DesignBuilder, Easy EnergyPlus, EFEN, Hevacomp, and HLCP are now available. TREATPlus and EPlusInterface are currently available in development (beta) versions. Another tool — COMFEN a program focusing on commercial fenestration was recently announced. As new information or tools becomes available, we will update this page.
Demand Response Quick Assessment Tool
The opportunities for demand reduction and cost savings with building demand responsive controls vary tremendously with building type and location. This assessment tool predicts energy and demand savings, economic savings, and thermal comfort impact for various demand responsive strategies.
Users enter basic information such as building type, floor area, building envelope, orientation, utility schedule, etc. The assessment tool uses prototypical simulation models to calculate the energy and demand reduction potential under certain demand responsive strategies, such as global temperature reset, chiller cycling, supply air temperature reset, etc.
The tool is built on EnergyPlus simulation and includes a separate tool for plotting EnergyPlus results. Users can use the tool to test EnergyPlus models, conduct parametric analysis, or compare multiple EnergyPlus simulation results.
For more information contact Peng Xu at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
DesignBuilder (DesignBuilder USA) has been specifically developed around EnergyPlus allowing all of the EnergyPlus fabric and glazing data to be input. Databases of building materials, constructions, window panes, window gas, glazing units and blinds are provided.
Featuring an easy-to-use OpenGL solid modeller, which allows building models to be assembled by positioning 'blocks' in 3-D space and realistic 3-D elements providing visual feedback of actual element thickness and room areas and volumes. You can import CAD data and there are no limitations on surface shape — surfaces having more than 4 vertices are triangulated to ensure compatibility with the EnergyPlus simulator.
Data templates allow you to load common building constructions, activities, HVAC & lighting systems into your design by selecting from drop-down lists. You can also add your own templates if you often work on similar types of buildings. This, combined with data inheritance, allows global changes to be made at building, block or zone level. You can also control the level of detail in each building model allowing the tool to be used effectively at any stage of the design or evaluation process.
Compact HVAC systems are a powerful entry way into EnergyPlus HVAC modelling because they do not require you to draw an air flow network. You can model many common HVAC systems including VAV with terminal reheat, constant volume, packaged DX units and mechanical ventilation. Work is underway to develop a comprehensive diagrammatic interface to EnergyPlus HVAC systems.
Environmental performance data is displayed without needing to run external modules and import data and any simulations required to generate the data are started automatically. Other feature highlights include:
- Building energy consumption and CO2 emissions output suitable for building energy code compliance checking.
- Internal temperatures and comfort output available using the full range of EnergyPlus comfort indicators.
- Integrated daylighting simulation allows checking for optimal use of natural light, modelling lighting control systems.
- Detailed calculation of air flows within naturally ventilated buildings using EnergyPlus AirFlowNetwork.
- Impressive rendered images and movies showing site layouts and solar shading.
- Heating and cooling equipment sizing.
- Generate EnergyPlus input IDF files to access functionality not provided by DesignBuilder.
- Latest ASHRAE worldwide design weather data and locations (4429 data sets) are included with the software and
- 1258 EnergyPlus hourly weather files are supplied free using DesignBuilder 'Install on Demand'.
DesignBuilder has been available since December 2005. More information on DesignBuilder features available from www.designbuilder.co.uk/products.
 Easy EnergyPlus is a Chinese (Mandarin) language interface for EnergyPlus that is being developed by the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University in China. The beta version of Easy EnergyPlus can accept input data required by EnergyPlus and run a simulation with the EnergyPlus engine. Nearly all of the interface is in Chinese, including menus, toolbars, labels, and lists. Entering input data in Chinese characters is also supported. The interface also lists the common construction materials in the Chinese market and allows the selection of popular HVAC systems in China. Easy EnergyPlus was created to acquaint more Chinese people with EnergyPlus and help improve energy consumption calculation and analysis in China. Easy EnergyPlus is currently only compatible with EnergyPlus version 1.4. To download, visit www.airfilter.org.cn, or for more information contact energyplus.chinese@gmail.com.
 EFEN is an energy simulation program designed for analyzing energy impacts and cost effectiveness of fenestration systems in various commercial and high-rise residential buildings. The program incorporates a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) and enables quick and effective parametric analysis of different fenestration systems. EFEN utilizes the EnergyPlus simulation engine to perform building energy consumption analysis. The main feature of the program is that it incorporates several pre-defined default commercial building types with typical construction, interior loads, operating schedules, and HVAC system configurations, such that users can quickly develop an energy models of a building.
The EFEN program has an interface to the WINDOW computer tool to assist in the accurate specification of fenestration systems. Users can simply select from the library of WINDOW products, specify dimensions, shading devices, location within the building and orientation schedule. The inner structure of the program is based on number of predefined EnergyPlus files representing various building types and characteristics, which are accessed by EFEN and utilized to simulate the energy consumption of the building.
Annual energy consumption and cost results are produced by the program and organized in intuitive output tables and graphs enabling users to quickly evaluate comparative results (i.e., parametric runs). EFEN also provides options for customizing report generation. In addition to energy and economic analysis of various fenestration options for non-residential buildings, future version of EFEN program will incorporate module for code compliance and other voluntary criteria, like Energy Star, ASHRAE 90.1, etc. The first version of EFEN was released in November 2007.
Main characteristics of the program
- Simple and intuitive user interface limits the time spent preparing an energy simulation.
- EnergyPlus simulation engine ensures high-level of accuracy and reliability in comparative energy simulation.
- Pre-defined default building types and configurations have already been incorporated using well researched building characteristics.
- Pre-existing database with weather, operating schedules, HVAC system details, and constructions
- Direct link for fenestration input with industry standard WINDOW program.
- Intuitive output tables and graphs so that users can effectively evaluate results.
- Customized versions of program with links to manufacturers' window product database available.
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 Web site.
- EPlusTUI: Text based interface tui = text user interface - available now
- 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 3D models in CAD 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.
Hevacomp Design Simulation
For more than 28 years Bentley Hevacomp has provided designers, building engineers, and consultants with the tools they need to meet the challenges of creating energy-efficient buildings that are tuned to their environment, perform for their occupants, and provide ROI for their owners.
Bentley Hevacomp offers software for building performance design, simulation, and energy certification based on the EnergyPlus analysis engine. Supporting ISO, IEE, CIBSE, and ASHRAE standards, these industry-leading tools are used around the world to help predict a building's real-world performance as well as quickly analyze design options to see if they pass or fail certification and provide the appropriate documentation, such as those mandated by U.K. Part L, Australia Section J, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.
Bentley Hevacomp is also the leading UK design software -- used by 70% of the medium to large consulting engineers in the UK, with a user base of 3,000 sites worldwide. Bentley Hevacomp provides a range of building services software, including heating and cooling loads, energy, pipe and duct sizing, lighting and electrical design. Until now, Bentley Hevacomp has produced software based on straightforward steady or quasi-steady state methods; this approach has proved popular with engineers, who appreciate easy-to-use software.
Over the past few years, engineers have been required to carry out more complex analysis, such as overheating frequency, mixed mode ventilation, CFD analysis, etc. To meet this demand, Bentley Hevacomp has developed a Design Simulation package, using EnergyPlus as the calculation engine. An important feature of the design simulation package is that simulation can be carried out using the same project data that was set up using simple load calculations. This enables simulation studies to be carried out without entering additional project data. This is an important feature, to lead engineers easily into simulation
With Bentley Hevacomp software, a building is set up by tracing around the internal perimeter of each room, adjacent surfaces are automatically detected as partitions. Databases of construction elements are used. An extensive roof and floor modeling program is available, which enables simple or complex roofs to be traced from DXF files. Walls and partitions are automatically trimmed vertically to fit the roof, and rooms above and below target rooms are detected. This enables a full 3-D model to be produced for little more effort than a simple 2-D tracing.
Once the building has been set up, building simulation linking to EnergyPlus can be performed to examine room heat losses and gains, summer overheating, peak design months, overheating frequency, and building energy. The package will also produce 3-D external shading graphics and internal solar penetration graphics, showing moving sunshine patches within rooms.
Summer overheating frequency is simulated using CIBSE summer design year data. Weather and hours of overheating can be obtained from cumulative frequency results to check against UK Part L code requirements. Natural infiltration can be examined by defining flow paths and opening windows, this enables complex natural and mixed mode ventilation systems to be examined, including controlled opening of windows.
A large amount of weather data for annual energy simulation is provided; as well as ASHRAE and CIBSE weather data, Hevacomp provides an extensive Meteonorm weather database of over 7000 locations world-wide. A detailed profiling and scheduling module is available so that you can set up any required plant, gains, occupancy and temperature schedules. Typical schedules for a large range of building are provided, compatible with UK Part L requirements.
As well as building simulation, a plant simulation module is available to enable engineers to simply define HVAC systems such as radiators, warm air, constant volume a/c, VAV, fan coils, room a/c units, etc. Central plant items such as boilers, chillers and cooling towers can also be defined. Databases of common plant and equipment are provided. From a brief HVAC set of data, the package will automatically set up all the required HVAC components, water and air networks and central plant. Although simple to set up, complex systems can be defined, which are not limited to Compact HVAC components.
With plant simulation, plant sizing can be carried out, using summer and winter design days, plant and equipment sizing schedules are produced. Annual energy consumption can be computed, together with fuel cost and CO2 consumption.
Hevacomp has an alliance with CHAM (UK) so that results from Design Simulation can automatically be used to carry out CFD analysis, enabling room air movement and temperature studies to be carried out. Hevacomp provides an extensive object library so that you can place items such as furniture and people in rooms to see the effect on air movement.
More information on Bentley Hevacomp's Design Simulation is available from www.hevacomp.com.
Hourly Load Calculation Program
HLCP has been developed by ISHRAE, The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, specifically to meet the needs of Indian HVAC engineers for
calculation of building design loads. The results include design day loads, 288 hour yearly outputs and 8760 hour hourly outputs though a single simplified tabbed graphical interface. Users can select between SI and IP units. Latent loads for ventilation air and infiltration are calculated as a post-process, and include simplified ventilation and infiltration inputs. Weather data for 58 Indian cities are available. The program structure is such so as to enable easy migration from conventional manual and spreadsheet load calculations with a minimal learning curve, and to serve as an adjunct to
whole building energy analysis programs based on EnergyPlus. Features include an innovative wall dimension input screen, and inputs of various internal loads, inputs for external shading of windows, floors, roofs and ceilings. U value calculators for layered opaque and fenestration constructions have been incorporated. Post-processed hourly loads are
available in CSV format. HLCP generates the EnergyPlus input data file (IDF) and executes EnergyPlus, and provides post-processed outputs without any further input from the user. The current version has been available since 2007 and is available in English.
The main characteristics of the program are:
- Numerical data entry, tabbed wizard graphical user interface.
- Calls EnergyPlus directly from the interface.
- Seasonal Design Day 288 hour and 8760 hourly outputs.
- BIS Design Day data base, WeDCo hourly weather database for 58 stations.
- Rotation of building.
- Project Masters and Schedule Masters.
- Transmission and solar U value calculators.
- Formatted PDF Design Day zone load output.
TREATPlus (Targeted Retrofit Energy Analysis Tool) is in development by Performance Systems Development. Like the popular TREAT software, TREATPlus is an integrated suite of software tools which assist users to rapidly model the energy use of more complex existing and new buildings using the latest EnergyPlus engine.
The interface for TREATPlus will focus on ease of use and will feature 'smart defaults', wizards and customizable component libraries to speed data entry. Interface capabilities will be continually expanded to cover the broader scope of EnergyPlus.
TREATPlus will offer building "true-up" capabilities for producing calibrated models as well as billing analysis and financial analysis calculations. TREATPlus is designed with a focus to increase the effectiveness and profitability of the growing energy services industry. It will be the fastest way to integrate EnergyPlus into an improvement-driven business. TREATPlus builds on the E+IEQ interface.
A TREATPlus beta version is planned for release in April 2008. If interested in being notified when the beta version becomes available, please send email to betatesting@treatsoftware.com.
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