Getting started with EnergyPlus

Basic concepts manual

Prepared for CEE 9532 Building Sustainability

By:
Girma Bitsuamlak, PhD, PEng FSCE
Meseret Kahsay, PhD
Anwar Awol, PhD

March 2020

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Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Installation ............................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 EnergyPlus launch program ................................................................................................................ 3
3. Tutorial Exercise 1: Thermal load analysis .......................................................................................... 5
4. Downloading weather data..................................................................................................................... 6
5. Open IDF editor ...................................................................................................................................... 6
5.1 Enter version ....................................................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Simulation control ............................................................................................................................... 8
5.3 Building............................................................................................................................................... 9
5.4 Time Step .......................................................................................................................................... 10
5.5 Run Period ........................................................................................................................................ 11
5.6 Schedule type .................................................................................................................................... 12
5.7 Schedule compact ............................................................................................................................. 12
5.8 Material ............................................................................................................................................. 13
5.9 Window Material glazing ................................................................................................................. 15
5.10 Window gas material ...................................................................................................................... 17
5.11 Construction .................................................................................................................................... 17
5.12 Global Geometry Rules................................................................................................................... 17
5.13 Zone ................................................................................................................................................ 19
5.14 Wall: Exterior.................................................................................................................................. 20
5.15 Roof ................................................................................................................................................ 21
5.16 Floor Adiabatic ............................................................................................................................... 21
5.17 Fenestration detail ........................................................................................................................... 22
5.18 Lights .............................................................................................................................................. 23
5.19 HVAC Template: Thermostat ......................................................................................................... 23
5.20 HVAC Template Zone: Ideal Loads Air System ............................................................................ 24
5.21 Output: Table: Summary................................................................................................................. 25
5.21 Output control: Table: Style............................................................................................................ 26
6. Now save the .idf file in correct path. .................................................................................................. 26
7. EP-launch............................................................................................................................................... 26
8. Solution .................................................................................................................................................. 29
9. Function key .......................................................................................................................................... 31

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1. Introduction
EnergyPlus is an energy analysis and thermal load simulation program. Based on a user’s
description of a building from the perspective of the building’s physical make-up, associated
mechanical systems, etc., EnergyPlus will calculate the heating and cooling loads necessary to
maintain thermal control set points, conditions throughout a secondary HVAC system and coil
loads, and the energy consumption of primary plant equipment as well as many other simulation
details that are necessary to verify that the simulation is performing as the actual building would.
Many of the simulation characteristics have been inherited from the legacy programs of BLAST
and DOE–2.

For more information on EnergyPlus, visit:

https://energyplus.net/sites/default/files/pdfs_v8.3.0/GettingStarted.pdf

2. Installation
EnergyPlus is free, open-source, and cross-platform; it runs on the Windows, Mac OS X, and
Linux operating systems. A freely downloadable excitable file and related graphical interfaces
can be found at the following link.

https://energyplus.net/

PDF document can be downloaded from the following links also.

https://www.energyplus.net/documentation

Other related software that you will need to install for visualizing and interpreting the results are:

1. A text editor: WordPad or Notepad to edit input data files

2. A spreadsheet program: MS Excel
3. To view CSV formatted output: A web browser to view HTML formatted output files
4. 3-D DXF viewer: Volo viewer express or Autodesk Design review
(http://usa.autodesk.com/design-review/)
5. Adobe Acrobat Reader (http://get.adobe.com/reader/) to view the PDF files.

2.1 EnergyPlus launch program

Th EP-launch program is located as a shortcut in the desktop or in the main directory of the
EnergyPlus main folder.
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Figure 1: EnergyPlus launch program

Select input file (.idf)

Select weather file (.epw)

View result

Simulate

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 Figure 2: EnergyPlus launch

3. Tutorial exercise 1: Thermal load analysis

In this exercise, we will simulate a simple rectangular room model which has a dimension of 8m
length (North-South facade), 6m width and 3m height with a single window size of 2 m width and
1 m height on the south façade. Assume the building is located in London, Ontario. Calculate the
annual thermal load of this room and view the outputs results using EnergyPlus. Assumptions in
this tutorial, Operating System: Windows, EnergyPlus Version: 8.8
To simplify the problem the following assumptions are considered:

Figure 3: Room model

 The window is the only opening: single clear glazing of 6 MM thickness
 Single zone with no internal partitions
 No internal thermal load except electric lighting
 Temperature standard set points for heating: 200C, cooling: 240C
 Construction materials: all the facade (walls, roof, and floor) are made of concrete and
plaster with the following properties:

Table 1: List of construction materials

Material Property Concrete Plaster
Roughness Rough Rough
Thickness (m) 0.1 0.015
Conductivity (W/m-k) 0.81 0.16
Density (kg/m3) 977 600
Specific heat capacity (J/kg-k) 830 1000
Absorptance: thermal 0.9 0.9
Absorptance :solar 0.7 0.7
Absorbtance: visible 0.7 0.7
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4. Downloading weather data

Download a weather data for London Ontario from the following data then extract the .epw file
extension from the zipped folder and saved it.
https://energyplus.net/weather-
location/north_and_central_america_wmo_region_4/CAN/ON/CAN_ON_London.716230_CW
EC
The next step after downloading the weather data, launch the EP.

5. Open IDF editor

First, double-click on the EP-Launch, and then click on the Edit-IDF Editor as shown below or
you can start directly by double-clicking the IDF-Editor from the desktop. IDF-editor is
EnergyPlus Input Data File editor.

Option: 1

Option: 2

By double-clicking on the EP-Launch icon, you get the screen as shown below (Figure 4) for
running a single input file.

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 Figure 4: EnergyPlus launch screen

5.1 Enter version

Enter the version of the EnergyPlus that you are using for this simulation. In this case, when file
imported from previous versions or if the version does not appear by default, enter the version of
the EnergyPlus.

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 Step 2: click on the
New Obj.

Step 1: click on the

version
Step 3: Add version

Figure 5: Adding version

Note on Step 2: click always step 2 when you enter new simulation parameters.

Save your file: You can save your file with any name. In this tutorial, the file names as 'Room
model test. idf'. Keep saving your work frequently as IDF editor does not save file automatically.

5.2 Simulation control

This simulation control allows the designer to control the sizing of zone, system, and plant by
clicking on the simulation control tab as shown in Figure 6, these fields set to Yes but if there is
no corresponding sizing object of these fields set to No.

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 Step 1: Click on the
simulation control

Step 2: control
the simulation

Figure 6: Select the simulation control

5.3 Building

Object Description: Describes parameters that are used during the simulation of the building.
Name assign as: Building modeling
North axis: 0, relative to the true North and others keep as shown in figure 7 below.

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 Step 2: Click on
the New Obj.

Step 1: Click on
the Building

Step 3: Name the Building,

keep default values

Figure 7: Building modeling screen

5.4 Time Step

In this step, the "basic" time step for the simulation is specified. The value entered here is also
known as the Zone Timestep. This is used in the Zone Heat Balance Model calculation as the
driving time step for heat transfer and load calculations.
The number in hours are normal validity 4 to 60: 6 suggested Must be evenly divisible into 60
Allowable values include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60 Normal 6 is minimum as lower
values may cause inaccuracies.
Default: 6 (this means every 10 min, the building energy will be calculated)
Range: 1 <= X <= 60

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 Step 2: Enter 6
Step 1: Click on
the Time step

Figure 8: Time step screen

5.5 Run Period

Name as: My Period

This step specifies a range of dates and other parameters for a weather file simulation. Keep others
as default simulation.

Step 2: Name the as My Period

and keep default values.

Step 1: Click on the

Run Period

Figure 9: Run period screen

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5.6 Schedule type

This group of objects allows the user to influence the scheduling of many items (such as occupancy
density, lighting, thermostatic controls, occupancy activity). In addition, schedules are used to
control shading element density on the building.
Object Description: Schedule Type Limits specifies the data types and limits for the values
contained in schedules.
Name: My schedule

Figure 10: Schedule screen

5.7 Schedule compact

Assume the building is working on two schedules:

1. Always 24: all days the internal heat loading is working;
2. Always 4: only for 4 hrs is working
Object Description: Irregular object.
Through: Date
For: Applicable days
Interpolate: Yes/No
Until: Time
Words "Through", "For", "Interpolate", "Until" must be included.

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 Figure 11: Schedule compact screen

5.8 Material

Fill the objective spaces with construction material properties which are given in Table 2.
Field Name: This field is a unique reference name that the user assigns to a particular material. This
name can then be referred to by other input data (ref: Construction).
Field Roughness: This field is a character string that defines the relative roughness of a particular
material layer. A special keyword is expected in this field with the options being “Very Rough”,
“Rough”, “Medium Rough”, “Medium Smooth”, “Smooth”, and “Very Smooth” in order of roughest
to smoothest options.
Field: Thickness: This field characterizes the thickness of the material layer in meters. This should
be the dimension of the layer in the direction perpendicular to the main path of heat conduction. This
value must be positive.
Field: Conductivity: This field is used to enter the thermal conductivity of the material layer. Units
for this parameter are W/(m-K). Thermal conductivity must be greater than zero.
Field: Density: This field is used to enter the density of the material layer in units of kg/m3. Density
must be a positive quantity.
Field: Specific Heat: This field represents the specific heat of the material layer in units of J/(kg-K).
Note that these units are most likely different than those reported in textbooks and references which
tend to use kJ/ (kg-K) or J/ (g-K). They were chosen for internal consistency within EnergyPlus. An
only positive value of specific heat is allowed.
Field: Absorptance: Thermal: the thermal absorptance field in the Material input syntax represents
the fraction of incident long wavelength radiation that is absorbed by the material. This parameter is
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used when calculating the long wavelength radiant exchange between various surfaces and affects the
surface heat balances (both inside and outside as appropriate). Values for this field must be between
0.0 and 1.0 (with 1.0representing “black body” conditions).
Field: Absorptance: Solar: The solar absorptance field in the Material input syntax represents the
fraction of incident solar radiation that is absorbed by the material. Solar radiation includes the
visible spectrum as well as infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. Values for this field must be
between 0.0 and
Field: Absorptance: Visible: the visible absorptance field in the Material input syntax represents the
fraction of incident visible wavelength radiation that is absorbed by the material. Visible wavelength
radiation is slightly different than solar radiation in that the visible band of wavelengths is much
narrower while solar radiation includes the visible spectrum as well as infrared and ultraviolet
wavelengths. Values for this field must be between 0.0 and 1.0.
Table 2: construction materials properties
Material Concrete material Plaster
Roughness Rough Rough
Thickness 0.1 0.015
Conductivity 0.81 0.16
Density 977 600
Specific heat 830 1000
Absorptance: thermal 0.9 0.9
Absorptance :solar 0.7 0.7
Absorbtance: visible 0.7 0.7

Step 2: Fill both materials

and insert the given material
properties.

Step 1: Click on
the Material

Figure 12: Material screen

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5.9 Window Material glazing

To select window material from the database, click on the File -> open dataset -> Window Glass
Materials clear glazing of 6MM.

Step 2: This property

value is imported from
database

Step 2: Copy object

Figure 13: Window material glazing

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 Figure 14: Dataset screen

Step 2: Copy object

Step 1: Fill both materials and insert
the given material properties.

Figure 15: Material selection

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5.10 Window gas material

Repeat the above steps to select window gas material but in this case select window gas material
of 3mm.

5.11 Construction

Name assign as: Construction layer, this is the layer of all walls, roof, and floor.
Outside layer: select from the down drop list, from outside to inside layer arrangement as plaster,
concrete material then plaster.

Step 2: Fill the

construction layer
arrangement
Step 1: Click on
the Construction

Step 3: Select from the dropdown list

menu, based on the wall layer
arrangement from outside –inside layer.

Figure16: Construction materials input

5.12 Global Geometry Rules

Object Description: Specifies the geometric rules used to describe the input of surface vertices
and day lighting reference points.
Starting vertex position:
The shadowing algorithms in EnergyPlus rely on surfaces having vertices in a certain order and
positional structure. Thus, the surface translator needs to know the starting point for each surface
entry. The choices are Upper Left Corner, Lower Left Corner, Upper Right Corner, or Lower
Right Corner. Since most surfaces will be 4 sided, the convention will specify this position as
though each surface were 4 sided.

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For this case, lower left corner is selected as starting vertex position
Vertex entry Direction:
Specified as an entry for a 4-sided surface/rectangle Surfaces are specified as viewed from outside
the surface, shading surfaces as viewed from behind.
EnergyPlus needs to know whether the surfaces are being specified in counterclockwise or
clockwise order (from the Starting Vertex Position). EnergyPlus uses this to determine the outward
facing normal for the surface (which is the facing angle of the surface – very important in shading
and shadowing calculations).
For this case clockwise is selected as vertex entry direction.
Coordinate System:

Vertices can be specified in two ways: using “Absolute, World coordinates, or a relative
coordinate” specification. Relative coordinates allow flexibility of rapid change to observe
changes in building results due to orientation and position. “World” coordinates will facilitate use
of a CAD system structure. Relative coordinates make use of both Building and Zone North Axis
values as well as Zone Origin values to locate the surface in 3D coordinate space. World
coordinates do not use these values. Typically, all zone origin values for “World” coordinates will
be (0, 0, 0) but Building and zone North Axis values may be used in certain instances (namely the
Daylighting Coordinate Location entries).

Step 1: Click on
Global Geometry

Step 2: Fill as shown

below

Figure17: Global geometry rules

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5.13 Zone

This is the main thermal load calculation input zone. Without thermal zones and surfaces, the
building can’t be simulated.
Name as: Thermal zone
Zone ceiling height is used in several areas within EnergyPlus. Energy plus automatically
calculates the zone ceiling height (m) from the average height of the zone. If this field is 0.0 or
negative, then the calculated zone ceiling height will be used in subsequent calculations. If this
field is positive, then the calculated zone ceiling height will not be used -- the number entered here
will be used as the zone ceiling height. If this number differs significantly from the calculated
ceiling height, then a warning message will be issued. Note that the Zone Ceiling Height is the
distance from the Floor to the Ceiling in the Zone, not an absolute height from the ground.

Add new obj. and fill

as shown below

Figure 18: Zoning

Zone inside convection algorism: Will default to the same value as Surface Convection
Algorithm: Inside object setting this field overrides the default Surface Convection Algorithm:
Inside of this zone
 Simple = constant natural convection (ASHRAE)
 TARP = variable natural convection based on temperature difference (ASHRAE)
 Ceiling Diffuser = ACH based forced and mixed convection correlations for ceiling
diffuser configuration with simple natural convection limit
 Adaptive Convection Algorithm = dynamic selection of convection models based on
conditions
 Trombe Wall = variable natural convection in an enclosed rectangular cavity

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5.14 Wall: Exterior

The Wall: Exterior object is used to describe walls that are exposed to the external environment.
They receive sun, wind – all the characteristics of the external world.
Field: Name: This is a unique name associated with the exterior wall. It is used in several other
places as a reference (e.g. as the base surface name for a Window or Door).
Field: Construction Name: This is the name of the construction (ref: Construction) used in the
surface.
Field: Zone Name: This is the zone name to which the surface belongs.
Field: Azimuth Angle: The Azimuth Angle indicates the direction that the wall faces (outward
normal). The angle is specified in degrees where East=90, South=180, West=270, North=0.
Field: Tilt Angle The tilt angle is the angle (in degrees) that the wall is tilted from horizontal (or the
ground). Normally, walls are tilted 90 degrees and that is the default for this field.
Starting Corner for the surface: The rectangular surfaces specify the lower.

2 3
Y

1 4
Figure 19: Global geometry starting position

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 Figure 20: Exterior wall geometry

Save file

5.15 Roof

Allows for simplified entry of roofs (exterior). View Factor to Ground is automatically
calculated.

Figure 21: Roof property

5.16 Floor Adiabatic

Object Description: Allows for simplified entry of exterior floors ignoring ground contact or
interior floors. View Factor to Ground is automatically calculated.
Name: Floor
Tilt angle: Floors are usually tilted 180 degrees

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 Figure 22: Floor details

5.17 Fenestration detail

Object Description: Allows for detailed entry of sub surfaces (windows, doors, glass doors,
tubular daylighting devices).

Figure 23: Fenestration surface detail

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5.18 Lights

Object Description: Sets internal gains for lights in the zone. If you use a zone list in the zone or
zone list name field then this definition applies to all the zones in the zone List.

Figure 24: Electrical lighting details

5.19 HVAC Template: Thermostat

Object Description: Zone thermostat control. Referenced schedules must be defined elsewhere
in the idf. Thermostat control type is a dual set point with the dead band. It is not necessary to
create a thermostat object for every zone, only for each unique set of setpoint schedules. For
example, an office building may have two thermostat objects, one for "Office" and one for
"Storage".

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 Figure 25: HVAC template

5.20 HVAC Template Zone: Ideal Loads Air System

Object Description: Zone with ideal air system that meets heating or cooling loads.
Name: Thermal zone
Template Thermostat Name: Enter the name of an HVAC Template: Thermostat object. Thermo-
state: from the dropdown list, thermal, keep other as default.

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 Figure 26: Ideal gas air system

5.21 Output: Table: Summary

Object Description: This object allows the user to call report types that are predefined and will
appear with the other tabular reports. These predefined reports are sensitive to the Output Control:
Table: Style objects and appears in the same files as the tabular reports. The entries for this object
are a list of the predefined reports that should appear in the tabular report output file. There should
be as many fields (A) in this object as there are keys in the following (minus All Summary + All
Monthly + All Summary and Monthly).

Figure 27: Summary table inputs

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5.21 Output control: Table: Style

Object Description: default style for the Output Control: Table: Style is a comma -- this works
well for importing into spreadsheet programs such as Excel (TM) but not so well for word
processing programs their tab may be a better choice. Fixed puts spaces between the "columns".
HTML produces tables in HTML. XML produces an XML file. Note - if no Output Control:
Table: Style is included; the defaults are comma and none.

Figure 28: Output control

6. Now save the .idf file in a correct path.

Save your file: Once all the require simulation parameters have selected save your file and
arrange the simulation parameters view to:
View -> show classes with objects only.

7. EP-launch

Now launch EP- simulation and follow the following few steps:

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 Step 1: Browse the
.idf file that you
saved.

Step 2: Browse the

London weather
data

Step 3: Run the

simulation

Figure 29: EP-Launch

Thinking………………………..

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 Warning Server error:
generally Time elapsed.
crash-look at
ignored the file

Success……..

Double-click to
see the drawing

Double-click to
see output result

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8. Solution

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Checking errors

Check errors

Figure 30: checking errors

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9. Function key

1. Variable – tabulated results in a comma, tab or space delimited format (F4)

2. ESO – raw report variable output (F5),
3. RDD – list of output variables available from the run (F6).
4. MDD – list of output meters available from the run (Shift-Ctrl-F3)
5. EIO – additional EnergyPlus results (F7),
6. ERR – list of errors and warnings (F8),
7. BND – HVAC system node and component connection details (F9),
8. MTR – raw report meter output (F11),
9. MTD – list of meter component variables (F12)
10. METER File – tabulated meter report in comma, tab or space delimited format (Ctrl-F4)
11. ZSZ – zone sizing details in comma, tab or space delimited format (Ctrl+F5)
12. SSZ – system sizing details in comma, tab or space delimited format (Ctrl+F6)
13. AUDIT – input file echo with input processor errors and warnings (Ctrl+F8)
14. SLN – output from "report, surfaces, lines" (Ctrl+F9)
15. DBG – output from the debug command (Ctrl+F11)
16. SHD – output related to shading (Ctrl+F12)
17. SVG - HVAC Diagram (Shift+ F4)
18. EPMIDF – clean idf file after EP-Macro processing (Shift+F5)
19. EPMDET – EP-Macro detailed output with errors and warnings (Shift+F6)
20. MAP – daylighting illuminance map (Shift+F7)
21. TABLE – tabulated report of the bin and monthly data in comma, tab or space delimited
or HTML format (Shift+F8)
22. VMRL – drawing file in VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language) format (Shift F+F11)
23. DXF – drawing file in AutoCAD DXF format (Shift+F12)
24. Delight IN - DElight input generated from EnergyPlus processed input (Shift+Ctrl+F4)
25. Delight OUT – Detailed DElight output (Shift+Ctrl+F5)
26. Delight ELDMP – DElight reference point illuminance per time step (Shift+Ctrl+F6)
27. Delight DFDMP – DElight warning and error messages (Shift+Ctrl+F7)
28. EXPIDF – Expanded IDF when using HVACTemplate objects (Shift+Ctrl+F8)
29. Group Error – combined error files for a group run. (Shift+Ctrl+F9)
30. VCpErr – Transition program error file (Shift+Ctrl+F11)
31. Screen (Shift+Ctrl+f12)
32. Proc CSV – Simple statistics generated from CSVProc
33. EDD – Energy Management System details.

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