Computer Laboratory 1:

Installing and Using

EnergyPlus

Material prepared by GARD Analytics, Inc. and University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign under contract to the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. All material Copyright 2002-2003 U.S.D.O.E. - All rights reserved
 Purpose of this Lecture

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

2
Installing EnergyPlus

EnergyPlus Components
EnergyPlus Folders

3
 Installing EnergyPlus
Select Components Menu
Documentation 12759k
EP-Launch 1819k
IDFEditor 415k
SampleFiles 29065k
WeatherConvertor 2428k
BLASTTranslator 4978k
DOETranslator 663k
GroundHeatTransferPreProcessor 770k
IFCtoIDF 2910k
Included in default installation

4
Installing EnergyPlus (contd)
After installation the EnergyPlus directory will
contain the following subdirectories (if default
components are selected):
BACKUP PreProcess
DataSets Templates
Documentation Trnsysspv
Example Files WeatherData
PostProcess

5
 EnergyPlus Folders

EnergyPlus
Location selected during
install
Default is c:\EnergyPlus
Batch files
Executables
Readme

6
 DataSets Folder
DataSets
Predefined Objects
Locations
Design Days
Materials
Constructions
Schedules
and more
MacroDataSets
##if blocks for
parametric batch runs

7
 Documentation Folder

Documentation
User & Developer
Documentation
Bookmarks to
Navigate
Searchable <Ctrl-F>
PDF Format
Requires Acrobat
Reader 5.0 or higher
(www.adobe.com)

8
 ExampleFiles Folder

ExampleFiles
Dozens of example
inputs
Named by key
feature
e.g., CVBbRh.idf
Many concepts are
best learned by
example

9
 WeatherData Folder
WeatherData
User can download additional EPW weather files at
www.energyplus.gov

10
 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

11
Start Menu Shortcuts (contd)

IFCtoIDF
Convert IFC Files
WeatherConverter
Process Weather
Data
Create Weather
Reports

12
 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

13
 Auxiliary Tools

Run-time Tools
EP-Launch
Input/Output Tools
IDF Editor
WinEPDraw

14
 EP-Launch

Assistance in running EnergyPlus

Reads EPL-Run.bat file
Creates RunEP.bat file and executes
Displays run status (eplusout.end)
Can view all input and output Files
Several user options available

15
EP-Launch
Access EnergyPlus documentation

Select and edit input file

Select weather file

View output files

Run EnergyPlus

16
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

17
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

18
EP-Launch Alternate Layout

19
 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

20
 Results (contd)
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 format
DXF file can be viewed by clicking on the
Drawing File button
Can be imported into any CAD program that
accepts the DXF format
21
 IDF Editor

Not really an interface

Reads IDD
Structures data entry based on IDD
Writes 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)

22
 IDF Editor

Select object type from class list

Description of
entry, max and min
when applicable

Pull-down list of keywords or

references when applicable

Objects shown here for selected class

23
 WinEPDraw

Creates dxf drawing

Does not run simulation
*.epderr file reports errors
Run independently
EP-Launch drawing button will run if
dxf file not present
dxf file older than idf

24
 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)
25