Dept. of Energy releases updated versions of EnergyPlus and OpenStudio building energy modeling tools

The U.S. Department of Energy and the National Labs have released updated versions of their open-source, whole-building energy modeling tools: the EnergyPlus engine and the OpenStudio software development kit and application.

EnergyPlus V8.7.0 includes the following enhancements:

New features to support residential modeling including a new attic duct model and the Kiva ground heat exchange model.
Support for non-rectangular windows.
A new generalized fan model.
Enhanced plant auto-sizing.
Full support for variable speed DX coils.
Regular expression support in output variables for easier report generation.
A refactored output module for improved performance.

The release also includes resolutions and fixes to 50 known bugs and issues.

OpenStudio 2.1.0 has a new feature, a completely revamped Parametric Analysis Tool (PAT) application. The interface has been rewritten in JavaScript to leverage the browser-based Electron framework. The back end also uses the new OpenStudio 2.0 Server architecture, including OpenStudio Command Line Interface (CLI), OpenStudio Meta-CLI, and the new OpenStudio Workflow (OSW) and OpenStudio Analysis (OSA) file formats. The new PAT supports both local and cloud-based execution and adds support for “algorithmic” workflows like uncertainty quantification, design optimization, large-scale parametric analysis, and model input calibration that can automatically generate large numbers of runs. Use of the new file formats means that the new PAT is not compatible with PAT 1.X projects.

More information about all of DOE’s energy modeling software and research projects can be found at https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-energy-modeling

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.