Introduction
The OpenStudio-HPXML repository consists of a simple residential EnergyPlus-based workflow build on top of OpenStudio measures. The workflow operates using HPXML building description files.
The OpenStudio measures used by the workflow are:
BuildResidentialHPXML
: A measure that generates an HPXML file from a set of building description inputs (including, e.g., simplified geometry inputs).BuildResidentialScheduleFile
: A measure that generates a CSV of detailed schedules (e.g., stochastic occupancy) for use in the simulation.HPXMLtoOpenStudio
: A measure that translates an HPXML file to an OpenStudio model.ReportSimulationOutput
: A reporting measure that generates a variety of simulation-based annual/timeseries outputs in CSV/JSON/MessagePack format.ReportUtilityBills
: A reporting measure that generates utility bill outputs in CSV/JSON/MessagePack format.
Building Type Scope
See HPXML Building for information on the types of buildings/simulations that OpenStudio-HPXML supports.
Accuracy vs Speed
The EnergyPlus simulation engine is like a Swiss army knife. There are often multiple models available for the same building technology with varying trade-offs between accuracy and speed. This workflow standardizes the use of EnergyPlus (e.g., the choice of models appropriate for residential buildings) to provide a fast and easy to use solution.
The workflow is continuously being evaluated for ways to reduce runtime without significant impact on accuracy. End-to-end simulations typically run in 3-10 seconds, depending on complexity, computer platform and speed, etc.
There are additional ways that software developers using this workflow can reduce runtime:
Run on Linux/Mac platform, which is significantly faster than Windows.
Run on computing environments with 1) fast CPUs, 2) sufficient memory, and 3) enough processors to allow all simulations to run in parallel.
Limit requests for timeseries output (e.g.,
--hourly
,--daily
,--timestep
arguments) and limit the number of output variables requested.Avoid using the
--add-component-loads
argument if heating/cooling component loads are not of interest.Use the
--skip-validation
argument if the HPXML input file has already been validated against the Schema & Schematron documents.
License
This project is available under a BSD-3-like license, which is a free, open-source, and permissive license. For more information, check out the license file.