ArchiCAD and EnergyPlus

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone!

Is there already a way to use ArchiCad as the graphical interface for EnergyPlus?

Someone from ArchiCad told me at Greenbuild in Phoenix November 2009 that it would be possible.

Though, I couldn't find a way yet.


Does anyone know how to do that?

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Stefan

[Ralph Wessel]

stefanbader82 wrote:
Is there already a way to use ArchiCad as the graphical interface for EnergyPlus?

Take a look at DesignBuilder, which fully integrates EnergyPlus (see here).

An example model exported from ArchiCAD as gbXML can be seen here.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for your reply.

I was hoping that there is a direct way to use ArchiCad as the graphical interface so that there would be no need for an additional program to import the file into EnergyPlus...

Is there another way or is this the only way it would work.

I used to work with SketchUp as the graphical interface for EnergyPlus. It is so much more convenient to just open and safe the same IDF file instead of building in one program, saving it, opening in another program, further editing and saving again... A lot of additional work!


Thank you.

Best regards.

[KeesW]

How does Designbuilder compare with Ecodesigner?

[Anonymous]

It is difficult to compare DesignBuilder directly with Ecodesigner without knowing the underlying calculation methods used by Ecodesigner. What can be said is that DesignBuilder uses the US DOE EnergyPlus simulation engine which represents the state-of-the-art in building simulation software. EnergyPlus enables full over-shadowing calculations, multi-zone airflow simulation for natural ventilation analysis, radiant heating/cooling and a very comprehensive HVAC facility. However, EnergyPlus does not have its own user interface. DesignBuilder offers a full graphical user interface to EnergyPlus incorporating a gbXML facility enabling models to be directly imported from ArchiCad. Additional information about EnergyPlus can be obtained from http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/ and information concerning DesignBuilder from www.designbuilder.co.uk.

In addition to the EnergyPlus interface, DesignBuilder has a new high speed simulation engine under development called DBSim, which is especially suitable for early stage analysis and is capable of robustly modelling even very large buildings in reasonable time. DBSim will be available in beta in the next few months

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I own some real estate and I would like to do some retrofitting to it. I've looked a little bit and I found different solutions possible. I could do an energy audit or I could use the sofware out there like Graphisoft or EnergyPlus, or Ecotect. What do you recommend me to do? Is the enrgy audit cheaper or should I invest in sofware?

Thank you!

[PB]

Probably a hopelessly naive perspective, but from a non-geek point of vue wouldn't it be just about perfect if EcoDesigner provided us AC users with the graphical interface to EnergyPlus?

Would it really be that difficult to provide a plug-in (via EcoDesigner or independantly) for direct liaison between AC and EnergyPlus (after all, there is a free GUI plug-in for Sketch-Up, and AutoCAD users also have their plug-in).

Using DesignBuilder 'simply' as the GUI between AC & EP strikes me as very expensive (as a sole practitioner).......

A wish item for Graphisoft, or even our national resellers (i.e. BITE in the UK)?

As it stands, EcoDesigner appears to be useful to gauge initial design concepts against each other, it does not (in my opinion) lead to a logical conclusion........i.e. assessment of the building model against national/international codes and standards (UK building regulations, French RT's, LEED, etc.)

Is there a less onerous (predominantly graphical) means of accessing EnergyPlus for AC users than DesignBuilder? .....on a Mac?.........am I missing something?

[Ralph Wessel]

PB wrote:
...wouldn't it be just about perfect if EcoDesigner provided us AC users with the graphical interface to EnergyPlus?
Using DesignBuilder 'simply' as the GUI between AC & EP strikes me as very expensive (as a sole practitioner).......

The quality of an energy assessment of a building model depends entirely upon the quality of the data. Unfortunately, good data means much more than a visually accurate building model. A calculation engine like DOE EnergyPlus is strongly dependent on spaces, i.e. what spaces the building is comprised of, the occupancy, the relationships (adjacencies) between spaces and the exterior, and materials at the adjacencies.

An ArchiCAD model is primarily an assembly of building elements - walls, roofs, slabs, etc. Spaces are implied by the relationship of these elements, but can only be explicitly defined by the zone tool (and that can't fit every space either).

Therefore, an ArchiCAD model must both undergo a radical transformation in order to be fed into an analysis engine and be augmented with additional data that is not native to ArchiCAD (materials, thermal properties, occupancy patterns, etc). Moreover, all surfaces must be broken down according to their type, adjacency, and construction. This means that a single element in ArchiCAD may become many surfaces in an energy model. This transformation is non-trivial, and a completely automated process could easily misinterpret the spaces and surfaces in your model. This has become worse with more recent versions if ArchiCAD where elements have no clear meaning, e.g. 'beams' and 'walls' used to draw roofs, or 'curtain walls' that are not curtain walls (a frame or some other assembly). And many objects are not clearly identified as having any particular purpose at all.

This is why tools like DesignBuilder are so important (and much more than just a GUI to the analysis engine).

[PB]

Thank you, Ralph, for your explanation - most appreciated. I now have a much better understanding of what is involved.........DesignBuilder is evidently far more than 'just' a GUI to EnergyPlus!

Kind regards,

Patrice