Unmet Hours

Workflow for a new OpenStudio feature - Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics are being added to OpenStudio and I am trying to figure out the best way to get user feedback on this. We have a preliminary design doc here. The feature wasn't on UserVoice yet so I added it. Now I'm wondering what the best process is to get feedback on this design? I'd like to use UserVoice to provide feedback on the progression of this feature but I'm not sure people are looking there yet. What feedback back on the new feature process do users have?

Update

Here is the proposed grid view layout for Electrical Systems. You will be able to make as many buses as you need and add as many generators to each bus as you want (provided they match the bus voltage and current). You can add an inverter for DC systems, a transformer for AC systems, and electrical storage. Thermal interactions would be managed at the Zone HVAC or Air/Plant Loop levels. Surfaces with PV generators will be visible in the SketchUp plug-in.

image description

Comments

I think you should be able to pull in module performance data from a resource like TPEx. ;)

ljbrackney (2015-08-26 14:29:58 -0500) edit

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I think the best way to get prospective user feedback would be to present (sufficiently large and legible) GUI images along with verbal description of how the workflow is intended to look like, including notes on options and limitations (e.g. maximum number of generators etc.).

The actual data definitions as in your preliminary design doc will probably not be for average users to assess, but rather for specialists.

Of course, as a user I consider this new feature a useful extension.

Update: some more ideas

there should be an easy way to assign generators to surfaces, either via Sketchup, or in OpenStudio GUI
looking into the future, the EnergyPlus data model should allow controls for PV surface tilt and azimuth
it would be nice to have widgets for easily manipulating PV surface tilt and azimuth (in order to adapt a model for different geographic locations).

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OS-user-AT

answered 2015-09-29 07:48:11 -0500, updated 2015-09-29 12:52:32 -0500

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Comments

Thanks @OS-user-AT, you think that unmethours is the best place to have this discussion? I was trying move the discussion to either the google doc or uservoice but didn't get any takers.

macumber (2015-09-29 10:31:28 -0500) edit

@macumber, I feel like unmet hours is a good place for discussion since everyone is this forum are OS/E+ or energy modelers and we discuss topics seriously