Is OpenStudio or EnergyPlus able to simulate solar thermal panels integrated to existing HVAC systems?

Hi I am going to propose strategies of integrating solar thermal energy into existing heating or cooling systems in buildings to reduce their energy consumption. one of usual strategies to integrate solar energy into existing systems are "combisystems" . such as this studies has been done using TRNSYS before But I'm going to use openstudio to simulate them. I don't know about openstudio and energyplus but I think that openstudio is easier to use and energyplus is a coding tool, any way : Is openstusio able to simulate such this systems ? what about energyplus? or is there any software to be linked to them to simulate them? Thank you

OpenStudio can model the EnergyPlus SolarCollector:FlatPlate:Water, SolarCollector:IntegralCollectorStorage, and SolarCollector:FlatPlate:PhotovoltaicThermal objects. Are those what you are looking for?

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macumber

answered 2016-04-08 00:49:11 -0500

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Dear Mr Macumber Thank you for your answer. Actually I want to solar combisystems (systems including solar collectors , buffer storage and some other components to be integrated to existing HVAC systems such as boiler or air andling unit. followinh link is a similar paper. please find the schematics of this paper to know my meaning. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/... Thank you

amirrezaheydari (2016-04-08 04:27:47 -0500) edit

@macumber, I tried to simulate a system using SolarCollector:IntegralCollectorStorage, by draging it to the supply side and having my water use connections in the demand side, but it didn't work and I got this error PlantEquipmentList="PLANT LOOP 1 HEATING EQUIPMENT LIST", invalid component specification. ** ~~~ ** Equipment 1 Name is blank. Ps: I use OpenStudio 2.5