Simulate DOE commercial reference buildings in OpenStudio

I download a prototype model for a large office space from the DOE website and opened the .idf file in sketchup using the openstudio plugin. When the model opened in sketchup i was met with this error:

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After bypassing the error I proceeded to assign a construction set and save the model anyway as an OSM file and use the openstudio application to open it. In the application I selected the appropriate climate zones and design days. After that I tried to run a simulation assuming the .idf file already has construction sets, mechanical systems, thermal zones, etc. assigned. When running the simulation I got 10 errors:

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Does anyone have any suggestions on how to simulate the idf files from the DOE website in the openstudio application?

311

ivanadriane

asked 2014-12-02 16:04:26 -0500

4.4k

__AmirRoth__

updated 2015-07-11 17:16:16 -0500

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OpenStudio only imports geometry, constructions, loads, thermal zones, and schedules from IDF files, which is what the message you saw in the SketchUp plugin was about. After importing the IDF, you'll have to rebuild the HVAC systems yourself in the OpenStudio Application. This is time-consuming but possible.

Because many people want to run the DOE Prototype Buildings in OpenStudio, the OpenStudio team is working on a Measure that will build these models up. Users will be able to choose the Building Type, Vintage, and Climate Zone and generate that model. We are running regression tests against the IDF files to make sure the results are the same. This Measure will be posted to BCL when it is ready, which should be mid-2015.

8.2k

aparker

answered 2014-12-02 16:45:02 -0500

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thanks @aparker looking forward to that coming out

ivanadriane (2014-12-02 16:54:40 -0500) edit

@aparker I agree this would be a highly valuable capability. Would this measure also build up the DOE Commercial Reference Buildings? Also, it sounds like the Measure is already in existence, since you are running regression tests against the IDF files. Any chance there could be a preview/non-guaranteed beta version of the measure made available? Thanks!!

Wero (2015-01-15 14:33:22 -0500) edit

@aparker I'm looking to work with the DOE Commercial Reference Buildings in OpenStudio and would really benefit from a working version of this Measure. I have run the "create_DOE_prototype_building_Test.rb" from this project but have been unable to successfully generate all building types in the OSM format. Any word on when the Reference Buildings functionality will be complete?