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<font size=3><b>EnergyPlus Version 1.3.0 Now Available<br>
</b> <br>
The tenth major version of EnergyPlus (1.3.0) was released on April 21,
2006 and is now available in versions for both the Windows and Linux
operating systems. Download this newest release at no cost from the
EnergyPlus web site:
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/">www.energyplus.gov</a>.<br>
<br>
<b>What's New in Version 1.3.0?<br>
</b> <br>
A few of the new features in EnergyPlus V 1.3 are listed belowsee
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/features.html">
www.energyplus.gov/features.html</a> for a complete list of new features
added in this and previous versions:<br>
<ul>
<li>UFAD (Under Floor Air Distribution) room air model for exterior zones
is now available.
<li>Completely reworked airflow modelingthe new AirflowNetwork model
replaces both COMIS and ADS and has the combined capabilities.
Calculation of infiltration, ventilation, mixing and cross mixing moved
to system time step for future feature development of hybrid (mixed mode)
ventilation control. Differences in results are usually minor.
<li>Outside air temperature is now varied as a function of zone or
surface height above ground. Wind profile options can be set
separately for the weather station and the building site. Includes
new zone and surface report variables for height dependent properties.
There will be differences in results, particularly in files with
Ventilation or Infiltration.
<li>Simple earth tube model for preconditioning (heating/cooling) outside
air.
<li>Tempering valve (3-way valve emulation) for effective and safe use of
stored thermal energy.
<li>Variable and constant speed headered pumps.
<li>Detailed ice storage.
<li>New Compact HVAC models for fan powered VAV, fan coil, night cycle
controls, outside air heat recovery, supply air temperature reset,
chilled/hot water temperature reset, VAV supply fan part-load options,
VAV fan blow through or draw through option, and zone supply and return
plenums.
<li>Energy end-use subcategories are now user-definable.
<li>New report variable for Zone Operative Temperature (Operative
Temperature Control planned for V 1.4 in October).
</ul> <br>
And many other enhancements and <b>significant</b> speed improvements
throughout.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Update on User Interfaces?<br>
</b> <br>
Several interfaces and utilities for EnergyPlus are now available.
EP-Quick creates an EnergyPlus input file based on a broad range of zone
templates. EP-Quick was released in April 2005. E2AC is an
interface in Portuguese and English available since January 2005 (more
languages are planned). DesignBuilder, a graphic user interface,
was released in December 2005. EFEN is now available in beta
version for users to test. Green Building Studio can take an
existing CAD file and convert to an EnergyPlus input file. Several other
interfaces are under development. Watch our web site
(<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/ep_interfaces.html">
www.energyplus.gov/ep_interfaces.html</a>) for up-to-date information on
these and other interfaces.<br>
<br>
A number of utilities and tools for creating, editing, and running input
files come with EnergyPlus, including IDF Editor, EP-Launch, and
HVAC-Diagram (see
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/ep_utilities.html">
www.energyplus.gov/ep_utilities.html</a>). Third party tools for
creating, editing, and displaying EnergyPlus input files are also
available, including DrawBDL, EcoTect, ESP-r, Green Building
Studio, EzDrawPlus, IFCtoIDF, TSe+, and EzPlus-Parm. See
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/third_party_tools.html">
www.energyplus.gov/third_party_tools.html</a> for more information.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Introduction to EnergyPlus Training Workshops<br>
</b> <br>
June 15-16, 2006, Atlanta, Georgia, USA<br>
Early registration ends May 10<br>
Registration closes after June 7<br>
<br>
August 1, 2006, Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts, USA<br>
Early registration ends June 28<br>
Registration closes after July 24<br>
<br>
Watch for Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington later in 2006<br>
<br>
For more information, please see:
<a href="http://www.gard.com/training.htm">
http://www.gard.com/training.htm</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<b>What’s going on in V1.3.0?<br>
</b> <br>
<b>Will there be any considerable difference between version 1.3.0 and
1.2.3?<br>
</b> <br>
Yes.... and no. There are a number of new features and bug fixes.<br>
<br>
<b>How about IDF and IDD? Do they remain unchanged?<br>
</b> <br>
There are some changes in the IDD that are reflected in IDFs.
Particularly for any new features, there will be new objects.<br>
<br>
<b>Is version 1.3.0 backward compatible? Can I run a v1.2.3 file in v
1.3.0?<br>
</b> <br>
For the most part, the answer is yes. There are many changes that require
you to transition to V1.3.0. EP-Launch will now check the selected file
(if there is a version object) and you can launch the Transition program
from the EP-Launch “File” menu. You can also view the ObjectStatus
spreadsheet in the root folder of the installed version. This file has
detailed explanations of changes to the objects.<br>
This is particularly important for existing input files with COMIS
objects – they are both internally and externally transitioned but will
not be internally transitioned in the next release. If you have
both COMIS and ADS objects in your input file – please contact email
support
(<a href="mailto:EnergyPlus-Support@gard.com">
EnergyPlus-Support@gard.com</a>) for assistance.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>EnergyPlus Weather Data<br>
</b> <br>
Weather data for more than 1100 locations worldwide are available on the
EnergyPlus web site:
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/weatherdata.html">
www.energyplus.gov/weatherdata.html</a><br>
<br>
If you know of other weather data for your country that you'd be willing
to share with the EnergyPlus user community, please contact Dru Crawley
(<a href="mailto:Drury.Crawley@ee.doe.gov">Drury.Crawley@ee.doe.gov</a>
).<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>EnergyPlus_Support Email Group at YahooGroups<br>
</b> <br>
Are you a commercial or academic user of EnergyPlus? Join more than
950 EnergyPlus users in an email group on YahooGroupsa place to ask
other EnergyPlus users your questions. The YahooGroup also provides a
searchable archive of all 5 years of discussion. You can also upload
files to share with other users. This group supplements but does not
replace the primary support email address of
<a href="mailto:EnergyPlus-Support@gard.com">
EnergyPlus-Support@gard.com</a>.<br>
<br>
The main web page for the group is:<br>
groups.yahoo.com/group/EnergyPlus_Support<br>
<br>
To subscribe, send an email message to:<br>
EnergyPlus_Support-subscribe@yahoogroups.com<br>
<br>
If you hate to constantly receive email, you can edit your YahooGroup
membership to only send a daily digest of messages.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Building Energy Simulation User News<br>
</b> <br>
Want to keep up to date on EnergyPlus and other building simulation
tools? Subscribe to the bi-monthly electronic newsletter for users of
EnergyPlus, DOE-2, BLAST, Genopt, SPARK, Energy-10, and Building Design
Advisor. See simulationresearch.lbl.gov/un.html <br>
<br>
<br>
<b>BLDG-SIM<br>
</b> <br>
Join the free e-mail list for users of all building energy simulation
programs. Ask other knowledgeable simulation program users your
questions--about EnergyPlus and other simulation programs. See
<a href="http://www.gard.com/ml/bldg-sim.htm">
www.gard.com/ml/bldg-sim.htm</a> for information on joining this email
list.<br>
<br>
<br>
Thanks!<br>
<br>
<br>
The EnergyPlus Team<br>
<br>
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<br>
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