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<font size=3>EnergyPlus Version 7.0 and OpenStudio Legacy Plug-in 1.07
Available<br><br>
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released an updated version of
EnergyPlus simulation software for modeling heating, cooling, lighting,
ventilating, and other building energy flows. Additionally, a new version
of OpenStudio Plug-in for Google SketchUp is available, which makes it
possible to perform EnergyPlus simulations using Google's user-friendly
3-D drawing interface.<br>
Visit
<a href="http://www.energyplus.gov/" eudora="autourl">
www.energyplus.gov</a> to learn more and download EnergyPlus and
OpenStudio Plug-in now.<br><br>
Enhancements in the New Versions<br><br>
General<br><br>
* Significant speed increases, most simulations see up
to 20% reduction in execution time, depending on features used (also
speed increase for many AirflowNetwork simulations and large models with
radiant systemssee below).<br><br>
Datasets<br><br>
* New input data sets for HVAC equipment performance
for rooftop packaged air conditioners and heat pumps (see
DXCoolingCoil.idf and RooftopPackagedHeatPump.idf).<br>
* Extended the library of refrigerant data to include
R407a and superheated CO2 properties (see
FluidPropertiesRefData.idf).<br>
* New input data set for exhaust-fired chiller heater
model (see ExhaustFiredChiller.idf).<br><br>
Input<br><br>
* Steam is now a "built-in" fluid
property.<br>
* Zone Floor Area can be an input -- overrides the
calculated amount.<br><br>
Windows and Daylighting<br><br>
* International Glazing Data Base (IGDB) full spectral
data can be used directly.<br><br>
Zone and Surface Models<br><br>
* Shadowing Model new options: legacy
"convex" Weiler-Atherton or Sutherland-Hodgman (more robust for
non-convex surfaces).<br>
* New input problem checks for surface geometry
including: convexity, collinear vertices, planar surfaces, and flipped
floors/roofs. For flipped floors/roofs, a fix is attempted.<br>
* Conduction Transfer Function model revised to
improve modeling of mass-less material layers.<br>
* OtherSideCoefficients model extended to provide
controlled surface outside temperature with schedule and limits.<br>
* Design day weather data generation procedures
upgraded for clear sky model and wet-bulb temperature profiles.<br>
* Conduction Finite Difference heat transfer model now
includes options for solution method and to control node spatial
resolution, relaxation factor, and convergence criteria.<br>
* Improved convergence checks for initial warmup
days.<br><br>
Natural and Mechanical Ventilation<br><br>
* AirflowNetwork solver enhanced for speed.<br>
* Consolidated outdoor air inputs in HVAC models to
common design object wherever outdoor air rates are specified.<br>
* New proportional control for CO2-based demand
controlled ventilation.<br>
* New mixing object for door openings into
refrigerated zones.<br>
* New mechanical ventilation controls based on ASHRAE
Standard 62.1 and CEN 15251.<br><br>
HVAC and Refrigeration<br><br>
* New model for Variable Refrigerant Flow heat pump
air conditioning systems.<br>
* Ideal loads air system model revised to include
outdoor air and economizer controls, humidity control, and capacity
limits.<br>
* Plant system and component models revised to improve
speed and robustness, model fluid properties as a function of temperature
and alternative types of fluid, and better flow control.<br>
* Glycol mixtures supported in all plant loop
components.<br>
* New dual duct air terminal unit with dedicated
outside air system on one duct and cooling on the other duct.<br>
* New absorption chiller model powered by microturbine
generator exhaust.<br>
* Eliminated redundant input fields in compound HVAC
objects.<br>
* Added maximum limits for supply air temperature
leaving air terminal reheat coils.<br>
* Radiant-based HVAC system models revised for
significant speed increase when models have a large number of thermal
zones.<br>
* Low temperature radiant zone HVAC model now includes
a "variable off" control mode.<br>
* Simple chilled water coil model has enhanced
autosizing and variable UA for significant improvements in chilled water
flow rate calculations.<br>
* New heat transfer models for buried piping systems
include interaction with building slabs and basement walls.<br>
* Hot water boiler model options for choosing between
entering and leaving water temperature as basis in performance
curves.<br>
* New dedicated outdoor air system HVACTemplate
object.<br>
* New HVACTemplate options: static pressure reset fan
curve, screw chiller type, economizer dewpoint limit, and unitary system
design supply temperatures.<br>
* New Refrigeration model for cold-storage thermal
zones served by refrigeration-based zone units.<br>
* Refrigeration condensers now can reject heat to a
thermal zone.<br>
* Improved Refrigeration model to compare the
available temperature of heat reclaimed from a refrigeration condenser to
the temperature needed.<br>
* Variable speed fan model upgraded to avoid
unrealistic leaving temperatures at very low flow rates.<br><br>
Electrical Systems<br><br>
* New model for chemical battery electrical
storage.<br><br>
Controls and User Functions<br><br>
* Availability Managers extended to work with selected
ZoneHVAC equipment including: window air conditioner, unit heater, unit
ventilator, packaged terminal air conditioner, packaged terminal heat
pump, and zone water source heat pump.<br>
* New Setpoint Managers added to: follow outdoor air
temperature, follow system node temperature, and follow ground
temperature.<br>
* Improvements made to how zone equipment is
controlled when sequencing multiple devices in a single zone.<br>
* New overcool option for Zone and AirLoop HVAC to
control high humidity by shifting down the zone cooling setpoint
temperature.<br>
* Added high humidity control option for air-to-air
and water-to-air heat pumps.<br>
* New EMS actuators and calling point for custom
autosizing of input fields in select DX air handling equipment
models.<br>
* New EMS actuators for material surface absorptance
properties.<br>
* New EMS actuators for Variable Refrigerant Flow
operating mode and terminal unit part-load ratio.<br>
* New EMS actuators for ideal loads air system supply
temperature and humidity ratio.<br>
* EnergyPlus Runtime Language extended to include
built-in functions for generating random numbers, limited support for
minus sign, and built-in variables for zone timestep and current
environment period.<br><br>
Output<br><br>
* New thermal comfort reporting based on the adaptive
comfort criteria from ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and CEN 15251.<br>
* New Sensible Heat Gain Component tabular
report.<br>
* New results in Envelope Summary and Lighting Summary
tabular reports.<br>
* New source energy end use tabular report.<br><br>
Utilities<br><br>
* IDF Editor enhancements include: (1) search and
replace any text in a file, (2) easy node name selection based on names,
object, field, or recently used, and (3) expanded validity checking.<br>
* New auxiliary tool generates performance curve
coefficients for select HVAC equipment.<br>
* CSVproc has been reimplemented and is now available
as a cross-platform tool.<br>
* New EPDrawGUI cross-platform replacement of
WinEPDraw.<br>
* New IDFVersionUpdater cross-platform replacement of
IDFConverter.<br>
* Enhanced WeatherConverter with several new
features.<br>
* EP-Launch can start EPDrawGUI, IDFVersionUpdater,
and EP-Compare.<br><br>
Documentation and Guides<br><br>
* Documentation has been updated for all
documents.<br><br>
Platforms<br><br>
* Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7) 32 and 64 bit
versions.<br>
* Linux (Ubuntu 9.04 and above, Redhat 5.4 and above)
32 and 64 bit versions.<br>
* Mac (10.5, 10.6) 32 and 64 bit versions.<br>
* EnergyPlus V 7.0 has been tested on all of these
platforms.<br><br>
And many other enhancements and speed improvements throughout.<br><br>
Thanks!<br>
The EnergyPlus Team<br>
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