[bldg-sim] EnergyPlus V1.2.3 Now Available

[Drury.Crawley at EE.DOE.GOV]

The newest version of EnergyPlus (1.2.3) was released
on October 9, 2005 and is now available in versions for
both the Windows and Linux operating systems.  You can
download EnergyPlus at no cost from the EnergyPlus web
site: www.energyplus.gov.

What's New in EnergyPlus Version 1.2.3
A few of the new features are listed below--see
www.energyplus.gov/features.html for a complete list of
new features in this and previous versions:
- Updated design conditions to match new 2005 ASHRAE
Fundamentals data in the weather files and associated
design day data
- Revised design days to accommodate "enthalpy" and
"humidity ratio" as potential humidity indicating types
based on 2005 ASHRAE Fundamentals
- User-definable radiation view factors
- User-definable room air temperature distribution model
(research only)
- Demand limiting controls
- Water to Water GSHP, Packaged Terminal Heat Pump, Return
air bypass, Heat Pump Water Heater, Desuperheater Water
Heating Coil, Steam loop, steam coil, steam boiler, and
Branch pumps.
- Reports when zone temperatures are outside the ASHRAE
Standard 55-2004 comfort region.
- Table of contents for HTML output and optional unit
conversion for J into kWh, MJ or GJ.
- Unit conversion utility produces output in user-definable
units (I-P!)

User Interface Update
Several interfaces and utilities for EnergyPlus are now
available.  EP-Quick creates an EnergyPlus input file based
on a broad range of zone templates and was released in
April 2005.  E2AC is an interface in Portuguese and English
available since January 2005 (more languages are planned).
DesignBuilder is also available in a fully-functional beta
version (beta versions have been available since April 2003).
Several other interfaces are under development.  Watch our
web site (www.energyplus.gov/ep_interfaces.html) for up-to-date
information on these and other interfaces.

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 www.energyplus.gov/ep_utilities.html).
Third party tools for creating, editing, and displaying
EnergyPlus input files are also available, including DrawBDL,
EcoTect, Green Building Studio, EzDrawPlus, IFCtoIDF, TSe+, and
EzPlus-Parm.  See www.energyplus.gov/third_party_tools.html for
more information.

EnergyPlus Weather Data
Weather data for 975 locations worldwide are available on the
EnergyPlus web site:       www.energyplus.gov/weatherdata.html.
If you know of or have other weather data that you'd be willing
to share with the EnergyPlus user community, please contact Dru
Crawley (Drury.Crawley at ee.doe.gov).

How Does EnergyPlus Compare with Other Simulation Programs?
A new report is now available contrasting the features and
capabilities of twenty building energy simulation programs:
BLAST, BSim, DeST, DOE-2.1E, ECOTECT, Ener-Win, Energy Express,
Energy-10, EnergyPlus, eQUEST, ESP-r, IDA ICE, IES <VE>,
HAP, HEED, PowerDomus, SUNREL, Tas, TRACE and TRNSYS. This
comparison is based on information provided by program
developers and users in the following categories: general
modeling features; zone loads; building envelope, daylighting
and solar; infiltration, ventilation and multizone airflow;
renewable energy systems; electrical systems and equipment;
HVAC systems; HVAC equipment; environmental emissions; economic
evaluation; climate data availability; results reporting;
validation; and user interfaces, links to other programs, and
availability. The almost 60-page report, jointly published in
July 2005 by the U. S. Department of Energy, University of
Strathclyde, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, is available
for download (585 KB) from:
http://www.energytoolsdirectory.gov/pdfs/contrasting_the_capabilities_of_bui

lding_energy_performance_simulation_programs_v1.0.pdf

[Or if you haven't been to the Tools Directory recently--check
out the information on 300 tools from more than 20 countries
(www.energytoolsdirectory.gov) and look for the Comparison
report under Additional Resources on the lower right side.]


Thanks!

The EnergyPlus Team




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