[EnergyPlus_Support] Re: EPlus learning curve

["Michelle Smith" <MLSmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Daniel,

It should be pointed out EnergyPlus is not really to be used for 
sizing equipment, like HAP or Trace. It is for determining annual 
energy consumption. If your looking for a better sizing program, 
EnergyPlus is most likely not what your looking for.

Now to your question: I have used both HAP and Trace, as well as the 
basic DOE2 (not one of the graphical interfaces.) If you have input 
code into DOE2, it is very similar. If you haven't used DOE2 without 
a graphical user interface, you basically have to learn a 
programming language to input the data. If you are used to English 
units, sometimes the conversion to metric can take quite a bit of 
time, although Excel spreadsheets can help tremendously. One HUGE 
difference between HAP and EnergyPlus is that you must determine in 
3-D space the coordinates of each corner of your surfaces. In HAP, 
you put in the length and height of the wall or window only. IF (a 
very big IF) you have the building drawing already in 3-D in 
AutoCAD, outputting the surface vertices is pretty easy. If you only 
have a 2-D floor plan, it takes quite a bit more time to determine 
the vertices of each surface.

I guess, bottom line, it is my opinion that if you are comparing 
EnergyPlus to HAP the learning curve would be pretty large. If your 
just doing basic life cycle costing, HAP is actually better, because 
you can put the costs in without having to transfer the data to 
another program.

Michelle Smith, PE
Mechanical Engineer

--- In EnergyPlus_Support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Daniel Bourque" 
<daniel.bourque@m...> wrote:
> Hello,
> I know there was a question a short while ago from someone (an
> architect, I believe) who wanted to learn to use EPlus, but this 
one is
> coming from someone who already uses commercial software to size
> equipment and perform energy simulations.  I work for a mechanical
> contracting firm, and we do a lot of our engineering in-house using
> Carrier's Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) software.  During a 
training
> session for EE4 (uses DOE2), the instructor said that he had
> investigated many sizing and simulation packages, and that HAP 
was "one
> of the better ones".  That being said, I think I have a fairly good
> knowledge of the ins and outs of the software and how to "tweak" 
it to
> model buildings that don't match one of the available options.
>  
> Having been made aware of EPlus a short while ago, I have been 
reading
> the list items, and it seems like EPlus is a lot more flexible and 
can
> simulate a greater variety of systems as well as be able to 
graphically
> visualise the spaces and results.  My question would be:  EPlus 
seems to
> no longer be in the testing phase, and is solid/robust/reliable 
enough
> for commercial use.  However, the proposed interfaces are still in 
Beta
> mode, and from my understanding, space data has to either be 
entered
> manually or through one of the data converters (I'll admit I 
havn't read
> ALL the documentation yet or tried all the associated 
applications).  If
> this is the case, what would be the learning curve required for 
someone
> who already has experience modelling buildings to make the switch?
> Also, are the beta graphical interfaces reliable enough to rely on
> exclusively, or is converting data from existing drawings the best 
way
> to go?  Has anyone used HAP and can compare it to EPlus?
>  
> Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated.
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Daniel Bourque
>  
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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