OpenStudio-HPXML v0.10.0 Beta

OpenStudio-HPXML version 0.10.0 Beta has been released. Two packages are available, a minimal zip with a handful of weather files and full zip with all US TMY3 weather files.

The OpenStudio-HPXML workflow uses HPXML building description files to run residential simulations on the Department of Energy's OpenStudio/EnergyPlus building simulation platform.

OpenStudio-HPXML v0.10.0 Beta uses OpenStudio v3.0.0, EnergyPlus v9.3.0, and a proposed HPXML v3.1.

Please visit the OpenStudio-HPXML v0.10.0 Beta documentation for instructions on how to get started, how to generate an appropriate HPXML file, etc.

New Features

• Dwelling units of single-family attached/multifamily buildings:
  • Adds new generic space types "other heated space", "other multifamily buffer space", and "other non-freezing space" for surface ExteriorAdjacentTo elements. "other housing unit", i.e. adiabatic surfaces, was already supported.
  • [Breaking Change] For FrameFloors, replaces "other housing unit above" and "other housing unit below" enumerations with "other housing unit". All four "other ..." spaces must have an extension/OtherSpaceAboveOrBelow property set to either "above" or "below".
  • Allows ducts and water heaters to be located in all "other ..." spaces.
  • Allows all appliances to be located in "other", in which internal gains are neglected.
• Allows Fireplace and FloorFurnace for heating system types.
• Allows "exterior wall", "under slab", and "roof deck" for DuctLocation.
• Allows "wood" and "wood pellets" as fuel types for additional HVAC systems, water heaters, and appliances.
• Allows Location to be provided for Dishwasher and CookingRange.
• Allows BuildingSummary/Site/SiteType ("urban", "suburban", or "rural") to be provided.
• Allows user-specified Refrigerator and CookingRange schedules to be provided.
• HVAC capacity elements are no longer required; if not provided, ACCA Manual J autosizing calculations will be used (-1 can continue to be used for capacity elements but is discouraged).
• Duct locations/areas can be defaulted by specifying supply/return Duct elements without DuctSurfaceArea and DuctLocation. HVACDistribution/DistributionSystemType/AirDistribution/NumberofReturnRegisters can be optionally provided to inform the default duct area calculations.
• [Breaking Change] Lighting inputs now use LightingType[LightEmittingDiode | CompactFluorescent | FluorescentTube] instead of ThirdPartyCertification="ERI Tier I" or ThirdPartyCertification="ERI Tier II".
• [Breaking Change] HVACDistribution/ConditionedFloorAreaServed is now required for air distribution systems.
• [Breaking Change] Infiltration and attic ventilation specified using natural air changes per hour now uses ACHnatural instead of extension/ConstantACHnatural.
• [Breaking Change] The optional PerformanceAdjustment input for instantaneous water heaters is now treated as a performance multiplier (e.g., 0.92) instead of derate (e.g., 0.08).
• Adds ASHRAE 140 Class II test files.
• SimulationOutputReport reporting measure:
  • New optional timeseries outputs: airflows (e.g., infiltration, mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation, whole house fan) and weather (e.g., temperatures, wind speed, solar).
  • Timeseries frequency can now be set to 'none' as an alternative to setting all include_timeseries_foo variables to false.
  • [Breaking Change] Renames "Wood" to "Wood Cord" to better distinguish from "Wood Pellets".
• Modeling improvements:
  • Improved calculation for infiltration height
  • Infiltration & mechanical ventilation now combined using ASHRAE 62.2 Normative Appendix C.
• Runtime improvements:
  • Optimized ruby require calls.
  • Skip ViewFactor calculations when not needed (i.e., no conditioned basement).
• Error-checking:
  • Adds more space type-specific error checking of adjacent surfaces.
  • Adds additional HPXML datatype checks.
  • Adds a warning if a HVACDistribution system has ducts entirely within conditioned space and non-zero leakage to the outside.
  • Adds warnings if appliance inputs may be inappropriate and result in negative energy or hot water use.

Bugfixes

• Fixes error if there's a FoundationWall whose height is less than 0.5 ft.
• Fixes HVAC defrost control in EnergyPlus model to use "Timed" instead of "OnDemand".
• Fixes exterior air film and wind exposure for a FrameFloor over ambient conditions.
• Fixes air films for a FrameFloor ceiling.
• Fixes error if there are additional LightingGroup elements beyond the ones required.
• Fixes vented attic ventilation rate.
• Reported unmet heating/cooling load now correctly excludes latent energy.
• Ground-source heat pump backup fuel is now correctly honored instead of always using electricity.