OpenStudio

Last updated

OpenStudio is a suite of free and open-source software applications for building energy analysis used in building information modeling. [1] OpenStudio applications run on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, and Linux platforms. [2] [3] Its primary application is a plugin for proprietary SketchUp that enables engineers to view and edit 3D models for EnergyPlus simulation software. [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Contents

OpenStudio was first released in April 2008 by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Department of Energy. [8] [11] NREL reports an average of 700 OpenStudio downloads per month. [8] Google's strategist for SketchUp said that "OpenStudio is lauded around our office as one of the most complicated plug-ins ever written for SketchUp". [8]

OpenStudio was designed to work with SketchUp, because many architects already use SketchUp for building designs. The integration allows architects to analyze a design's energy performance before beginning construction. [12]

The first private organization selected by NREL to conduct OpenStudio courses was Performance Systems Development, a New York–based training institute. [13] Courses will be conducted for building professionals, software developers, and utility administrators. [13] From May 2018, The Energy Simulation Academy (TESA) was selected as another private organization to conduct such training. [14]

Features

OpenStudio includes a Sketchup Plug-in and other associated applications:

Sketchup Plugin

The OpenStudio Sketchup Plug-in allows users to use the standard SketchUp tools to create and edit EnergyPlus zones and surfaces. It allows SketchUp to view EnergyPlus input files in 3D. The plug-in allows users to mix EnergyPlus simulation content with decorative content. [3]

The plug-in adds the building energy simulation capabilities of EnergyPlus to the SketchUp environment. Users can launch an EnergyPlus simulation of the model and view the results without leaving SketchUp. [3]

The Plug-in allows engineers to:

See also

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.