Welcome to the Building Technologies Office's Building Energy Modeling blog.

March 17, 2022

thumbnail
Collaboration + Automation = Pollination

Long known for daylighting, energy, and comfort analysis plugins for Grasshopper/Rhino3D, Ladybug Tools introduces a new tool-agnostic simulation ecosystem that acts as a collaborative workspace for experts, beginners, and application providers.

August 10, 2021

thumbnail
Cove.Tool Officiates Perfect Marriage Between Reduced Order Modeling and OpenStudio

Cove.tool is using OpenStudio to integrate detailed energy simulation into its reduced-order modeling design platform, giving architects an end-to-end workflow with capabilities tailored to the needs of different design stages.

July 26, 2021

thumbnail
It's Alive! After Five Years in the Lab, Spawn of EnergyPlus is Finally Here

For the past five years, DOE and the national labs have been developing a next-generation simulation engine that bridges the worlds of BEM and controls. In May of this year, Spawn, was released as part of the Modelica Buildings Library.

July 17, 2021

thumbnail
EnergyPlus Turns 20!

On April 12, 2021 EnergyPlus, DOE's flagship BEM engine celebrated its twentieth birthday. Several of those who were there at the beginning look back at those early days and remark on the changes they've seen in the last two decades.

March 22, 2021

thumbnail
New Toolkit Helps Save Energy in Two Data Centers—and Potentially Many More

A team led by the University of Colorado-Boulder has developed a combined cooling and airflow simulation and optimization toolkit that has already enabled significant energy savings in two data centers.

February 23, 2021

thumbnail
Architecture Firm Perkins&Will “SPEEDs” Up Early-Stage BEM

The Energy lab at architecture firm Perkins&Will used OpenStudio to develop a cloud-based energy analysis tool that supports its 2,000 architects.

January 19, 2021

thumbnail
DOE Publishes Research and Development Opportunities Document for Building Energy Modeling

DOE has published a peer reviewed "RDO" document that identifies barriers to BEM adoptions and potential roles for BTO in overcoming these barriers.

July 27, 2020

thumbnail
Python EMS: A Unique EnergyPlus Feature Gets a Serious Upgrade

Released in March 2020, EnergyPlus 9.3.0 fast-forwards the Energy Management System feature about 40 years.

September 30, 2019

thumbnail
Autodesk Brings Detailed EnergyPlus HVAC Simulation to Revit

New Systems Analysis capabilities use EnergyPlus and the OpenStudio SDK to allow Revit users to simulate detailed HVAC systems.

December 27, 2018

thumbnail
RMI Enlists EnergyPlus to Power its Portfolio Energy Optimization Initiative

RMI is developing a web-based platform to perform portfolio-level analysis, prioritize energy projects, and track and deliver results.