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EnergyPlus Version 1.2.0 Now Available

The newest version of EnergyPlus (1.2.0) was released on April 9, 2004 and is now available in versions for both the Windows and Linux operating systems (a version for Macintosh OSX is planned to be available within a few days). You can download EnergyPlus at no cost from the EnergyPlus web site: www.energyplus.gov .

What's New in EnergyPlus Version 1.2.0

A few of the new features are listed below -- see www.energyplus.gov/features.html for a complete list of new features added in this and previous versions:
- Displacement ventilation
- Bi-directional daylight calculations using radiosity for complex fenestration
- Latent capacity degradation on cooling coils
- Demand-controlled ventilation
- Building integrated PV and solar thermal systems
- HVAC system diagramming tool
- Calculation of environmental impacts (greenhouse and precursor gases, criteria pollutants) from electricity and fuel use

Update on User Interfaces?

A number of graphical user interfaces for EnergyPlus are under development. Two (DesignBuilder, EPlusInterface) are currently available in development (beta) versions while the third (E+IEQ) should be available in 2005. Watch this web page (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, IFCtoIDF, 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, TSe+, and EzPlus-Parm. See www.energyplus.gov/third_party_tools.html for more information.


What’s going on in V1.2.0?

Will there be any considerable difference between version 1.2.0 and 1.1.1?

Yes.... and no. There are a number of new features and bug fixes.

How about IDF and IDD? Do they remain unchanged?

There will be some changes in the IDD and reflected in IDFs. Particularly for any new features, there will be new objects.

Is version 1.2.0 backward compatible? Can I run a v1.1.1 file in v 1.2.0?

For the most part, the answer is yes. Some report variables have changed names. To be sure, you can execute the transition program that will "transition" IDFs from V1.1.1 to V1.2.0. You can also view the ObjectStatus spreadsheet in the root folder of the installed version. This file has detailed explanations of changes to the objects.


EnergyPlus Weather Data

We have just republished the entire weather data set on the EnergyPlus web site--updating the STAT report with many new statistics.

www.energyplus.gov/weatherdata.html

Example:

http://www.energyplus.gov/weatherdat...Orly_IWEC.stat

If you have other weather data that you'd be willing to share with other EnergyPlus users, please contact the EnergyPlus team.


EnergyPlus_Support Email Group at YahooGroups

Want to learn about EnergyPlus or ask questions of other EnergyPlus users? Join more than 500 EnergyPlus users in an email group on YahooGroups. This email group is intended to foster discussion as well as maintain an archive of information for EnergyPlus users. In the files area, you can download or upload files to share with other users. Suggestions for improvements to EnergyPlus as well as questions about EnergyPlus are welcome. This group does not replace the primary support email address of EnergyPlus-Support@gard.com.

The main page for the group is: groups.yahoo.com/group/EnergyPlus_Support

To subscribe, send an email message to: EnergyPlus_Support-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you hate to receive email, you can edit your YahooGroup membership to only send a daily digest of messages.


Building Energy Simulation User News

Want to keep up to date on EnergyPlus? Subscribe to the bi-monthly electronic newsletter for users of EnergyPlus, DOE-2, BLAST, Genopt, SPARK, Energy-10, and Building Design Advisor. See simulationresearch.lbl.gov/un.html


BLDG-SIM

Join the free e-mail list for users of all building energy simulation programs. Ask other knowledgeable simulation program users your questions--about EnergyPlus and other simulation programs. See www.gard.com/ml/bldg-sim.htm for information on joining this email list.


Thanks!


The EnergyPlus Team

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Unless you specifically ask for information about interfaces, training, and news about EnergyPlus when you download a new version, this is the last email message you will receive about EnergyPlus until April 2005. If you want up-to-date EnergyPlus news, training, and other information, join the EnergyPlus_Support email list on Yahoo! Groups (see above) or visit the EnergyPlus web site (www.energyplus.gov ).