Software
EETD scientists develop software to help design more energy-efficient buildings, audit energy use in buildings, examine the economics of sustainable projects, and model components of building systems. Most EETD software and documentation is available for download and public use.
CalArch
Cal-Arch is a web-based tool for benchmarking the whole building energy use of California commercial buildings.
DER-CAM
The Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) is an economic model of customer DER adoption implemented in the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) optimization software. This model has been in development at Berkeley Lab since 2000. The objective of the model is to minimize the cost of operating on-site generation and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, either for individual customer sites or a microgrid.
Design Intent Tool
This tool helps building owners, architects, and engineers develop a Design Intent Document to help facilitate record-keeping and ensure that the owner's and designer's vision and goals are achieved and periodically verified through performance measurement.
DOE-2
DOE-2 is a computer program that predicts the hourly energy use and energy cost of a building given hourly weather information and a description of the building and its HVAC equipment and utility rate structure. Using DOE-2, designers can determine the choice of building parameters that improve energy efficiency while maintaining thermal comfort and cost-effectiveness. The purpose of DOE-2 is to aid in the analysis of energy usage in buildings.
DOE-2 calculates the hourly energy use and energy cost of a commercial or residential building given information about the building's climate, construction, operation, utility rate schedule and heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
EnergyPlus
EnergyPlus is a whole building energy simulation program that engineers, architects, and researchers use to model energy and water use in buildings. Modeling the performance of a building with EnergyPlus enables building professionals to optimize the building design to use less energy and water. Each version of EnergyPlus is tested extensively before release.
EnergyPlus models heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation, other energy flows, and water use. EnergyPlus includes many innovative simulation capabilities: time-steps less than an hour, modular systems and plant integrated with heat balance-based zone simulation, multizone air flow, thermal comfort, water use, natural ventilation, and photovoltaic systems. Read about new features. EnergyPlus runs on the Windows, Macintosh, and Linux platforms.
GenOpt
GenOpt® is an optimization program for the minimization of a cost function that is evaluated by an external simulation program, such as EnergyPlus, TRNSYS, SPARK, IDA-ICE or DOE-2. It has been developed for optimization problems where the cost function is computationally expensive and its derivatives are not available or may not even exist. GenOpt can be coupled to any simulation program that reads its input from text files and writes its output to text files. The independent variables can be continuous variables (possibly with lower and upper bounds), discrete variables, or both. Constraints on dependent variables can be implemented using penalty or barrier functions.
GenOpt has a library with local and global multi-dimensional and one-dimensional optimization algorithms, as well as algorithms for doing parametric runs. If your computer has multiple CPUs, GenOpt will run multiple simulations in parallel to reduce computation time. This parallel computation is done automatically by GenOpt without requiring a special setup by the user.
Home Energy Saver
The first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy as part of their national ENERGY STAR® Programs for improving energy efficiency in homes. The Home Improvement Tool is a simplified version of this site.
Metracker
Metracker is a prototype computer tool designed to demonstrate the specification, tracking, and visualization of building performance objectives and their associated metrics across the complete life cycle of a building.
Optics
A computer program to calculate the optical properties of glazing systems and laminates. The program can be used to construct new laminates from existing components and manipulate glazing layers by adding coatings, films, changing the substrate or changing the thickness. Optics includes the International Glazing Database with measured spectral data of more than 1000 different glazings.
ProForm
ProForm is a software tool designed to support a basic assessment of the environmental and financial impacts of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Given the necessary data, ProForm calculates basic financial indicators and avoided emissions of CO2 and local air pollutants expected from a project.
RADIANCE
Radiance is a suite of programs for the analysis and visualization of lighting in design. Input files specify the scene geometry, materials, luminaires, time, date and sky conditions (for daylight calculations). Calculated values include spectral radiance (i.e. luminance + color), irradiance (illuminance + color) and glare indices. Simulation results may be displayed as color images, numerical values and contour plots.
The primary advantage of Radiance over simpler lighting calculation and rendering tools is that there are no limitations on the geometry or the materials that may be simulated. Radiance is used by architects and engineers to predict illumination, visual quality and appearance of innovative design spaces, and by researchers to evaluate new lighting and daylighting technologies. Radiance is UNIX software.
RESFEN
RESFEN (RESidential FENestration) is a program for calculating the annual heating and cooling energy use and costs due to fenestration systems in residential buildings. It also calculates their contribution to peak heating and cooling loads.
RESFEN can help consumers and builders pick the most energy-efficient and cost-effective window for a given application, whether it is a new home, an addition, or a window replacement.
Superlite
A mainframe and microcomputer program that calculates daylight illuminance distributions for complex room and light source geometries with tested accuracy. Superlite will model daylight coming through as many as five openings and being reflected from as many as 20 opaque surfaces oriented in any direction.
THERM
THERM is a program developed for use by building component manufacturers, engineers, educators, students, architects, and others interested in heat transfer. Using THERM, you can model two-dimensional heat-transfer effects in building components such as windows, walls, foundations, roofs, and doors; appliances; and other products where thermal bridges are of concern. THERM's heat-transfer analysis allows you to evaluate a product’s energy efficiency and local temperature patterns, which may relate directly to problems with condensation, moisture damage, and structural integrity.
THERM’s two-dimensional conduction heat-transfer analysis is based on the finite-element method, which can model the complicated geometries of building products.
Window
WINDOW 6.3 is a computer program for calculating total window thermal performance indices (i.e. U-values, solar heat gain coefficients, shading coefficients, and visible transmittances). WINDOW 6.3 provides a versatile heat transfer analysis method consistent with the updated rating procedure developed by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) that is consistent with the ISO 15099 standard. The program can be used to design and develop new products, to assist educators in teaching heat transfer through windows, and to help public officials in developing building energy codes.
Building Energy Software Tools Directory
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
This directory provides information on 398 building software tools for evaluating energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability in buildings. The energy tools listed in this directory include databases, spreadsheets, component and systems analyses, and whole-building energy performance simulation programs. A short description is provided for each tool along with other information including expertise required, users, audience, input, output, computer platforms, programming language, strengths, weaknesses, technical contact, and availability.
