DOE Compares Energy Simulation Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy, together with the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and the University of Wisconsin in Madison, has released a report titled

Contrasting the Capabilities of Building Energy Performance Simulation Programs. The report discusses 20 energy-modeling computer programs: BLAST, BSim, DeST, DOE-2.1E, ECOTECT, Ener-Win, Energy Express, Energy-10, EnergyPlus, eQUEST, ESP-r, HAP, HEED, IDA ICE, IES <VE>, PowerDomus, SUNREL, Tas, TRACE, and TRNSYS. Drawing from information provided by the program developers, the report compares the programs’ handling of a range of parameters, including daylighting, renewable energy systems, and climate data availability. The report is online at www.energytoolsdirectory.gov.