energy plus/open studio hourly results (DView)

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Dear Experts,

We start work with student in OpenStudio. Now we would like to explore
hourly results.

1) Is some simple way to export all hourly results to *.csv / *.xls
format?

2) We try to use DView. But it is not manage to open file, it close
itself. What could be wrong.

Our file:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7c87etxszrlwbiz/eplusout.sql?dl=0

Kind regards,
Karol

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Karol BANDURSKI M. Sc.

Faculty of Civil and Environemntal Engeneering

Division of Heating, Air Conditioning and Air Protection

Poznan University of Technology

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karol_Bandurski


www.put.poznan.pl/~karol.bandurski

Karol Bandurski's picture
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Hi,
There might be some other ways of extracting and reading the hourly file
but for me;

- generating E+ output variables .eso seems quite simple and friendly which
could be extended by referring .rdd file (an E+ output to see list of
possible output variables)
- visualize the .eso in various free software such as xEsoView [Link
]or DesignBuilder ResultViewer [Link
]
- plot or see .eso imported data in .csv or graphical format

Hope this is helpful.

thanks,

On Mon, Jun 17, 2019 at 12:48 PM Karol Bandurski via Bldg-sim <

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Javed Iqbal, LEED AP, CEA
Sr. Energy Analyst

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Hi Karol

xEsoView always worked for me, but it is getting quite old now. You could
filter and sort through the .eso file and copy out (Ctrl-C) individual
time-series on an ad-hoc basis.

I checked the input/output reference and the ReadVarsESO postprocessor
appears to be the correct procedure.

I think the ECAM plugin for Excel has real potential as an ad-hoc results
viewer. However, it seemed to have a bit of an issue with converting the
date stamp from E+ format the last time I tried. Note that I'm on a UK
locale (our day and month are the correct way around!). It's probably not a
major thing to get around.

Cheers

Chris

On Mon, Jun 17, 2019 at 1:26 PM Javed Iqbal via Bldg-sim <

Chris Yates2's picture
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Hi Karol,

You can use the openstudio measure to export an output variable in csv or
xls file format. You have to use this in conjunction with Add Output
Variable measure.

Add Output Variable: https://bcl.nrel.gov/node/37843
Export Output Variable : https://bcl.nrel.gov/node/83268

I hope it helps.

Regards

Gurneet Singh
Director

Environmental Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
D-1/25, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057

[m] +91 9899240140 [t] +91 11 2614 7085 [f] +91 11 4056 8633
gurneet at edsglobal.com | www.edsglobal.com

On Mon, Jun 17, 2019 at 4:18 PM Karol Bandurski via Bldg-sim <

Gurneet Monga's picture
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Another option is to export the idf file (or copy the final idf from the
OpenStudio output folders if there are measures) and run the simulation
using EP-Launch (or equivalent). The eso will automatically be converted
with the ReadVarsESO post-processer and saved as a csv file.

I don't know if there's a way to run ReadVarsESO within the OpenStudio
workflow.

Mike

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As you might expect from Nick, the "big shout out" is really for my 2% contribution to his 98%. I'm inclined to pay his hourly rate just to soak up his insight and energy ??.

James V Dirkes II, PE, BEMP, BCxP
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But to handle human lives with no agreement as to what human beings are or what the purpose of life is - that is a formula for chaos.

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Hi Karol,

In addition to the other responses people have provided, you might want to check out this Unmethours.com post. It discusses issues with DView and if you go to the GitHub Issue linked in that post it provides some workarounds. The OpenStudio developers even mention some ideas for how to change DView to help with these issues, but there hasn't been an update since September 2018.

You can also use the ResultsViewer from previous OS installations.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Alex

Alex Chapin EIT, BEMP, LEED AP BD+C, O+M
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Dear Expert!

Thank you very much for your quick replay.

I hope to manage with this support.

Kind regards,

Karol

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Karol BANDURSKI M. Sc.

Faculty of Civil and Environemntal Engeneering

Division of Heating, Air Conditioning and Air Protection

Poznan University of Technology

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karol_Bandurski

www.put.poznan.pl/~karol.bandurski

Karol Bandurski's picture
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Thank you very much!

Karol

Karol Bandurski's picture
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Apologies for anyone receiving this more than once ? I had some personal issues with my email subscriptions?

BIG SHOUTOUT TO JIM DIRKES! He helped me with making this a potentially useful contribution for the e+ folks out there.

I?ll also preface that what I?m covering is an intro to a skillset ANY simulation engine/platform practicioner might want to learn more about. I make extremely regular use of power queries for input/output handling, manipulation/processing, QC, and effective visualization of my findings.

I can see a way to manipulate this example file into automated CSV exports, Excel tables, and/or to go a step further and create your own automated & dynamic output visualizations. Very similar in endgame results to DView but with a lot more potential to create a suite custom-tailored to your own individual needs.

Noting the extension of the output file is .sql, I decided to give something a try, with positive results! This approach requires either PowerBI Desktop (free download from MS), or else a version of Excel newer than 2013.

My provided example if you want to follow along is using O365 (most current version of Excel that my IT team has rolled out), so if you?re using PowerBI, or Excel 2013/2016 you might find things are named/organized slightly differently. Here is a link (it?s a bit smaller in heft than the source file, clocking ~28MB).
https://1drv.ms/f/s!ApiLEhvYf5QZgrIYNhCVb7TszGKpjw

Step 0 (required only the first time you do this)

* Install SQLite ODBC driver: Install 32 vs 64 bit version to match your version of Excel/PowerBI desktop.
* http://www.ch-werner.de/sqliteodbc/
Step 1:

* Open a new Excel worksheet
* Data tab, Get Data, From Other Sources, From ODBC
[cid:image001.png at 01D52627.B0538020]
Step 2

* Select ?SQLite3 Datasource?
* Click Advanced, and in the first field type ?database=? followed by the SQLite file path (to your energyplus export SQL file)
* Click OK
[cid:image004.png at 01D52627.B0538020]
Step 3

* In the next dialog, click ?Default or Custom?
* Click Connect

[cid:image005.png at 01D52627.B0538020]
Step 4

* ? and we?re in!
[cid:image006.png at 01D52627.B0538020]

* At this point, if you have some familiarity with Excel power queries and/or SQL databases, you can probably fly on your own and begin automating visualizations, QC measures, and/or simple table/CSV exports for manipulation/review in other workbooks.
* Of note, everything we just stepped through (and visualization/export options to follow) could be fully automated, to the extent you could define consistently needed data/visualations of the contents of a typical sql output. This would allow you to, for example immediately create/refresh results once you have a set of outputs/visuals that you like.
Steps 5+

* For those still unfamiliar with power queries and similar, I?m providing a couple a couple ?proof of concept? examples you might be interested to review and explore. This workbook includes the examples illustrated, for perusal.
* From here, I?ll emphasis that I as an individual am NOT savvy to e+ output conventions (doe2 is still my daily workhorse engine). I am however trying to give a sense of what?s possible for those of you with an e+ interest to get your feet wet.
* I first married the ReportVariableData and ReportVariableDataDictionary tables within the SQL source. This combines the raw timestep and numerical values with human-legible/interpretable descriptions of what those values/timesteps represent. The result is the query titled ReportData+Dictionary in the provided example workbook. (One could substantially streamline this source pull into a single query, but I left it in this stepped-out form to help new folks pick up the example).
* I also did some minimal housekeeping to trim unnecessary (Assumptions made!) columns for the final output, and to combine stuff like units into the variable name text strings.
* Then, on creating a pivot table/chart pointing at this new query, I can add 1+ slicers and immediately allow for dynamically investigate any combination of variables at the resolution of their native timestep (determined way back at the e+ model). Again, I see substantial potential for streamlining this to automate the sum/averaging/max/min operations of variable values, to reduce the amount of data being loaded up here for visualization. Someone further invested in the e+ ecosystem would likely see the value in that and be driven to cut the fluff in the standard outputs further ? leaving this as a strong suggestion if you?re still reading ?.
* An overlay of ?district? heating and cooling energies.
* A simple observation ? If I?m correct in assuming the first time intervals of this simulation are at/around January 1, then someone may want to look into the peak cooling draws in the dead of winter here!
[cid:image007.png at 01D52627.B0538020]

* Digging into Zone temps:
* Looks like the variable KeyValue from the ReportDictionary query is necessary for distinguishing between different zones you might want to report on. I?ve added that as a secondary slicer.
* Note you can overlay one or more different zones by playing with the slicer on the right, or switch over to other zonal variables options using the slicer on the left.
* In any case, we can observe a couple interesting points:
* All of the 4 zones have temperatures in the ballpark of 27C for the same period you see the preceding monster cooling load spike? discomfort follows that energy jump!
* The rest of this looks like fairly regular setback behavior, although?
* It appears your systems? as specified are struggling to keep up with the zonal temperature setpoint for portions of the summer (where we see little humps rising above the flatline).

[cid:image008.png at 01D52627.B0538020]

* How about the weather?
* Checking out Drybulb and Wetbulb (both in C),
* Overlaying both:

[cid:image009.png at 01D52627.B0538020]

* Wetbulb generally appears fairly normal ? although hey! It looks like part of the reason for your simulation?s cooling jump at the beginning is due to it being pretty hot outside (jumping higher even than your summertime peak) for those first 1000 or so intervals!
* Drybulb is a little funny? This may be more intuitive to e+ veterans for some quirk/feature I haven?t learned yet, but it appears your simulation only has ~19 distinct values at disparate time intervals for outside drybulb? confirmed this isn?t an artifact of Excel?s visualization limitations by diving back into the source query:

[cid:image010.png at 01D52627.B0538020]

I sincerely hope this example is instructive and provides someone out there with the motivation/interest to build a new skillset! If after this anyone grows ?query-savvy?? be sure to touch base with me so I?m personally aware ? I might someday want to poach you (back?) into the doe2 world ?!

Best regards,

~Nick
[cid:image005.png at 01D515A3.47EDD880]
Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
Senior Energy Engineer
Regional Energy Engineering Manager
Energy and Sustainability Services
Energy Performance Contracting
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M
F
E
913 . 564 . 6361
785 . 410 . 3317
913 . 564 . 6380
15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
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Nick,

Very nice tutorial - learned something new.

Just to clear up the anomalies that you noticed. The outdoor dry bulb
temperature in this sql output is reported as monthly average, while the
wet bulb is reported hourly. Also, the data starts with the summer and
winter design days followed by the annual simulation, which explains the
high chiller use at the beginning of the data.

In general, the data table "ReportVariableDataWithTime" is a better one
to look at, because it includes the date/time data.

And, by the way, by browsing the file this way, I noticed that the
TimestepType fields are wrong.
https://github.com/NREL/EnergyPlus/issues/7342

Mike

Michael J. Witte's picture
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I sincerely appreciate the spirit of building bridges in 2 directions, thanks so much Mike!

Out of curiosity, does energy+ as an engine, or else any of its major interfaces, permit an end-user to tweak this .sql output to always (by default, with all projects) include as an example drybulb and wetbulb at intervals to match the source weather data fed in, or are the contents/structure of this particular output kinda ?boxed up??

With your input, I might suggest some additional steps for anyone following along:

* Trimming and/or isolating the first ### rows of data to review regular simulation and design day information separately. Alternatively these are likely tagged in some fashion I haven?t discovered yet in the SQL structure and could be filtered in/out based on that tag.
* By using ReportVariableWithTime, it sounds like you can avoid the extra steps I suggested to convert the interval count (the x-axes in the visuals below) into DateTime format.
* Once pivot charts/tables have properly formatted DateTime stamps generated (or fed in), they can do a number of new magical things around grouping and displaying min/max/avg/more-complicated calcs with dynamic grouping. So for example with the same query you could have a visual that lets you start at an annual 12-month view then ?zoom? into a specific month/week/day/hour to see the data at its full resolution or any grouping in between.

~Nick

[cid:image005.png at 01D515A3.47EDD880]
Nick Caton, P.E., BEMP
Senior Energy Engineer
Regional Energy Engineering Manager
Energy and Sustainability Services
Energy Performance Contracting
D
M
F
E
913 . 564 . 6361
785 . 410 . 3317
913 . 564 . 6380
nicholas.caton at se.com
15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive
Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66219
United States
[cid:image006.png at 01D515A3.47EDD880]

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The structure of the various sql tables are fixed, but the contents of
the sql time series output are completely user-specified. And generating
output for the design day simulations is also optional. Each specified
Output:Variable can be reported at one or more of the following
frequencies: hvac timestep, zone timestep, hourly, daily, monthly, or
annual.

So, to do as you suggest (always report drybulb and wetbulb to match the
weather data), the user would create a snippet of input to add to every
idf file specifying these output variables at the timestep frequency
(due to sub-hourly interpolation it will match the hourly weather data
once per hour).

Always interested in building bridges. Maybe we can pique your curiosity
enough to consider adding another tool to your toolbox. :-)

Mike
p.s. See many of you soon in KC for ASHRAE and IBPSA-USA.

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Speaking of IBPSA-USA ? I didn?t post an announcement here but please pre-register if anyone will be attending and hasn?t signed up yet. The Eventbrite built-in reminder hasn?t been working, so I?m worried there are a few people that normally would come but haven?t been sufficiently reminded.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-summer-meeting-in-kansas-city-ibpsa-usa-tickets-60221903334

Pre-registration allows us to plan for the food order, avoid a melee at the check-in desk, print badges (too late for this time, but in general sign up early to get a printed badge), and avoid much angst among the event organizers.

We now offer no-questions asked cancellation up through the date we provide an initial count to the restaurant (which was yesterday for KC ? this will usually be 4-7 days prior to the event) and we?ll knock a few dollars off the cost for the convenience.

So ? hope to see many of you there! Please let me know any questions.

David

David S. Eldridge, Jr., P.E., LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, BEAP, HBDP
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