Lecture 3: Output

Reports, Variables, and

Meters

Material prepared by GARD Analytics, Inc. and University of Illinois

at Urbana-Champaign under contract to the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory. All material Copyright 2002-2003 U.S.D.O.E. - All rights
reserved

Importance of this Lecture to

the Simulation of Buildings
Running a simulation program

results in the production of output

data
Understanding the output data and

its format can help avoid mistakes

and save time

Purpose of this Lecture

Gain an understanding of:

Different output files of EnergyPlus

Which output will be the most useful

and how to get it

Define accumulation meters to save

time in processing and analyzing
results

Keywords Covered in this

Lecture
Report
Report Variable
Report Meter

Output Data Format

Same philosophy as for input;

somewhat human readable output

files
EnergyPlus can perform some

output processing to help limit

output size
User definable variable level

reporting
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Output Reporting
Flexibility
User can select any variables available

for output
User can specify output at time step,
hourly, daily, monthly, or environment
intervals
User can schedule each output variable
User can select various meters by
resource and end-use
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Types of Output
Report Variables
Report Meters
Default Reports
Optional Reports

Output Files
Eplusout.<ext> Filename.<ext>
eio

Initialization Output environments,

constructions, global settings

eso

Standard Output numeric data

csv

csv spreadsheet of eso data

err

Errors Output always review this!

rdd

Report Data Dictionary list of valid

report variables for a particular run
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Output Files (contd)

dxf

dxf drawing of building surfaces

mtr
Meter output numeric data
Meter.csv csv spreadsheet of meter data
mtd
Meter details lists which report
variables are on which meters
cif
Comis input file
zsz
Zone sizing report
ssz
System sizing report

Created using CVBbRh.idf

Output Files (contd)

bnd Branch and node details
dbg Debug output
trn

Trnsys output

sln

Vertices of surface

For more details see Output Details

and Examples
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Report Commands
Report Variable, EAST
ZONE, Mean Air
Temperature, Timestep;
Report Variable, *, Mean Air
Temperature, Daily,
Report Schedule;
Report, Variable Dictionary;
Report, Construction;
Report, Surfaces, DXF;
Report, Surfaces, Details;

MAT only for EAST ZONE every

timestep
MAT for all zones, daily
average, only when Report
Schedule equals 1
List all available variables
*.rdd
List material and construction
properties *.eio
Produce drawing of surfaces
*.dxf
List all surfaces with area, tilt,
construction, etc.

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Report Commands (contd)

Report Variable,,Outdoor Dry Bulb,monthly;
Report Variable,Zone 1,Zone/Sys Sensible Cooling
Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,Zone 1,Zone/Sys Sensible Heating
Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,,Heating Coil Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,,DX Coil Sensible Cooling Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,,DX Coil Latent Cooling Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,,DX Coil Total Cooling Energy,monthly;
Report Variable,,DX Cooling Coil Electric Consumption,monthly;
Report Variable,,Fan Electric Consumption,monthly;
Report Variable,,Zone/Sys Air Temp,monthly;
Report,Variable dictionary;
Report,surfaces,dxf;
Report,surfaces,details;
Report,construction;

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Output Data Dictionary

(ESO File)
Data Dictionary - Beginning of Output Data File
1,5,Environment
Title[],Latitude[degrees],Longitude[degrees],Time
Zone[],Elevation[m]
2,6,Day of Simulation[],Month[],Day of Month[],DST
Indicator[1=yes
0=no],Hour[],StartMinute[],EndMinute[],DayType
3,3,Cumulative Day of Simulation[],Month[],Day of
Month[],DST Indicator[1=yes 0=no],DayType ! When Daily
Report Variables Requested
246,2,ZN001:FLR001,Surface Inside Temperature[C] !TimeStep
302,2,ZN002:FLR001,Surface Inside Temperature[C] !TimeStep
. . .
End of Data Dictionary

13

Output Data (ESO File)

Output Data After the Data Dictionary
1,CHANUTE AFB ILLINOIS SUMMER,
229.51
2,

40.30, -88.13,

-6.00,

1, 7,21, 0, 1, 0.00,10.00,Monday

246,33.3319029536235
302,31.7565160760406
. . .

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ESO vs. CSV

ESO
Raw data in comma separated format
Stream of conscience reportvariables
print as they are determined
Less convenient for viewing variables
CSV
Organized data in comma separated format
Each row contains data in columns for a
particular time step
More convenient for viewing variables
Requires an .rvi file and must run postprocessing program
EP-Launch handles this automatically

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CSV File Sample

Date/Time Environment:Outdoor ZONE ONE:Zone/Sys Sensible ZONE ONE:Zone/Sys Sensible ZONE ONE:Zone/Sys Air
Dry Bulb [C](Monthly) Heating Energy[J](Monthly)
Cooling Energy[J](Monthly)
Temp[C](Monthly)
July
25.58495468
0.00E+00
19028775.23
24.4112152
January
-17.77778
253868837.1
0.00E+00
20.28659003
January
-4.63546707
4144370093
0.00E+00
20.43495965
February
-2.23312872
3151142586
0.00E+00
20.46221742
March
1.603242608
2545318797
0.00E+00
20.54348182
April
8.370677083
1431785319
324853.0522
21.20071107
May
15.30398185
639305402.1
51404202.22
22.43806808
June
21.09550347
164326207.4
145308752.2
23.40095162
July
23.49973118
65628804.19
244539864.1
23.81873695
August
21.75707325
96943677.86
103740404
23.32673507
September
18.11458333
346023544.8
45088296.07
22.40959675
October
11.73642473
1065565115
714539.5928
21.18788477
November
4.232118056
2260965068
0.00E+00
20.49516327
December
-2.566599462
3853388966
0.00E+00
20.46126771

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CSV File Sample (contd)

Part of the CSV file created when

the CVBbRh.idf file is run in

EnergyPlus:

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RVI File
RVI: Report Variable Input
List of variables to take from ESO

file and report to CSV file

Example:
eplusout.eso
eplusout.csv
Outdoor Dry Bulb
Zone/Sys Air Temp
Zone/Sys Sensible Cooling Energy
Zone/Sys Sensible Heating Energy
FangerPMV
PierceTSENS
KsuTSV
0

Input file name for post-processor

Output file name for post-processor

Report Variables (see IDF or
RDD file) to be taken from
ESO file and reported in CSV
file
End of file marker

18

Report Data Dictionary

(RDD Files)
Lists applicable output variables

for a given input file

Must activate with report, variable

dictionary; command
Var Type,Var Report Type,Variable Name [Units]
Zone,Average,Outdoor Dry Bulb [C]
Zone,Average,Outdoor Barometric Pressure [Pa]
Zone,Average,Mean Air Temperature[C]
HVAC,Sum,Zone/Sys Sensible Heating Energy[J]
HVAC,Average,Zone/Sys Sensible Heating Rate[W]

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Meters
Accumulate multiple outputs of same form
Appropriate variables are grouped onto

meters for reporting purposes

May ease analysis of output
Values are put onto the eplusout.mtr file
Meter component details in eplusout.mtd file
Meter names applicable for the simulation are
shown on the Report Data Dictionary file
Meter names are of two forms:

<FuelType>:<MeterType>
<EndUseType>:<FuelType>:<MeterType>

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Meters Resource Types

Electricity

Propane

Gas

Water

Gasoline

Steam

Diesel

PurchasedCooling

Coal

PurchasedHeating

FuelOil#1

EnergyTransfer

FuelOil#2

(coil & equipment

loads)
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Meters End Use Types

GeneralLights

Heating

TaskLights

Cooling

ExteriorLights

HeatRejection

ZoneSource
ExteriorEquipmen

t
Fans
Pumps

Humidifier
HeatRecovery
DHW
Cogeneration
Miscellaneous

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Meters Meter Types

Facility (Master Meters)
Submeters:

Zone (lights, plug loads, etc.)

Building (all zones combined plus

exterior)

System (air handlers, terminal units)

Plant (chillers, boilers, DHW, etc.)

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Meters Meter Types

Elec:Zone

Lights:Zone

Zone

Elec:HVAC

Air loop
Gas:HVAC

Plant
Loop

Building System

Elec:Plant

Gas:Plant

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Input for Meters

Report Meter,
Electricity:*, Hourly;
Report Meter,
Electricity: Facility,
monthly;
Report Meter, Cooling:
Electricity, monthly;

All electric meters, for

all end uses and all
levels
Master electric meter
Cooling equipment

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Input for Meters (contd)

Report Meter,Fans:Electricity,monthly;
Report Meter,Cooling:Electricity,monthly;
Report Meter,Heating:Electricity,monthly;
Report Meter,Electricity:HVAC,monthly;
Report Meter,Electricity:Facility,monthly;
Report Meter,Heating:Gas,monthly;
Report Meter,Gas:HVAC,monthly;
Report Meter,Gas:Facility,monthly;

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Meter Details File

Lists exactly what is included in

each meter
*.mtd output file
For Meter=Electricity:Plant [J], contents are:
LITTLE CHILLER:Chiller Electric Consumption [J]
BIG CHILLER:Chiller Electric Consumption [J]
CIRC PUMP:Pump Electric Consumption [J]
COND CIRC PUMP:Pump Electric Consumption [J]
HW CIRC PUMP:Pump Electric Consumption [J]
BIG TOWER:Tower Fan Electric Consumption [J]

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Output Files Summary

Simple ASCII files
Simple input format (self-contained)
User-defined output can be

interpreted by many programs

Spreadsheets

Databases

Custom Programs
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Summary
ESO (EnergyPlus Standard Output) file

provides user with raw output data

from EnergyPlus run
CSV file is a version of the ESO file that

is in a format more readily usable in a

spreadsheet program
Meters and meter output are convenient

ways of grouping data for output

analysis
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