A Graphical Tool For Cloud-Based Building Energy Simulation ✓ Most Recent

Building energy modeling is a field that can be computationally intensive, especially for large parametric studies that require simulating many alternate models. In the past, these types of studies have been limited to research institutions and advanced users who had the required computational resources available. In recent years, cloud computing services have come to offer a reliable platform in which relatively inexpensive computing power can be purchased and used as needed without a substantial capital investment. These services are gaining ground quickly because they are, for many companies, more cost effective than building and maintaining computing power in-house. OpenStudio has developed a workflow that allows energy modelers to create and run a customized parametric analysis using commercially available cloud computing services. This workflow will enable anyone to perform powerful parametric studies in a reasonable time for a relatively low cost. This paper demonstrates the workflow in an automated calibration application.