Archsim Energy Modeling

Information

Archsim Energy Modeling is a plugin that, for the first time, brings fully featured EnergyPlus simulations to Rhino/Grasshopper and thus links the EnergyPlus simulation engine with a powerful parametric design and CAD modeling environment.

Archsim allows you to effortlessly create complex multi-zone energy models, simulate them and visualize results without ever switching between tools. Archsim supports advanced daylighting and shading controls, ventilation modules such as wind and stack natural ventilation, airflow-networks, simple HVAC, photovoltaics and phase changing materials. It is typically used for rapid early design exploration where building shape, window to wall ratios, facade and glazing systems and passive approaches such as shading and natural ventilation potential are tested for their impact on the building environmental performance and comfort.

Simulation inputs such as model geometry, materiality, constructions and zone usage profiles are fully parametric and can be coupled with optimization algorithms within Grasshopper.

Archsim is a young tool under heavy development and new features are added frequently. Archsim exports native IDF files that are fully customizable. Besides EnergyPlus version 8-1-0 support the same workflow can also produce TRNSYS B17 files.

Documentation and example files, community support and most importantly a copy of Archsim are available under www.archsim.com

Website: http://www.archsim.com
Location: Cambridge | Darmstadt
Members: 96
Latest Activity: Sep 20, 2023

Discussion Forum

thermal comfort

Hi all,Can any one tell me please how can i measure thermal comfort by archsim and which items in energy plus output that support that??Continue

Started by Rania el sakhawy Dec 26, 2017.

ARCHSIM Problem!

Hey guys! Archsim website is down atm and I'm real desperate for answers as there aren't really any form of resources online for them, I'm doing an energy analysis for these four school buildings and…Continue

Started by kevin ross Oct 26, 2015.

ArchSim Energy Modeling for Grasshopper 1 Reply

Archsim Energy Modeling for Grasshopper is a plugin that allows you to create multi-zone energy models and simulate them in EnergyPlus and TRNSYS*. Archsim is a young tool under heavy development and…Continue

Tags: Performance, Sustainability, TRNSYS, Modeling, Environment

Started by Timur Dogan. Last reply by Aaron Loomans Aug 19, 2014.

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Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of Archsim Energy Modeling to add comments!

Comment by Patricia Edith Camporeale on July 16, 2019 at 2:07pm: Hi,

I cannot run my previous files. An error appears when I connect breps to thermal zone components.

I updated energy plus to 9 but nothing changed.

Thanks in advance.

Patricia

Comment by XING on March 27, 2018 at 3:44am: I have got a problem when using Archsim,

When I connect model zone, window to the Networker, it comes: You model unit system must be in meters. However, my unit in rhino is in meters. Anyone knows the reason?

Thanks

Best regards

Comment by Timur Dogan on August 29, 2014 at 4:17am: Aaron, I did not have time to looks at your model yet but from the images there are two things that come to my mind:
Energy Plus and TRNSYS and therefore also Archsim do not support curved geometry. I'd suggest to discretize it into planar polygonal elements within GH before you feed it into archsim.
The second thing is that E+ windows must have a parent surface (eg wall) and they cannot be exactly the same - or their edges should not touch. Don't ask me why... I unusually use an offset to deal with this limitation.
I hope that helps - let me know if you need more help.

Comment by Aaron Loomans on August 28, 2014 at 12:02pm: Hi Timur,

I've been experimenting with ArchSim in conjunction with ladybug. It seems to work great with simple geometries, however I currently have a model that I can't seem to troubleshoot. It consists of 8 glass "blobs" supporting single canopy. I want each blob to be it's own thermal zone, with the only enclosure material to be the glass. And then I want to be able to run an e+ simulation based off that criteria. See attached files and images, you may have to relink a different weather file to test. Your help is much appreciated!

ExampleAnalysis.gh

ExampleAnalysis.3dm (I had to reduce file size so I hope it works)

Comment by Timur Dogan on January 8, 2014 at 8:07am: A new version of ArchsimEM is out. It comes with a couple of new features like E+ launch form Grasshopper and results visualization, parametric materials and boundary condition objects. ArchsimEM now also support PV simulations. The material library has been overhauled and now has an editing interface.

You can download ArchsimEM 1.1 from archsim.com.