Difference between revisions of "OpenStudio/OpenStudio Application/Building Envelope Specification"

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OpenStudio Coalition recommends that more complex building geometry is best developed in a full featured CAD tool and exported to gbXML, as FloorspaceJS best covers simple building geometry use cases only<ref>The OpenStudio Coalition. (2025). FloorspaceJS - OpenStudio Coalition User Docs. Openstudiocoalition.org; The OpenStudio Coalition. https://openstudiocoalition.org/reference/geometry_editor/</ref>.
 
OpenStudio Coalition recommends that more complex building geometry is best developed in a full featured CAD tool and exported to gbXML, as FloorspaceJS best covers simple building geometry use cases only<ref>The OpenStudio Coalition. (2025). FloorspaceJS - OpenStudio Coalition User Docs. Openstudiocoalition.org; The OpenStudio Coalition. https://openstudiocoalition.org/reference/geometry_editor/</ref>.
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=== Spaces ===
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The geometry of an OpenStudio model at its base comprises three-dimensional volumes called spaces. These spaces correlate closely with rooms, and their corresponding internal loads, schedules, and other energy load related information. OpenStudio supports the create of space templates, called an OpenStudio Space Type. It is possible to assign one space type to each space.
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OpenStudio spaces can be assigned to thermal zones. Each thermal zone can contain one or more spaces. As thermal zones are composed of spaces, the geometry of a thermal zone is defined by spaces.
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Note that the concept of spaces is not currently supported by [[EnergyPlus]], and is an OpenStudio specific object.
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==

Revision as of 15:49, 22 April 2025

The process of defining the envelope of a building for a building energy model consists a few core steps[1]:

  1. Weather
  2. Building Envelope Geometry
  3. Surfaces
  4. Constructions
  5. Sub-surfaces

Envelope Geometry and Building Spaces

There are several ways that building and space geometry can be built and brought into OpenStudio.

  1. OpenStudio Plug-in in SketchUp can be used for generating detailed models that cannot be built only within 2D models.
  2. Any computer aided drafting (CAD) program that can export geometry to the Green Building Extensible Markup Language (gbXML) format can be used as well, as OpenStudio can import gbXML files.
  3. OpenStudio includes a built-in JS floor plan space editor that can be used to develop 2D floor plans of the building. Note that the JS floor plan space editor can be used to create modify plans built in the JS editor, but cannot be used to modify imported gbXML files.
  4. The OpenStudio API can also be used to procedurally create geometry for OpenStudio models.

OpenStudio Coalition recommends that more complex building geometry is best developed in a full featured CAD tool and exported to gbXML, as FloorspaceJS best covers simple building geometry use cases only[2].

Spaces

The geometry of an OpenStudio model at its base comprises three-dimensional volumes called spaces. These spaces correlate closely with rooms, and their corresponding internal loads, schedules, and other energy load related information. OpenStudio supports the create of space templates, called an OpenStudio Space Type. It is possible to assign one space type to each space.

OpenStudio spaces can be assigned to thermal zones. Each thermal zone can contain one or more spaces. As thermal zones are composed of spaces, the geometry of a thermal zone is defined by spaces.


Note that the concept of spaces is not currently supported by EnergyPlus, and is an OpenStudio specific object.

Notes

  1. ↑ Brackney, L., Benne, K., Macumber, D., & Parker, A. (2018). Building Envelope Specification. In Building Energy Modeling with OpenStudio (pp. 13–58). essay, Springer International Publishing AG.
  2. ↑ The OpenStudio Coalition. (2025). FloorspaceJS - OpenStudio Coalition User Docs. Openstudiocoalition.org; The OpenStudio Coalition. https://openstudiocoalition.org/reference/geometry_editor/
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