EnergyPlus
EnergyPlus Residential and Commercial* DEER prototype models are available online. To access the repository please use this link (sound-data/DEER-Prototypes-EnergyPlus (github.com)). This repository contains the EnergyPlus models parametrization framework developed using Modelkit. Therefore, you will only see the parametrized prototype models per building type (in prototypes/residential folder) and the models’ templates (in template/energyplus folder). To create models and run measures (defined in Analysis/../cases folder) you will have to clone the repository to your local machine and follow the provided instructions in the README.md file to generate them. To create a GitHub account visit this link (Join GitHub · GitHub).
Further resources are here:
- Modelkit Documentation
- How to create a pull request in GitHub
- CalBEM commercial models documentation
- How to use DEER Prototypes in Modelkit/EnergyPlus training video
*Refrigerated Warehouse is pending finalization
| Download | Title | Notes | Start Date | End Date | Date Posted | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZ2025 DEER Peak 3-Day Period Lookup Table |
A lookup table is provided that identifies the peak 3-weekday period for each of the 16 California climate zones (CZ01–CZ16) for use with CZ2025 weather and DEER peak-day analysis. One row per climate zone.
- Source weather: CZ2025 EPW files (16 zones). - Calendar: 2009; all 10 observed 2009 holidays excluded. Candidate windows are consecutive 3 weekdays (Mon–Wed, Tue–Thu, or Wed–Fri) in June–September, starting at midnight. - Selection: The period with the highest equal-weight index (Peak dry-bulb + 72-hour average dry-bulb + noon–6 PM average dry-bulb) is chosen per zone. Assumptions (hour and period definitions): - Hour convention: Hours are 0–23 (midnight = 0, noon = 12, 6 PM = 18). Each hourly value is interpreted as the dry-bulb temperature at the **start** of that clock hour (e.g. hour 12 = 12:00, hour 17 = 17:00). (In EPW 1–24 convention, hour 1 = 00:00–01:00, so EPW hour *h* corresponds to clock hour *h*−1 start; the analysis uses 0–23 internally.) - 72-hour window: Starts at **midnight** (00:00) of the first day of the 3-day period. The window comprises 72 consecutive hours: hour 0 through hour 23 of day 1, hour 0–23 of day 2, hour 0–23 of day 3. No other start hour is used. - Noon–6 PM band (“12–6p”): Exactly **6 hours**: hour 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (i.e. 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00). Hour 18 (18:00) is **not** included. The noon–6 PM average is the arithmetic mean of the dry-bulb values in those 6 hours over the 3 days (18 values total). - Peak dry-bulb: Maximum of the 72 hourly dry-bulb values in the 72-hour window. - Equal-weight index: Sum of (1) peak dry-bulb, (2) 72-hour average dry-bulb, and (3) noon–6 PM average dry-bulb, all in °C. The candidate 3-day period with the **largest** value of this sum is selected per climate zone. |
2028 Jan 1 | 2026 Mar 10 | See history | ||
| CZ2025 DEER Weather Files |
CZ2025 representative weather files for use in DEER building energy modeling. The zip file includes: (1) 16 California climate zones (CZ01–CZ16), one representative station per zone, and (2) for each zone: hourly weather (.epw), design days (.ddy), and optional summary/auxiliary files (.stat, .BINM, .FIN4).
Note: CZ04 and CZ06 use the stations specified in the 2025 Energy Code Accounting Methodology (CEC-400-2024-004, TN 255318-1): Paso Robles Municipal Airport (WMO 723965) for CZ04 and Los Angeles International Airport / LAX (WMO 722950) for CZ06. All other zones use the representative stations from the 2025 Title 24 Reference Appendices (CEC-400-2025-010-AP). Source: (1) EPW data: CALMAC California Weather Files, CZ2025 dataset (TMY based on 2000–2020): https://www.calmac.org/weather.asp (2) DDY (design days): Climate.OneBuilding.org — California Climate Zones, California_CTZ_2025 set 1: https://climate.onebuilding.org/#gsc.tab=0 (3) Aligns with the weather set used in the CBECC compliance software for 2025 Title 24: https://github.com/NOR-Codes-Stds/CBECC/tree/main/Weather/2025 |
2026 Mar 9 | See history | |||
| Commercial sizing comparison to actual loads |
This is the spreadsheet developed by Roger Baker comparing Energy Plus autosize to actual building loads for commercial building types. This was the basis to develop sizing factors of 2.5 and 2.3 based on a straight average of this work. These values should be revised in the future. |
2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Jul 22 | See history | ||
| Commercial bldg comparison DOE2 to E+ |
Use this spreadsheet to compare whole building and end use consumption between DOE2 DEER prototypes and E+ DEER prototypes across climate zones and building types. |
2024 Jan 1 | 2024 May 21 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus Office Hours Webex Recordings | Recording from meeting 02/20/2024 | 2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Jul 25 | See history | ||
| Residential HVAC System Capacities documentation | This updated file is a work in progress to figure out residential HVAC sizing. | 2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Jul 25 | See history | ||
| Technology ID Building Resources |
This file contains directions for connecting the Tech Builder spreadsheet to the DEER database so it automatically refreshes the Tech Type and Tech Group tables in the spreadsheet with the current DEER support tables.
Note: The DEER support email address has changed to DEERsupport@guidehouse.com. |
2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Mar 20 | See history | ||
| SEER to EER and HSPF to COP in SWHC049 prototype cases setup |
The Equation Sources tab for the SEER to EER and HSPF to COP conversions include fan energy. ASHRAE 90.1 2022 has better equations for one or two speed split and packaged HVAC systems, see the FAQ for ASHRAE equations. |
2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Feb 19 | See history | ||
| DEER Prototype System User Guide | New version of the DEER Prototype System User Guide with updates to case file naming and post-processing "measure_list.xls" location. | 2024 Jan 1 | 2024 Feb 22 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus FAQs | For commercial models used for PY2026, we recommend using the EnergyPlus sizing functionality to perform a sizing run with a sizing factor of 1.15 for cooling and 1.25 for heating. | 2025 Jul 22 | 2025 Sep 23 | See history | ||
| DEER 2005 Update Final Report |
This documents the DEER prototype models and documents how measures are modeled. The Residential EnergyPlus models follow the same methods. The Commercial EnergyPlus models were based in the same methods with updated methods posted on the CalBEM Benchmarking Database site. |
2005 Dec 1 | 2024 Jan 26 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus Prototype System Webinar #4 Slides |
These are the slides and a webinar recording from the December 13, 2023 presentation describing the DEER Prototype system stored in a GitHub repository. The system includes Modelkit files to create and run EnergyPlus models for residential and commercial DEER prototypes in a batch file. It also includes Python and SQL files to post process the simulation results into DEER database records. To find the webinar recording click the "see history" button. |
2023 Dec 13 | 2023 Dec 15 | See history | ||
| SFm prototype geometry issue identified |
It has come to our attention that one of the planes that defines the attic floor of the SFm building prototype is misaligned with the rest of the attic floor. This will be remedied in the coming month. The UES impacts of this flaw will be reported as well. |
2023 Aug 8 | 2023 Aug 8 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus GitHub Repository Training Video |
This informative video, discovered on YouTube, was created by an independent user. Reviewed for accuracy, the video demonstrates the step-by-step usage of the DEER Prototypes EnergyPlus repository published by DNV. https://youtu.be/39nZlooH7yc |
2023 Jan 1 | 2023 Jun 12 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus Residential Prototype System 2022-12-21 Webinar |
This webinar presents the system that allows paramaterization of the prototype models and collaboration on prototype development. This will replace MC3. The recording of the webinar is also posted here. |
2024 Jan 1 | 2022 Dec 21 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus Residential Prototype Calibration Memo | This spreadsheet documents the residential prototype characteristics, and shows the sources used to update the HVAC fan energy. Heating systems were assumed to be 15 years old (installed in 2007) since that is the HVAC EUL, i.e. half the systems of that age will have failed so in existing homes half the systems will be older and half will be younger than 15 years. | 2024 Jan 1 | 2023 Mar 1 | See history | ||
| CZ2022 EnergyPlus Weather data |
These are 2022 weather data, source: http://weather.whiteboxtechnologies.com/
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2022 Jun 1 | 2022 Jun 1 | See history | ||
| Migration to EnergyPlus Webinar - First of three webinars describing the EnergyPlus transition | This slide deck describes the transition from using MASControl3 and eQUEST/DOE2 building prototypes to using the EnergyPlus simulation engine to simulate deemed measures. | 2024 Jan 1 | 2022 Dec 27 | See history | ||
| EnergyPlus Files Data Request 2021-12-16 |
This memo describes the files and supporting documentation that should be submitted for residential non-DEER measures that were previously modeled using MASControl3 and eQUEST/DOE2 building simulations. Using the submitted content, DNV will migrate the input files to run using the EnergyPlus building simulation engine. |
2021 Dec 16 | See history |