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I do not know of a brief summary to answer your question but I can suggest an approach for you to learn the answer. Run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file in the ExampleFiles directory. It uses the HVACTemplate objects: HVACTemplate:Zone:VAV and HVACTemplate:System:VAV to describe a VAV system. When you run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file with EP-Launch, a expidf file is created which is an input file created by converting these HVACTemplate objects into full detailed EnergyPlus objects. Take a close look at the expidf file that is created. About half way through the file will be a line that says "New objects created from ExpandObjects" below this line is all the detailed EnergyPlus objects. This will show you all the objects that need to be created as well as how they are all connected to each other using names and nodes. The file will include portions related to how the boiler and chiller are are used closer to the bottom.

The objects that are created related to the VAV system are:

DesignSpecification:OutdoorAir
DesignSpecification:ZoneAirDistribution
Sizing:Zone
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentConnections
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentList
ZoneHVAC:AirDistributionUnit
AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Coil:Heating:Water
Branch
Sizing:System
AirLoopHVAC
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
BranchList
AirLoopHVAC:SupplyPath
AirLoopHVAC:ZoneSplitter
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPath
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPlenum
AvailabilityManagerAssignmentList
AvailabilityManager:NightCycle
Schedule:Compact
SetpointManager:Scheduled
Coil:Cooling:Water
Controller:WaterCoil
SetpointManager:MixedAir
NodeList
Fan:VariableVolume
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem:EquipmentList
OutdoorAir:Mixer
Controller:OutdoorAir

Many of these objects are used to link objects together. The most important to understand the inputs related to VAV would probably be:

AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Sizing:Zone
Sizing:System
Coil:Cooling:Water
Coil:Heating:Water
Fan:VariableVolume

Another approach is to start looking at the AirLoopHVAC object and trace how it is connected to everything else.

I do not know of a brief summary to answer your question but I can suggest an approach for you to learn the answer. Run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file in the ExampleFiles directory. It uses the HVACTemplate objects: HVACTemplate:Zone:VAV and HVACTemplate:System:VAV to describe a VAV system. When you run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file with EP-Launch, a expidf file is created which is an input file created by converting these HVACTemplate objects into full detailed EnergyPlus objects. Take a close look at the expidf file that is created. About half way through the file will be a line that says "New objects created from ExpandObjects" below this line is all the detailed EnergyPlus objects. This will show you all the objects that need to be created as well as how they are all connected to each other using names and nodes. The file will include portions related to how the boiler and chiller are are used closer to the bottom.

The objects that are created related to the VAV system are:

DesignSpecification:OutdoorAir
DesignSpecification:ZoneAirDistribution
Sizing:Zone
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentConnections
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentList
ZoneHVAC:AirDistributionUnit
AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Coil:Heating:Water
Branch
Sizing:System
AirLoopHVAC
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
BranchList
AirLoopHVAC:SupplyPath
AirLoopHVAC:ZoneSplitter
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPath
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPlenum
AvailabilityManagerAssignmentList
AvailabilityManager:NightCycle
Schedule:Compact
SetpointManager:Scheduled
Coil:Cooling:Water
Controller:WaterCoil
SetpointManager:MixedAir
NodeList
Fan:VariableVolume
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem:EquipmentList
OutdoorAir:Mixer
Controller:OutdoorAir

Many of these objects are used to link objects together. The most important to understand the inputs related to VAV would probably be:

AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Sizing:Zone
Sizing:System
Coil:Cooling:Water
Coil:Heating:Water
Fan:VariableVolume

Another approach is to start looking at the AirLoopHVAC object and trace how it is connected to everything else.

I do not know of a brief summary to answer your question but I can suggest an approach for you to learn the answer. Run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file in the ExampleFiles directory. It uses the HVACTemplate objects: HVACTemplate:Zone:VAV and HVACTemplate:System:VAV to describe a VAV system. When you run the HVACTemplate-5ZoneVAVWaterCooled.idf file with EP-Launch, a expidf file is created which is an input file created by converting these HVACTemplate objects into full detailed EnergyPlus objects. Take a close look at the expidf file that is created. About half way through the file will be a line that says "New objects created from ExpandObjects" below this line is all the detailed EnergyPlus objects. This will show you all the objects that need to be created as well as how they are all connected to each other using names and nodes. The file will include portions related to how the boiler and chiller are are used closer to the bottom.

The objects that are created related to the VAV system are:

ZoneControl:Thermostat 
DesignSpecification:OutdoorAir
DesignSpecification:ZoneAirDistribution
Sizing:Zone
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentConnections
ZoneHVAC:EquipmentList
ZoneHVAC:AirDistributionUnit
AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Coil:Heating:Water
Branch
Sizing:System
AirLoopHVAC
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
BranchList
AirLoopHVAC:SupplyPath
AirLoopHVAC:ZoneSplitter
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPath
AirLoopHVAC:ReturnPlenum
AvailabilityManagerAssignmentList
AvailabilityManager:NightCycle
Schedule:Compact
SetpointManager:Scheduled
Coil:Cooling:Water
Controller:WaterCoil
SetpointManager:MixedAir
NodeList
Fan:VariableVolume
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem
AirLoopHVAC:ControllerList
AirLoopHVAC:OutdoorAirSystem:EquipmentList
OutdoorAir:Mixer
Controller:OutdoorAir

Many of these objects are used to link objects together. The most important to understand the inputs related to VAV would probably be:

AirTerminal:SingleDuct:VAV:Reheat
Sizing:Zone
Sizing:System
Coil:Cooling:Water
Coil:Heating:Water
Fan:VariableVolume

Another approach is to start looking at the AirLoopHVAC object and trace how it is connected to everything else.

Of course if you want to avoid all this, you can just use the HVACTemplate:Zone:VAV and HVACTemplate:System:VAV objects directly.