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Tips for Fast and Efficient Residential Modeling in OpenStudio

asked 2025-01-21 04:27:03 -0600

Ofri Talesnick's avatar

updated 2025-01-21 14:37:35 -0600

Hi, I’m new to OpenStudio but have some experience with DesignBuilder. I’d like to use OpenStudio to model simple residential buildings with simple HVAC systems. Most of the input data I work with is fixed, and I’m looking for the best way to create templates that can automatically populate all the required data for simulations. I would then make adjustments based on the specific design.

Additionally, is the SketchUp plug-in a good tool for speeding up geometry modeling, or is there a faster way to handle geometry in OpenStudio?

This forum is amazing, and I truly appreciate everyone here for sharing their expertise. Thank you in advance for your advice!

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answered 2025-01-29 09:03:12 -0600

updated 2025-02-03 15:23:42 -0600

Not definitive answers - just a bunch of (hopefully useful) hints.


There are a number of OpenStudio developers/modellers here on UMH with considerable experience when it comes to small scale housing. Yet I suspect you may need to narrow down a bit more your needs in order to get (more useful) pointers, references, etc. For instance, are you looking more at housing stock assessments (e.g. utility?), or instead a handful of templates for professional practice (e.g. AEC firm)? You state that most of the inputs would be fixed, while your 2nd question on geometry and SketchUp suggests housing layout may vary (considerably?), e.g. size, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, number of stories, with/without basement, context such as shading from neighbouring vegetation and buildings? What else may vary (vs fixed inputs)?

If you're aiming at housing stock assessments, BEopt, HPXML and Resstock immediately come to mind. It's a deep dive and largely US-focused, yet there is a wealth of information (field data, methods) for anyone interested in automating housing assessments. If you need to work with custom geometry/layout, then BEopt/HPXML may not be as suitable, as discussed here. Yet I've often found it useful to consult the OSM generated by BEopt in such cases (see here), especially when starting out.

EDIT: Other noteworthy packages to consider would be OpenStudio-Standards and related ComStock. A very naive distinction between BEopt/HPXML vs OpenStudio-Standards is the former "focuses on individual residential dwelling units – either a single-family detached building, or a single unit of a single-family attached or multifamily building" (see Scope (Dwelling Units) here), while the latter targets whole buildings (e.g. midrise and high-rise apartment buildings), including their non-residential space/requirements (e.g. common areas, elevators). So depending on the scope of your needs, you may end up leaning against one approach over the other.


I suspect you're leaning more towards automatically populating custom OpenStudio housing models (custom, yet basic ... e.g. holding only geometry, spaces and spacetypes), with a handful of predefined loads/HVAC options/templates. The previous links still remain very useful in that regard, but a complete solution would require something akin to measures like this one or this one. You couldn't use these straight out of the box for housing of course, but they may nonetheless constitute good conceptual/procedural examples to adapt for your needs.

I frequently use SketchUp, especially for highly-articulated geometry (e.g. split levels, varying roof slopes, dormers, bay windows and niches). In simpler shoebox cases when/where dimensions may change (over many iterations), I often script a solution - more flexible. Others would turn to OpenStudio's FloorspaceJS solution.


EDIT (based on your follow-up comment): OK, sounds more like a (new) OpenStudio Measure that would automatically assess (local) building energy code compliance, i.e. performance approach (not prescriptive requirements). Here a few questions (out of possibly many) that may help you (and others) to further narrow down measure requirements:

Q1: EUI or reference/baseline -based ... (more)

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Hi Denis,

Thanks for the great advice!

I'm looking to determine the energy rating of buildings according to a local energy code (standard), where the geometry differs for each apartment building but the loads and schedules are predefined and basic.

That said, do you have any other input or pointers you could suggest? Also, is there a developer you would recommend contacting who could assist with this?

I'll look into the links and connections you sent. I understand that learning how to use measures could be useful for me.

Thanks again

Ofri Talesnick's avatar Ofri Talesnick  ( 2025-02-03 08:40:25 -0600 )edit

Hi Ofri, I edited my initial answer in response to your follow-up comment. I hope this is useful.

Denis Bourgeois's avatar Denis Bourgeois  ( 2025-02-03 15:22:16 -0600 )edit

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Asked: 2025-01-21 04:27:03 -0600

Seen: 230 times

Last updated: Feb 03