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HOW DO I GET OUTPUTS FOR ELECTRICITY AND GAS COST?

asked 2025-06-26 07:01:24 -0500

Manny's avatar

updated 2025-06-26 10:49:55 -0500

Hello everyone!

I am trying to get the output of Utility cost for electricity and gas. Although I do get outputs for my other variables, I do not get output results for electricity and gas costs. I have done some settings on the UtilityCost: Tarriff, UtilityCost:Charge: Simple, and Output:Table: SummaryReports. However, I still do not have the outputs. I would appreciate it if anyone could help me with the solution to what I am doing wrong.

I have also attached the link to the IDF.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18MWP...

Thank you

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answered 2025-06-27 06:30:56 -0500

updated 2025-06-30 11:45:28 -0500

As suggested in response to one of your previous posts, change the following Source Variable entry in both UtilityCost:Charge:Simple objects in the IDF ("totalEnergy", not "Electricity:Facility"):

UtilityCost:Charge:Simple,
    EnergyChargeElectric,    !- Utility Cost Charge Simple Name
    Electricity Tariff,      !- Tariff Name
    totalEnergy,             !- Source Variable ... not "Electricity:Facility" !
    Annual,                  !- Season
    EnergyCharges,           !- Category Variable Name
    0.077;                   !- Cost per Unit Value or Variable Name

UtilityCost:Charge:Simple,
    EnergyChargeGas,         !- Utility Cost Charge Simple Name
    Gas Tariff,              !- Tariff Name
    totalEnergy,             !- Source Variable ... not "NaturalGas:Facility" !
    Annual,                  !- Season
    EnergyCharges,           !- Category Variable Name
    0.0278;                  !- Cost per Unit Value or Variable Name

This generates the following in the eplustbl.htm file (or .html file):

image description

To get kWh outputs (if desired), change the following prior to running the simulation:

OutputControl:Table:Style,
    CommaAndHTML,            !- Column Separator
    JtoKWH;                  !- Unit Conversion

EDIT: Not sure which .html file here (your recent screen capture) corresponds to the usual eplustbl.htm file:

image description


There's an outstanding issue with the following IDF entry:

Output:Meter,
    Facility Total Cost,     !- Key Name
    hourly;                  !- Reporting Frequency

This generates the following in the eplusout.err file:

** Warning ** Output:Meter: invalid Key Name="FACILITY TOTAL COST" - not found.

Check the generated eplusout.mdd file for admissible output meters. Run time energy costs aren't there. EnergyPlus output variables and meters are usually reserved for physical quantities (e.g. degC, kg/s, W, J). However, as your tariff is straightforward (0.077 $/kWh), maybe it's simpler for you to post-process hourly "Electricity:Facility" outputs in the generated eplusout.eso file:

  • convert to kWh
  • x 0.077 $

This would at least give you a time series of hourly utility costs ... based on kWh only! Utility costs are usually a tad more complex (e.g. demand charges), which is why utility costs are typically aggregated and reported monthly (and/or annually).


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Hello and thank you Denis!

I have made the changes; but, I do not seem to have a eplustbl.htm file. However, I did notice some changes when compared to my previous simulation.

  1. When I make the OutputControl:TableStyle, CommaAndHTML or TabANDHTML. I do get an additional file of my results stored as CSV or Notebook.
  2. In the results, I now have Annual cost for Gas but I do not have cost results for Electricity (It is 0)*.

Further clarification, on these issues will be appreciated.

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folder...

Thank you.

Manny's avatar Manny  ( 2025-06-27 17:42:44 -0500 )edit

Also, thanks for spotting out the warning : * Warning * Output:Meter: invalid Key Name="FACILITY TOTAL COST" - not found. I checked the MDD file and it seems there is no suitable replacement for this. Is this usually of significant concern?

Manny's avatar Manny  ( 2025-06-27 17:43:21 -0500 )edit

@Manny, I brought in some minor edits to my original answer:

  • CTRL-F "Energy Cost Summary" in either of the generated .htm or .html files. I just ran your updated .idf: Got the same operating costs (for both electricity and natural gas), as shown in my initial answer.
  • To the best of my knowledge, .rdd and .mdd files don't hold real time costing outputs - only physical quantities like J, m3/s, etc.
Denis Bourgeois's avatar Denis Bourgeois  ( 2025-06-30 11:41:34 -0500 )edit
1

I ran the simulation with another version on my office PC and it worked.

Thank you so much for the help, Denis.

Manny's avatar Manny  ( 2025-06-30 12:38:17 -0500 )edit

You're welcome - best of luck.

Denis Bourgeois's avatar Denis Bourgeois  ( 2025-06-30 13:16:48 -0500 )edit

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Asked: 2025-06-26 07:01:24 -0500

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Last updated: Jun 30