The Building Energy Modeling (BEM) sub-program is an important part of BTO and its Emerging Technologies Program. BEM is a versatile, multipurpose tool that is used in new building and retrofit design, code compliance, green certification, qualification for tax credits and utility incentives, and even real-time building control. BEM is also used in large-scale analyses to develop building energy-efficiency codes and inform policy decisions. So what exactly is BEM? And what roles does the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) play in the BEM industry and community? Learn more about BEM, its uses, and BTO’s BEM portfolio ►
Software and Project Portfolio
EnergyPlus is DOE's open-source state-of-the-art whole building energy simulation engine.
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OpenStudio is an open-source software development kit (SDK) for energy modeling with EnergyPlus.
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Spawn is a next-generation BEM-controls engine based on open-standards for co-simulation (FMI) and equation-based modeling (Modelica).
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BTO's active and completed Building Energy Modeling projects.
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End-Use Breakdown: The BEM Blog
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New Toolkit Helps Save Energy in Two Data Centers—and Potentially Many More
Architecture Firm Perkins&Will “SPEEDs” Up Early-Stage BEM
DOE Publishes Research and Development Opportunities Document for Building Energy Modeling
Python EMS: A Unique EnergyPlus Feature Gets a Serious Upgrade
A team led by the University of Colorado-Boulder has developed a combined cooling and airflow simulation and optimization toolkit that has already enabled significant energy savings in two data centers.
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The Energy lab at architecture firm Perkins&Will used OpenStudio to develop a cloud-based energy analysis tool that supports its 2,000 architects.
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DOE has published a peer reviewed "RDO" document that identifies barriers to BEM adoptions and potential roles for BTO in overcoming these barriers.
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Released in March 2020, EnergyPlus 9.3.0 fast-forwards the Energy Management System feature about 40 years.
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Resources for Modelers and Stakeholders
A peer-to-peer help and support forum for BEM with search, voting, and notification tools. BTO uses UnmetHours to support EnergyPlus and OpenStudio.
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Hosted by IBPSA-USA, this directory has vendor-driven content and supports images, video, ratings, reviews, and search, sort, and filter functions.
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Created by Rocky Mountain Institute, this guide gives BEM clients like building owners information needed to engage with and contract BEM services.
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