VisualDOE - A New Tool for Green Building Design

What is VisualDOE?
Who Uses VisualDOE
What's New in Version 3.1
Sample Screenshots
More Information About VisualDOE Features
Read the VisualDOE informational flyer

What is VisualDOE?

VisualDOE 3.1 is a new green building design tool that allows users to evaluate energy and demand impacts of design alternatives. The program covers all major building systems, including building envelope, lighting, daylighting, water heating, HVAC and central plant.

The first release of VisualDOE in 1994 dramatically reduced the time required to perform accurate energy simulations, version 3.1 takes this ease-of-use and power to a new level. The program is targeted for architects, engineers, MEP firms, energy consultants, utilities, national laboratories, universities, energy service companies, HVAC equipment manufacturers, and building product manufacturers.

Audience and How They Can Use VisualDOE 3.1

• Architects, engineers, contractors, energy analysts and utility personnel can quickly evaluate the energy savings of building design options and the impact of integrated design before a building is built. Create design alternatives with better energy performance than building energy codes like ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001 and California Title 24-2001.
• Building owners can verify energy savings and other benefits for justification of investments.
• Energy service companies (ESCOs) can estimate future energy savings and to make more sound proposals to clients.
• Energy service providers (Utilities) can analyze energy load profiles for typical buildings, plan future expansions, and develop energy programs.
• State energy offices and other policy planners can use the tools to do life cycle cost analysis of building measures to be included in codes and standards and to estimate statewide (or national) impact.
• Professors can use it as a tool to teach courses in building design and energy simulations
• Researchers can easily explore the integrated building design strategies
• Manufacturers can evaluate energy performance of their products
  

What's New in Version 3.1

• Easier simulation results diagnosis
• LEED style end-use report
• Life cycle cost analysis of design alternatives
• Revised all reports for SI units
• Modeling Tips to save your time and help diagnose simulation results
• Weather File Converter to pack and unpack DOE-2 weather files
• Create a big energy model with 1024 zones and 256 systems
• Shows building statistics while you build an energy model
• Improved custom block editor and DXF file import to create complicated building shapes
• New 3D view controls
• Enhanced VisualDOE Reports for more useful information of the building, zones and systems
• Share library file to make VisualDOE network compatible
• One-stop editor showing files of input, BDL, output, hourly reports, and weather statistics
• Flexible data input of room internal heat gains in either power density or total power use
• Flexible data input of zone air flow. Air flow autosized or manually sized
• Define source energy use and process loads of a room
• Adds escalation rate at the utility rate editor for life cycle cost calculation
• Adds emissivity to the outside surface of a construction under construction editor

View Some Sample Screen Shots of
the New VisualDOE 3.1

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