ESP-r

ESP-r main menu and an exemplar model

ESP-r is a research-oriented open-source building performance simulation software. ESP-r can model heat flow in thermal zones, fluid flow using networks or CFD, electrical power flow, moisture flow, contaminant flow, hygrothermal and fluid flow in HVAC systems, as well as visual and acoustic performance aspects within a modeled energy system/building.

ESP-r has been under development for the last 50 years, with contributions by researchers from several countries. ESP-r source-code was published in 2002, subject to the GNU General Public License, and the current version (V13.3.18) was released in May 2025. ESP-r is designed to work on Linux, but it can also run on Windows (using Windows Subsystem for Linux) and on macOS.

ESP-r has been extensively validated. Among other projects, ESP-r was part of BESTEST, an IEA initiative that created a benchmark for quality assessment of energy simulation software. This benchmark was later incorporated on ASHRAE Standard 140 - Method of Test for Evaluating Building Performance Simulation Software.

References

  1. ↑ "ESP-r website".
  2. ↑ "Energy Systems Research Unit | University of Strathclyde".
  3. ↑ Clarke, Joseph (2001). Energy simulation in building design. Routledge.
  4. ↑ "Hand, J. (2020) Strategies for deploying virtual representations of the built environment".
  5. ↑ Allison, J; et al. (2024). Introduction to ESP-r. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde Publishing. ISBN 978-1-914241-71-0.
  6. ↑ "ESRU - Publications".
  7. ↑ "List of ESP-r contributors".
  8. ↑ "ESP-r release notes".
  9. ↑ "ESRU - Online software documentation".
  10. ↑ Strachan P A. 2000. 'ESP-r: Summary of Validation Studies
  11. ↑ Strachan, P. A.; Kokogiannakis, G.; Macdonald, I. A. (2008-04-01). "History and development of validation with the ESP-r simulation program". Building and Environment. Part Special: Building Performance Simulation. 43 (4): 601–609. Bibcode:2008BuEnv..43..601S. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.06.025. ISSN 0360-1323. S2CID 111041030.
  12. ↑ Judkoff, R.; Neymark, J. (1995-02-01). International Energy Agency building energy simulation test (BESTEST) and diagnostic method (Report). National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). doi:10.2172/90674. OSTI 90674.
  13. ↑ Judkoff, R.; Neymark, J. (2013-07-01). Twenty Years On!: Updating the IEA BESTEST Building Thermal Fabric Test Cases for ASHRAE Standard 140 (Report). NREL/ J. Neymark & Associates, Golden, CO (United States). doi:10.2172/1220110. OSTI 1220110.
  14. ↑ "ASHRAE Standard 140 Resource Files".