Running EnergyPlus by Hand[LINK]

EnergyPlus runs as a console application with optional command line arguments. The arguments may be listed by typing energyplus --help (on any operating system) and man energyplus (on Unix-based operating systems, Mac OS X and Linux). For more information about the command line interface, see https://github.com/NREL/EnergyPlus/blob/develop/doc/running-energyplus-from-command-line.md. The remainder of this section describes running EnergyPlus in legacy mode (i.e. no command-line arguments) on Windows OS.

To run the program bring up the command prompt and “cd” to the directory containing the executable. Assume that the executable is called EnergyPlus.exe. In the same directory EnergyPlus expects in.idf, the input data file; Energy+.idd, the data dictionary file; in.epw, the weather file (needed only if there is a RunPeriod in the input); and optionally Energy+.ini, the initialization file. Typing “EnergyPlus” (and hitting the Enter key) will execute the program. EnergyPlus will write messages to the command window as it runs. A simulation with two design days and one run period looks like:

EnergyPlus Starting
EnergyPlus, Version 1.3
Warming up
Initializing Response Factors
Calculating CTFs for "EXTWALL80", Construction \#1
Calculating CTFs for "PARTITION06", Construction \#2
Calculating CTFs for "FLOOR SLAB 8 IN", Construction \#3
Calculating CTFs for "ROOF34", Construction \#4
Initializing Window Optical Properties
Initializing Solar Calculations
Initializing HVAC
Warming up
Warming up
Warming up
Performing Zone Sizing Simulation
Warming up
Warming up
Warming up
Performing Zone Sizing Simulation
Initializing New Environment Parameters
Warming up {1}
Warming up {2}
Warming up {3}
Warming up {4}
Starting Simulation at 01/14 for CHICAGO IL UNITED STATES TMY2 94846 WMO# = 725340
Initializing New Environment Parameters
Warming up {1}
Warming up {2}
Warming up {3}
Warming up {4}
Starting Simulation at 07/07 for CHICAGO IL UNITED STATES TMY2 94846 WMO# = 725340
EnergyPlus Run Time = 00hr 00min  7.31sec

When execution is finished, eplusout.err and eplusout.audit will always appear. If the program terminated with an input error, these may be the only output files. If the program runs normally, eplusout.eio will appear. Depending on what was requested in the input, the other output files described above will also be written.