CSE residential building energy simulation engine, courtesy of Big Ladder Software
CSE is under active development. Features and behavior may evolve, and documentation may occasionally differ from the current implementation.
Key Features
Core capabilities include:California code compliance calculations
Implements the calculation methodologies required for compliance with the California Building Energy Code for residential buildings.
CBECC-Res calculation engine
Provides the underlying simulation engine used by CBECC-Res to evaluate residential building performance and compliance metrics.
General-purpose residential simulation
Designed as a flexible simulation model capable of supporting a wide range of residential building configurations and analysis scenarios.
Transparent, standards-aligned methods
Emphasizes clarity, repeatability, and alignment with published standards and regulatory requirements.
What CSE Is
CSE is a batch-driven simulation engine that reads its input from structured text files. It is not intended for direct use by typical compliance users. Instead, CSE is designed to run within a shell application or to be used directly by technically oriented users who need automation, transparency, and full control of the modeling process.
Designed For
CSE is intended for highly technical users, including developers building interface or shell applications, researchers and standards developers exploring conservation strategies, and teams involved in testing or extending the engine. Because these audiences work at a technical level, the documentation emphasizes completeness and accuracy over ease of learning.
Documentation Organization
The CSE documentation is structured to support advanced users working directly with the engine:- Introduction - General information and installation
- Operation - Command-line options, file naming, and file management
- Input Structure - Overview of the CSE input language
- Input Data - Detailed definitions of input statements
- Output Reports - Description of simulation results
- Probe Definitions - Available probes for detailed analysis
