Simergy Workspace Guide

Workspace Tour - click here to access a pop-up window that runs through each of the workspaces or click on the individual links below to be taken to that area of the Simergy Help.   

Note: Image above is an interactive portal to the different Simergy workspaces.  At the end of each section is a 'workspace guide' link that will return to this page.  

It is a good idea to gain a strong understanding of the different workspace types and their capabilities, so that you can maneuver around Simergy effectively.  

Workspace - The user interface screen presented to the user when they select on a tab and/or make a selection from the ribbon, which is comprised of different areas containing different drawing, selection, input/edit and/or accessing other capabilities.

The top level of the Ribbon for Simergy contains a number of tabs, and within each of those tabs the ribbon can have single or multiple sections.  Each tab may have a common workspace type or may contain a number of different workspace types.  Some workspace formats are consistent across different tabs, such as Import and Export, while others may vary.  Each main section in Simergy Help corresponds to a tab in the Simergy Interface, which includes a "Workspace" topic that introduces the different workspaces associated with that tab of the interface.  All of the Workspace Guide links have been brought together below for easier access.  Each workspace topic contains a description of the main sections that the workspace is made up of, and provides links to more detailed descriptions about each workspace section.   

• File - no workspace associated with this tab, but from the drop down menu the user has all the basic commands available and can access the "Options" (EnergyPlus Project Options) dialog box where key parameters can be accessed:
• • Model Measure Units
  • User Interface Measure Units
  • Library/Template Preferences
  • Naming Patterns fro Auto-Generated Objects
  • User Interface Language

• Design Alternatives - the "starting point" workspace where design alternatives (variations of the baseline model) can be set up, and the validation dashboard reviewed for each.

• Site - The workspace where the geometry of the site and environs can be created, reviewed and edited.

• Buildings - In addition to the import and export workspaces there are two main workspaces:
• • Building Definition -  enables the creation, refinement and customization of the BEM geometry that has been defined in Simergy through one of the three main workflows (import  model, DWG/DXF drawover, or creating building geometry with Simergy's model creator)

   

  • Zones and Zone Grouping - allows the user to set up zones, zone groups, and assignments of four sets of templates (Zone Daylighting, Zone Lighting, Zone Natural Ventilation, and Zone Service Hot Water) to the zone group, which can significantly reduce the inputs required to get a simulation running.

   

• Systems (HVAC Systems) - has four main workspace areas the user will typically engage.  Each has two sub-workspaces:
• Create/Edit - the user sets up the different Zone HVAC and system loop types required for the system design, assigns templates, assigns properties,  and reviews the template diagrams that are being associated into the model.  A key thing to note is that the user can not edit the diagrams displayed within the HVAC diagramming canvas.

• Diagram - his is the workspace where the user can build, add to, refine, change the component properties, define the System Level Controls and do a validation on the loop design to assess if further adjustments are needed.  

• Simulate - Provides the workspace where the user can set up different configuration and associate them with templates (simulation parameters, request set, output format set), and review the status of the validation framework checks.

• Reports - the first stop for users after the simulation has been completed.  The workspace provides the ability to open individual and/or multiple predefined reports on different topics that are a combination of graphic and tabular results.  The intent is that the user can come here first to assess how the model is performing, and based on what is discovered here informs how the second part of the Results, the Results Visualization is utilized.

• Results Visualization - is where the user can bring out their Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass and start investigating any of the output variables/meters, sets of output variables/sets of meters that EnergyPlus has to offer in different chart forms or tables.  However, before selecting the thousands of output variables to associate with your model, you need to realize the implications of selecting a large set of output variables are simulation time and results database size.  The workspace allows the user to set up multiple views and save them as a guide or template which can be used across multiple projects.  It is a results customization playground.

• Standards - this workspace enables checking of Simergy building models for compliance with industry standards that have been encoded into a rule set compatible with the California Building Energy Code Compliance2 (CBECC) framework. The central component in this framework is the Compliance Manager, which checks all relevant objects in the building model against the requirements of the standard that are defined in the rule set. The first rule set available for analysis in Simergy is used for checking compliance of the building model for compliance to the California Energy Code (Title 24 – 2013).

• Libraries - Library Entries populate templates.  Templates can be used in a number of ways within Simergy models to reduce the amount of inputs required, also reducing the potential for user error.  Libraries are a powerful core component of Simergy and it is worth not only becoming familiar with their structure and relationship to templates, but to take a look at what libraries are included in the current version.   If the user were to click on every option listed on the ribbon across the twelve different ribbon sections (it is about 50 options total), they would discover that there are only four (4) workspaces that are not set up in a similar format (Import, export, schedules, calendar).  So rather than spending time looking at each workspace, better time spent is getting familiar with how to use the Libraries structure.   

• Templates - It's worth mentioning again - Library Entries populate templates.  Templates can be used in a number of ways within Simergy models to reduce the amount of inputs required, also reducing the potential for user error.  The three sections of the ribbon (import/export, data templates and system templates) all have different workspaces associated with them.  The options within Data Templates is somewhat similar to the main libraries workspace withe the exception being the Output Request Set workspace.  The system template options are basically the same Zone HVAC Group and Loop Type options that are within the Systems tab.  The user can build and refine the system templates that are available for selection within each of the Zone HVAC group and loop options.  in addition, the user can validate the templates created/edited as well, rather than having to wait for it to be incorporated into the BEM before being able to assess the validation.

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