Calling EnergyPLAN externally

You can call EnergyPLAN externally from other program, such as VBA Excel, Matlab etc. using a command.

There are a number of command line functions depending on your need, and we are also providing a number of solutions with these functions already implemented.

Simple command line function

The most simple way to call EnergyPLAN is to make a request to open EnergyPLAN, run a simulation, save results and close EnergyPLAN. This command line call of EnergyPLAN needs two parameters one specifying an input file and one specifying an output file -i [Inputfile] and –ascii [outputfile]

Below are examples of valid command line calls, where enegyPLAN.exe is assumed placed in the “C:\kt\EnergyPLAN\run\” folder:

• Get input file from standard data folder – C:\kt\EnergyPLAN\run\energyPLAN.exe -i Inputfile.txt -ascii c:\MyResultFolder\MyResult.txt
• Get input file from subfolder to standard data folder – C:\kt\EnergyPLAN\run\energyPLAN.exe -i \MyInputFolder\Inputfile.txt -ascii c:\MyResultFolder\MyResult.txt
• Get input file from fully specified path+file – C:\kt\EnergyPLAN\run\energyPLAN.exe -i c:\MyInputFolder\ Inputfile.txt -ascii c:\MyResultFolder\MyResult.txt

If ascii filename is not fully specified, then the resulting file is placed in the run folder relative to this folder.

Command line for large amount of calculations (“Spool” function)

The simple command line function has the advantage that you as a user have full control after each calculation. However, the opening and closing of the software results in quite slow computational times if many calculations are to be made. We have therefore introduced what we call “spool” calculations. Basically this functions opens EnergyPLAN and can carry out a large number of calculations, save all of them, and then close EnergyPLAN saving a lot of time. This allows the user to design algorithms and scenarios, for which the goal is to explore a large solution area.

This function is not as flexible.

Since it is not so flexible you need to create a folder called “spool” in your main EnergyPLAN dir, and a subfolder to that called “results”.

The way it is operated is to write the following:

“EnergyPLAN file path” –spool “number of files” “name of file 1” “name of file 2” “name of file ….” –ascii run

All input files have to found the “EnergyPLANdir”\spool folder

Example:
C:\ZipEnergyPLAN\energyPLAN.exe -spool 3 basis.txt basis-ny.txt klimakomissionen2010.txt -ascii run

If you do not need the hourly values write –spoolhoff instead of -spool