ESP-r

File:Screen shot of ESP-r with the office building section exemplar model.jpg

[https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/applications/ESP-rWeb/Features.html ESP-r] is a research-oriented open-source building performance simulation software.{{Cite web |title=ESP-r website |url=https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/applications/ESP-r/Features.html}} {{Cite web | url=http://www.strath.ac.uk/esru/ | title=Energy Systems Research Unit | University of Strathclyde}} {{Cite web |title=ESRU - Applications |url=https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk//applications/}} 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.{{Cite web |title=List of ESP-r contributors |url=https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/Downloads/ESP-r/Contributors/list.html}} {{Cite web |title=ESRU - Publications |url=https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk//publications.htm}} ESP-r source-code was published in 2002, subject to the GNU General Public License. The current version (V13.3.17) was released in March 2024. Professor Joseph Clarke, of the University of Strathclyde, is the project archivist.

ESP-r is designed to work on Linux, but it can run on Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux (or in any other operational system using a virtual machine).

ESP-r`s holistic nature, flexibility, and range of features enable a well-informed user to optimize the energy and environmental performance of a building and/or associated energy systems.{{Cite book |last=Clarke |first=Joseph |title=Energy simulation in building design |publisher=Routledge |year=2001}} The user experience provided by ESP-r, however, cannot be compared to the one provided by commercial software. ESP-r learning curve is steep, but there is a growing amount of training material available online. {{Cite web |title=Hand, J. (2020) Strategies for deploying virtual representations of the built environment. |url=http://contrasting.onebuilding.org/Strategies/Index.html}}{{Cite web |title=ESRU - Online software documentation |url=https://appdocs.esru.strath.ac.uk/}}

ESP-r has been extensively validated. [https://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/Documents/validation.pdf Strachan P A. 2000. 'ESP-r: Summary of Validation Studies]{{Cite journal |last1=Strachan |first1=P. A. |last2=Kokogiannakis |first2=G. |last3=Macdonald |first3=I. A. |date=2008-04-01 |title=History and development of validation with the ESP-r simulation program |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132306003313 |journal=Building and Environment |series=Part Special: Building Performance Simulation |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=601–609 |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.06.025 |bibcode=2008BuEnv..43..601S |s2cid=111041030 |issn=0360-1323}} Among other projects, ESP-r was part of BESTEST,{{Cite report |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/90674 |title=International Energy Agency building energy simulation test (BESTEST) and diagnostic method |last1=Judkoff |first1=R. |last2=Neymark |first2=J. |date=1995-02-01 |publisher=National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States) |issue=NREL/TP–472–6231 |doi=10.2172/90674 |osti=90674 |language=English}} an [https://www.iea-ebc.org/projects 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.{{Cite report |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1220110 |title=Twenty Years On!: Updating the IEA BESTEST Building Thermal Fabric Test Cases for ASHRAE Standard 140 |last1=Judkoff |first1=R. |last2=Neymark |first2=J. |date=2013-07-01 |publisher=NREL/ J. Neymark & Associates, Golden, CO (United States) |issue=NREL/CP–5500–58487 |doi=10.2172/1220110 |doi-broken-date=7 April 2025 |osti=1220110 |language=English}}{{Cite web |title=ASHRAE Standard 140 Resource Files |url=https://data.ashrae.org/standard140/AccompanyingSec5-2A.html}}