Large-scale building simulation using cloud computing for estimating lifecycle energy consumption

The use of whole building simulation is increasing to support the design process. Often it is desirable to evaluate many scenarios, however the simulation time involved presents a significant barrier. Simulationists are forced to reduce the number of scenarios evaluated to meet time constraints. With cloud computing, simulationists can significantly reduce the total simulation time by allocating portions of the simulations to multiple processor cores. The benefit of cloud computing is demonstrated through a case study project, which computes the lifecycle energy consumption (LEC) of 1 080 000 single detached home design scenarios in Toronto, for a budget of CAN$2400. Code was written using Python to couple EnergyPlus and ATHENA IE to modify input files, process results and calculate LEC. The results of this study suggest that utilizing cloud computing to simulate large scenario studies represents an efficient method that is beginning to surface in mainstream building simulation.