DOE-2

"DOE-2 is an up-to-date, unbiased computer program that predicts the hourly energy use and energy cost of a building given hourly weather information and a description of the building and its HVAC equipment and utility rate structure. Using DOE-2, designers can determine the choice of building parameters that improve energy efficiency while maintaining thermal comfort and cost-effectiveness. The purpose of DOE-2 is to aid in the analysis of energy usage in buildings; it is not intended to be the sole source of information relied upon for the design of buildings: The judgment and experience of the architect/engineer still remain the most important elements of building design.

Structure of DOE-2

The figure shows a flowchart of DOE-2. Basically, DOE-2 has one subprogram for translation of your input (BDL Processor), and four simulation subprograms (LOADS, SYSTEMS, PLANT and ECON). LOADS, SYSTEMS and PLANT are executed in sequence, with the output of LOADS becoming the input of SYSTEMS, etc. The output then becomes the input to ECON. Each of the simulation subprograms also produces printed reports of the results of its calculations. "