DOE CODE   /    Search Results   /    Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]

Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]

RESOURCE

Publicly Accessible Repository
https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa
https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2
Documentation
https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa/wiki

SAVE / SHARE



NREL Badge

Abstract

Alfalfa is a web based software service that implements a virtual building control system using the EnergyPlus simulation as a backend. Conventional building energy simulation is non interactive, meaning that a simulation is started and run to completion without any user input during the simulation. Alfalfa allows a client to start a building simulation, then interactively read sensor locations and dynamically command actuators in realtime. The Alfalfa web service conforms to the Project Haystack standard, which is a specification adopted by many building control system vendors. The service enables Haystack compliant control system vendors to test their control modules and algorithms without the need for a physical building or modifying their hardware and software, enabling faster and cheaper development cycles. Alfalfa has use cases beyond control system testing. One example is building fault detection, where physical building performance can be compared to simulated values in realtime, indicating where there may be a problem in the building. Another use case is informing predictive control systems, where near future events are simulated to premptively guide control decisions in the real building. This software is web based and designed to be self service. Users of Alfalfa can upload an OpenStudio building model and  More>>
Developers:
Benne, Kyle [1] ;  Ball, Brian [2] ;  Bernal Heredia, Willy [1] ;  Cutler, Dylan [2] ;  Frank, Stephen [2] ;  Brackney, Larry [2] ;  Petersen, Anya [2] ;  Shapinsky, Tobias [2] ;  Long, Nicholas [2] ;  Coleman, Tim [3] ;  Swindler, Alex [2] ;  Bonnema, Eric [2] ;  Klun, Lauren [2]
  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  3. NREL
Release Date:
2018-11-14
Project Type:
Open Source, Publicly Available Repository
Software Type:
Scientific
Programming Languages:
JavaScript
Python
Version:
v0.5.1
Licenses:
BSD 3-clause "New" or "Revised" License
Sponsoring Org.:
Code ID:
21229
Site Accession Number:
NREL SWR 18-17
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Country of Origin:
United States

RESOURCE

Publicly Accessible Repository
https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa
https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2
Documentation
https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa/wiki

SAVE / SHARE



NREL Badge

Citation Formats

Benne, Kyle, Ball, Brian, Bernal Heredia, Willy, Cutler, Dylan, Frank, Stephen, Brackney, Larry, Petersen, Anya, Shapinsky, Tobias, Long, Nicholas, Coleman, Tim, Swindler, Alex, Bonnema, Eric, and Klun, Lauren. Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]. Computer Software. https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa. ACT. 14 Nov. 2018. Web. doi:10.11578/dc.20181205.2.
Benne, Kyle, Ball, Brian, Bernal Heredia, Willy, Cutler, Dylan, Frank, Stephen, Brackney, Larry, Petersen, Anya, Shapinsky, Tobias, Long, Nicholas, Coleman, Tim, Swindler, Alex, Bonnema, Eric, & Klun, Lauren. (2018, November 14). Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]. [Computer software]. https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa. https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2.
Benne, Kyle, Ball, Brian, Bernal Heredia, Willy, Cutler, Dylan, Frank, Stephen, Brackney, Larry, Petersen, Anya, Shapinsky, Tobias, Long, Nicholas, Coleman, Tim, Swindler, Alex, Bonnema, Eric, and Klun, Lauren. "Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]." Computer software. November 14, 2018. https://github.com/NREL/alfalfa. https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2.
@misc{ doecode_21229,
title = {Alfalfa [SWR 18-17]},
author = {Benne, Kyle and Ball, Brian and Bernal Heredia, Willy and Cutler, Dylan and Frank, Stephen and Brackney, Larry and Petersen, Anya and Shapinsky, Tobias and Long, Nicholas and Coleman, Tim and Swindler, Alex and Bonnema, Eric and Klun, Lauren},
abstractNote = {Alfalfa is a web based software service that implements a virtual building control system using the EnergyPlus simulation as a backend. Conventional building energy simulation is non interactive, meaning that a simulation is started and run to completion without any user input during the simulation. Alfalfa allows a client to start a building simulation, then interactively read sensor locations and dynamically command actuators in realtime. The Alfalfa web service conforms to the Project Haystack standard, which is a specification adopted by many building control system vendors. The service enables Haystack compliant control system vendors to test their control modules and algorithms without the need for a physical building or modifying their hardware and software, enabling faster and cheaper development cycles. Alfalfa has use cases beyond control system testing. One example is building fault detection, where physical building performance can be compared to simulated values in realtime, indicating where there may be a problem in the building. Another use case is informing predictive control systems, where near future events are simulated to premptively guide control decisions in the real building. This software is web based and designed to be self service. Users of Alfalfa can upload an OpenStudio building model and begin communicating with the simulated building without any advanced setup or configuration, as if they were communicating a real building control system. Behind the scenes, Alfalfa makes extensive use of Amazon Web Services, in order to scale from a very small number of users and buildings, to extremely large numbers in a cost effective way.},
doi = {10.11578/dc.20181205.2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2},
howpublished = {[Computer Software] \url{https://doi.org/10.11578/dc.20181205.2}},
year = {2018},
month = {nov}
}