Leveraging OpenStudio’s application programming interfaces

OpenStudio development efforts have focused on providing application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable users to extend OpenStudio without compiling the open source libraries. This paper discusses the basic purposes and functionalities of the core libraries that have been wrapped with APIs, including the building model, results processing, advanced analysis, uncertainty quantification, and data interoperability through translators.  Several building energy modeling applications have been produced using OpenStudio’s API and software development kits, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Asset Score calculator, a mobile-based audit tool, an energy design assistance reporting protocol, and a portfolio-scale incentive optimization analysis application. This paper discusses each application briefly and describes how the APIs were leveraged for various uses, including high-level modeling, data transformations from detailed building audits, error checking and quality assurance of models, and high-performance computing for mass simulations.