Possibility to have solar collector in Ironbug

behnammmohseni · March 26, 2025, 2:21pm

I hope you are pretty well.

I noticed there is a cs file in the Ironbug about the solar collector, which at the moment is commented as below:

MingboPeng/Ironbug/blob/master/src/Ironbug.HVAC/ZoneEquipments/ZoneHVAC/IB_SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater.cs

// using System;
// using Ironbug.HVAC.BaseClass;
// using OpenStudio;

// namespace Ironbug.HVAC
// {
//     public class IB_SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater : IB_HVACObject, IIB_PlantLoopObjects
//     {
//         protected override Func<IB_ModelObject> IB_InitSelf => () => new IB_SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater();

//         private static SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater NewDefaultOpsObj(Model model) => new SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater(model);

//         private IB_ModelObject _surface => this.GetChild<IB_ModelObject>(0);
//         private IB_ModelObject _scp => this.GetChild<IB_ModelObject>(1);

//         public IB_SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater() : base(NewDefaultOpsObj)
//         {
//             this.AddChild(null);
//             this.AddChild(null);
//         }

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Would you kindly let me know whether it is possible to have a solar collector component in the Ironbug?

I am interested in simulating below OpenStudio file from their library:

github.com

NREL/OpenStudio-resources/blob/develop/model/simulationtests/solar_collector_flat_plate_photovoltaicthermal.osm


OS:Version,
  {7bcbf9ee-1d65-4f57-9120-0daa2ea14b44}, !- Handle
  2.9.0;                                  !- Version Identifier

OS:BuildingStory,
  {1d3c8538-51e1-47ae-a548-4cb9c19b7e88}, !- Handle
  Story 1,                                !- Name
  0,                                      !- Nominal Z Coordinate {m}
  4,                                      !- Nominal Floor to Floor Height {m}
  ,                                       !- Default Construction Set Name
  ,                                       !- Default Schedule Set Name
  ;                                       !- Group Rendering Name

OS:Space,
  {11ceb191-e57d-4e90-9846-64b3fd5f6f9c}, !- Handle
  Story 1 West Perimeter Space,           !- Name
  ,                                       !- Space Type Name
  ,                                       !- Default Construction Set Name
  ,                                       !- Default Schedule Set Name

This file has been truncated. show original

Thank you very much in advance for your time and assistance.

Sincerely,
Behnam

MingboPeng · March 28, 2025, 1:44pm

Hi @behnammmohseni,

Thanks for your question. Yes, I was trying to support the solar collector in Ironbug, but found it was not easy to do. So, I ended up commenting out the code for whenever it is ready for another round of try.

I will try to look into this over the weekend again, and will keep you posted.

behnammmohseni · March 28, 2025, 2:15pm

Hi @MingboPeng

Fantastic, thanks very much. You are always nice and helpful.

MingboPeng · March 31, 2025, 6:28am

Hi @behnammmohseni, I am able to get this SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater object work in Ironbug, but I haven’t really run any simulation tests with it.

I think this should be enough to unblock your work, but please let me know if you run into any issues.

feat(IB_SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater): add new SolarCollectorFlatPlateWater by MingboPeng · Pull Request #138 · MingboPeng/Ironbug

Here is the sample file:
SolarCollector.gh (46.3 KB)

behnammmohseni · March 31, 2025, 12:53pm

Hi @MingboPeng

Thank you very much for your time and effort. I really appreciate it.

When I tried to open the .gh file, an installation window appeared. But it seems it fails to download and install the two objects.

I uninstalled the Pollination (1.57.2) and installed the newer one (1.57.3), but it seems the challenge still exists and I cannot have the two objects.

Kindly find the screenshot of the error message below.

Would you kindly let me know what I should do?

Sincerely,
Behnam

MingboPeng · March 31, 2025, 5:22pm

Hi @behnammmohseni, the new version of Ironbug has not been added to the Pollination installer. But you can just update it with the Ironbug installer that will override the older version from the Pollination installer.
Release v1.19.0 · MingboPeng/Ironbug

behnammmohseni · March 31, 2025, 6:23pm

Hi @MingboPeng

Fantastic, now it’s working, you are amazing

julianha · April 26, 2025, 5:15pm

Dear @MingboPeng,

Thank you for your efforts regarding the modelling of solar thermal collectors. I followed your template for my design. Unfortunately, I ran into some issues when simulating the system with EnergyPlus. Whenever I try to run it, I get the following error messages (see image). Do you know what I have to change?
Additionally, I would like to know if it is possible to change the material composition of the flat plate collector. For example, change the cover material (I assume that it is glass in the standard case) and adjust the thickness of the air cavity between absorber and cover.
You can find the above mentioned image bellow. Also you can find a download link for the gh file.

Thanks for a quick reply!
All the best,
Julian

GH download link:
https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/60a8cedd-85bb-4c5f-b62b-675860f3b068

behnammmohseni · May 1, 2025, 2:36pm

Hi @julianha

The example is just a guide on how to create a solar collector in IB. If you set all the canvases in the Rhino to Meter and put 2 for the run in the OS component, you will just have the .osm file that shows you the structure of the solar collector demand and supply side using the OpenStudio Application or the newly built component that will be released soon.

To run completely without error you need to have a real building, since the error you will see is the missing of the zone and not satisfying the heat balance equation.

For simulating a separate solar collector, there should be a separate engines, not HB model that is for the heat balance equation inside the house. Most of these engines is for Lady Bug tools (like solar paths, sky mask, etc.) and up to now, is not developed yet.

As an example the solar panel and the Electric Load that is previously developed, if you want to use, you need to have with buildings to solve the heat balance equation of the house, since all the shades in these components goes to something like HB Model.

Sincerely,
Behnam

Nicholaskerr · May 19, 2025, 12:10am

Would it have something to do with the tank, due to its normal function as a thermal source (supply-side), not being written in as a demand side object correctly?

Nicholaskerr · May 19, 2025, 12:13am

Did you manage to get it working as a buffer tank? I’m running in to the same issue

Nicholaskerr · May 19, 2025, 2:55am

@MingboPeng I have a fully functioning system and building model that is returning this same error. It seems like the water heater component does not get modelled properly as a demand side object. Are you able to verify this and advise how it can be modelled on the demand side for the solar collector and the supply side for a hot water coil?

behnammmohseni · May 19, 2025, 8:00am

Probably the error you will get is something like:

Missing required property ‘component_name’.

Missing required property ‘component_object_type’.

If so, you need to close the buffer tank loop completely, meaning that, the demand side of the buffer tank, should be the supply side for another loop.

You need to create another loop with something like baseboard, which the supply side is the buffer tank (that this buffer tank is the demand side of the solar collector)

Nicholaskerr · May 19, 2025, 8:14am

Thanks for your reply. That was the issue except you cannot model this in ironbug

I did solve the issue for anyone looking for a workaround

in Ironbug i created two separate hot water loops

Solar collector loop

SUPPLY SIDE: solar collector, water-heater mixed with settings as storage/buffer tank, loop setpoint manager.

DEMAND SIDE: fluid-to-fluid HX

2.Heating coil loop

SUPPLY SIDE: fluid-to-fluid HX
.
DEMAND SIDE: hot water coils, loop setpoint manager

The fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger creates the correct nodes as a placeholder for the WaterHeater:mixed

using Openstudio to visualise the node placement it is Fairly easy to edit the IDF file to replace the fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger with the WaterHeater:mixed buffer tank

I used a system probe to track temperatures of the two loops and they look pretty good

behnammmohseni · May 19, 2025, 8:37am

To use the solar collector, the entire 2 loop should exist, top loop and bottom loop: the top loop contains the solar collector as the supply and the tank as the demand, the bottom loop contains that tank as the supply and a baseboard as the demand

NOTE: this should align with a real HVAC system in the building to solve the heat balance. The example below is a simple idea how to use the solar collector in a building, in the building the HVAC used is a PTHP, which could be replace with your desired system. Find the example attached.

NOTE: the file is just an example, it is not calibrated and tested in realistic system, for your use, you need carefully design the house, the program, the setpoints, etc.

To run the below simulation, you need to set the units in the Rhino Canvas to meter, then in the Grasshopper, select all the components, right click, select Recompute, then select again right click and select Enable.

solarCollectorInBuildingWithHVACSystem.gh (149.5 KB)

Nicholaskerr · May 19, 2025, 9:00am

Ah i see, Thanks for the sample file!

I didnt realise you could model the supply and demand side from the WaterHeater:Mixed component as it only had one output. Should have just tried it.

This will save a lot of time

Thanks again!

do you have any experience with the desiccantBalancedFlow? can you do the same thing with it attached to the OA stream and exhaust stream of the OA system?

I currently have it modeled as shown below but it is being written back to front in to the IDF with the regen inlet node set as the OA outboard node.

behnammmohseni · May 19, 2025, 10:18am

If you do not mind, let’s move to a new forum ticket, since this current ticket is for the Solar collector integration. Just to keep the forum sorted and clean.