Build an EnergyPlus Envelope Thermal Transmittance Upgrade Planner
Process commercial building envelope assemblies in EnergyPlus epJSON format. Synthesize high-performance insulation retrofits to minimize heat loss and generate verified input parameters for energy compliance.
What you are building
The core problem, expected build, and operating context for this challenge.
Process commercial building envelope assemblies in EnergyPlus epJSON format. Synthesize high-performance insulation retrofits to minimize heat loss and generate verified input parameters for energy compliance.
Building facade retrofit consultant
Ingest baseline EnergyPlus epJSON files containing Construction and Material objects.
Calculate baseline thermal transmittance (U-factor) across exterior wall assemblies.
Formulate insulation retrofit scenarios and update Material thermal resistance properties.
Validate modified epJSON files against the EnergyPlus schema and output retrofit reports.
Interactive thermal assembly configuration UI with layer thickness sliders and U-value calculators.
Use open-source EnergyPlus example files from the EnergyPlus GitHub release package or construct minimal epJSON mock files. Starter examples below are synthetic. They are not downloaded records.
EnergyPlus Uses EnergyPlus epJSON input schema definitions for Construction, Material:NoMass, and Material objects.
semantic-kernel, pydantic, jsonschema. Semantic Kernel facilitates structured reasoning plugins to validate thermodynamic formulas against schema definitions. Hosted reasoning model capable of accurate thermodynamic arithmetic and epJSON schema generation.
Submit runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, a working interface, example outputs, and a recorded end-to-end demo. Include tests and an action log.
Calculates baseline and retrofit U-values consistent with ISO 6946 thermal resistance sums.
Emits compliant EnergyPlus epJSON Material and Construction definitions.
Prevents unphysical insulation thickness assignments exceeding practical wall cavity limits.
```json [ { "input": { "assembly_name": "Exterior_Brick_Wall", "existing_r_value_m2k_w": 1.25, "insulation_type": "Mineral_Wool", "added_thickness_m": 0.1, "thermal_conductivity_w_mk": 0.035 }, "expected_output": { "assembly_name": "Exterior_Brick_Wall", "added_r_value_m2k_w": 2.857, "total_new_r_value_m2k_w": 4.107, "new_u_factor_w_m2k": 0.243, "epjson_patch": { "Material": { "Retrofit_Mineral_Wool": { "roughness": "MediumRough", "thickness": 0.1, "conductivity": 0.035, "density": 45, "specific_heat": 840 } } } } }, { "input": { "assembly_name": "Cavity_Wall_ZN2", "existing_r_value_m2k_w": 1.1, "insulation_type": "Expanded_Polystyrene", "added_thickness_m": 0.6, "thermal_conductivity_w_mk": 0.038 }, "expected_output": { "assembly_name": "Cavity_Wall_ZN2", "added_r_value_m2k_w": 0, "total_new_r_value_m2k_w": 1.1, "new_u_factor_w_m2k": 0.909, "epjson_patch": null, "warning": "Added thickness 0.6m exceeds maximum architectural facade threshold of 0.3m" } } ] ```
Outputs thermal energy simulation model configurations only; does not provide stamped engineering structural calculations. Use mock external writes. Require human review before any real deployment.
Participation guide
Outputs thermal energy simulation model configurations only; does not provide stamped engineering structural calculations. Use mock external writes and human review.
How work is evaluated
Calculates baseline and retrofit U-values consistent with ISO 6946 thermal resistance sums. Emits compliant EnergyPlus epJSON Material and Construction definitions. Prevents unphysical insulation thickness assignments exceeding practical wall cavity limits.
Runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, working interface, example outputs, recorded demo, tests, and action logs.
Challenge datasets
Public datasets, plus the private datasets you have access to.
How submissions are scored
These dimensions define what the evaluator checks and which criteria separate a passable run from a strong one.
Complete workflow
Ingest baseline EnergyPlus epJSON files containing Construction and Material objects. Calculate baseline thermal transmittance (U-factor) across exterior wall assemblies. Formulate insulation retrofit scenarios and update Material thermal resistance properties. Validate modified epJSON files against the EnergyPlus schema and output retrofit reports.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Correctness and evidence
Calculates baseline and retrofit U-values consistent with ISO 6946 thermal resistance sums. Emits compliant EnergyPlus epJSON Material and Construction definitions. Prevents unphysical insulation thickness assignments exceeding practical wall cavity limits.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Review interface
Interactive thermal assembly configuration UI with layer thickness sliders and U-value calculators.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Safe execution
Outputs thermal energy simulation model configurations only; does not provide stamped engineering structural calculations.
This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.
What you should walk away with
Ingest baseline EnergyPlus epJSON files containing Construction and Material objects.
Calculate baseline thermal transmittance (U-factor) across exterior wall assemblies.
Formulate insulation retrofit scenarios and update Material thermal resistance properties.
Validate modified epJSON files against the EnergyPlus schema and output retrofit reports.
Reference links and supporting material
Use open-source EnergyPlus example files from the EnergyPlus GitHub release package or construct minimal epJSON mock files. Supplied starter examples are synthetic, not source extracts.
Challenge setup
Configuration summary for this challenge.
Challenge input
Input details are not configured.
Semantic Kernel
Agent Systems · Agent Frameworks
Evaluated output
No output checks are configured.
- Ingest baseline EnergyPlus epJSON files containing Construction and Material objects. Calculate baseline th...
- Calculates baseline and retrofit U-values consistent with ISO 6946 thermal resistance sums. Emits compliant...
- Interactive thermal assembly configuration UI with layer thickness sliders and U-value calculators.
- 2 public reference cases
- 1 configured tool
Summary shows the first task, up to three tools, and up to three evidence items. Open the technical recipe to view all configured items.
View technical recipe
Configured tools
- Semantic Kernel · Optional
Evaluation contract
- Complete workflow · Weight 40
- Correctness and evidence · Weight 30
- Review interface · Weight 20
- Safe execution · Weight 10
Reference cases
- 2 public reference cases
Workflow tasks
No workflow tasks are configured.
Recipe freeze marker
No recipe freeze time is recorded.