EnergyPlus-MCP: A model-context-protocol server for ai-driven building energy modeling

IF 2.4 4区计算机科学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

SoftwareX Pub Date : 2025-09-17 DOI:10.1016/j.softx.2025.102367

Han Li, Yujie Xu, Tianzhen Hong

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Traditional building energy modeling with the EnergyPlus building performance simulation engine requires domain expertise, programming skills, and intensive manual efforts limiting its effective adoption. This paper introduces EnergyPlus-MCP, the first open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) server specifically designed for EnergyPlus simulation workflows, establishing a new foundational infrastructure for AI-driven building energy modeling. The MCP server implements a layered architecture with 35 specialized tools spanning model management, editing and analysis, HVAC and other systems configuration inspection, and simulation execution, enabling Large Language Models to interact with EnergyPlus through conversational interfaces. The server addresses critical workflow barriers by automating model validation, streamlining energy efficiency measures modification, and providing intelligent output management with interactive visualization. Through practical demonstrations using a multi-zone building retrofit analysis, we show how the EnergyPlus-MCP server significantly reduces manual efforts while maintaining full simulation rigor. By providing accessible natural language interfaces to sophisticated building energy analysis, this approach enables scalable deployment of simulation expertise across public and private organizations, educational institutions, and research teams, fundamentally transforming traditional building energy modeling practices.

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EnergyPlus-MCP：用于人工智能驱动的建筑能源建模的模型-上下文-协议服务器

使用EnergyPlus建筑性能仿真引擎的传统建筑能源建模需要领域专业知识、编程技能和密集的手工工作，限制了其有效采用。本文介绍了EnergyPlus-MCP，这是第一个专门为EnergyPlus仿真工作流程设计的开源模型上下文协议（MCP）服务器，为人工智能驱动的建筑能源建模建立了新的基础设施。MCP服务器实现了一个分层架构，包含35个专用工具，涵盖模型管理、编辑和分析、HVAC和其他系统配置检查以及仿真执行，使大型语言模型能够通过对话界面与EnergyPlus进行交互。该服务器通过自动化模型验证、简化能源效率度量修改以及提供具有交互式可视化的智能输出管理来解决关键的工作流障碍。通过使用多区域建筑改造分析的实际演示，我们展示了EnergyPlus-MCP服务器如何在保持完全模拟严谨性的同时显着减少人工工作量。通过为复杂的建筑能源分析提供可访问的自然语言接口，该方法可以在公共和私人组织、教育机构和研究团队中可扩展地部署模拟专业知识，从根本上改变传统的建筑能源建模实践。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

SoftwareX COMPUTER SCIENCE, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING-

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

2.90%

发文量

184

审稿时长

9 weeks

期刊介绍： SoftwareX aims to acknowledge the impact of software on today''s research practice, and on new scientific discoveries in almost all research domains. SoftwareX also aims to stress the importance of the software developers who are, in part, responsible for this impact. To this end, SoftwareX aims to support publication of research software in such a way that: The software is given a stamp of scientific relevance, and provided with a peer-reviewed recognition of scientific impact; The software developers are given the credits they deserve; The software is citable, allowing traditional metrics of scientific excellence to apply; The academic career paths of software developers are supported rather than hindered; The software is publicly available for inspection, validation, and re-use. Above all, SoftwareX aims to inform researchers about software applications, tools and libraries with a (proven) potential to impact the process of scientific discovery in various domains. The journal is multidisciplinary and accepts submissions from within and across subject domains such as those represented within the broad thematic areas below: Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Medical and Biological Sciences; Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Originating from these broad thematic areas, the journal also welcomes submissions of software that works in cross cutting thematic areas, such as citizen science, cybersecurity, digital economy, energy, global resource stewardship, health and wellbeing, etcetera. SoftwareX specifically aims to accept submissions representing domain-independent software that may impact more than one research domain.