Meter:Custom and Meter:CustomDecrement claim to allow more output:variables than they actually can

[JimDirkes]

Meter:Custom doesn't allow non-energy Output:Variables

The I/O Reference says, however: Field: Output Variable or Meter Name # This field must be a valid output variable name or a valid meter name.

Details

I tried metering airflow for an outdoor air node on multiple air loops. It balks at the m3/s units

[mjwitte]

@JimDirkes It does work for non-energy variables, but the variable does have to be a Summed variable, not an averaged variable. For example, this works:

Meter:Custom,
    OA Flow,                 !- Name
    Generic,                 !- Fuel Type
    SPACE1-1,                !- Key Name 1
    Zone Infiltration Standard Density Volume,  !- Output Variable or Meter Name 1
    SPACE2-1,                !- Key Name 2
    Zone Infiltration Standard Density Volume;  !- Output Variable or Meter Name 2

For your purpose, there isn't any such variable, so the only solution would be to use EMS (or the new Python EMS) to generate a new output variable which sums the desired values.

[mjwitte]

Will update the docs to clarify this.

[mjwitte]

Meter:Custom and Meter:CustomDecrement are also missing many valid resource types that should be possible to use. Certainly the main fuel types should be doable (like DistrictHeating and DistrictCooling, etc.) as wall as all other valid resource types as validated in OutputProcessor::GetStandardMeterResourceType.