Lifecycle Cost categories in EnergyPlus aren't what I expected

[DavidGoldwasser]

@macumber I know that in the forward translation to E+ that I think you used a non-recurring cost for the first occurrence, and then a recurring cost for the future instances, but I thought the category for those costs would be the same. Below are three screenshots from a simple example using the add cost to construcion per area. It is the only lifecycle cost item in the model, other than utility costs added with an E+ measures. The analysis period is 25 years.

Below are the argument fields for the object.

Here is the relevant code in that measure that creates the lifecycle objects.

    #add lifeCycleCost objects if there is a non-zero value in one of the cost arguments
    if costs_requested == true

      #converting doubles to si values from ip
      material_cost_si = OpenStudio::convert(OpenStudio::Quantity.new(material_cost_ip, OpenStudio::createUnit("1/ft^2").get), OpenStudio::createUnit("1/m^2").get).get.value
      demolition_cost_si = OpenStudio::convert(OpenStudio::Quantity.new(demolition_cost_ip, OpenStudio::createUnit("1/ft^2").get), OpenStudio::createUnit("1/m^2").get).get.value
      om_cost_si = OpenStudio::convert(OpenStudio::Quantity.new(om_cost_ip, OpenStudio::createUnit("1/ft^2").get), OpenStudio::createUnit("1/m^2").get).get.value

      #adding new cost items
      lcc_mat = OpenStudio::Model::LifeCycleCost.createLifeCycleCost("LCC_Mat - #{construction.name}", construction, material_cost_si, "CostPerArea", "Construction", expected_life, years_until_costs_start)
      if demo_cost_initial_const
        lcc_demo = OpenStudio::Model::LifeCycleCost.createLifeCycleCost("LCC_Demo - #{construction.name}", construction, demolition_cost_si, "CostPerArea", "Salvage", expected_life, years_until_costs_start)
      else
        lcc_demo = OpenStudio::Model::LifeCycleCost.createLifeCycleCost("LCC_Demo - #{construction.name}", construction, demolition_cost_si, "CostPerArea", "Salvage", expected_life, years_until_costs_start+expected_life)
      end
      lcc_om = OpenStudio::Model::LifeCycleCost.createLifeCycleCost("LCC_OM - #{construction.name}", construction, om_cost_si, "CostPerArea", "Maintenance", om_frequency, 0)

    end #end of costs_requested == true

And here is a screenshot of my new Analysis period cash flow measure. This core code of this is based on Andrew's QAQC measure.

Everything looked fine until 2021. Except for 1k the big "O&M" bar in 2021 should be added to "Capital" costs which currently only shows the demo cost at the first replacement cycle. Then in 2031 all of the costs of the 0&M bar except for 900 should be Capital again. In these case not even demo shows as "Capital" like it did in 2021.

@asparke2 I would like to make a second chart, or an argument to make current day dollar adjusted graph? Or I thought about a simple line chart for total lifecycle cost using this data. I assume I should be able to get out of the SQL or calculate.

@nllong thanks for finding the dimple, works great and almost as easy as adding chart to Excel. Here is the code for it.

var svg = dimple.newSvg("body", 1200, 600);
var data = [<%= data_cashFlow_merge %>];
var myChart = new dimple.chart(svg, data);
myChart.setBounds(60, 30, 1140, 400)
var x = myChart.addCategoryAxis("x", ["Year","Type"]);
x.addOrderRule("Year");
myChart.addMeasureAxis("y", "Cash Flow");
myChart.addSeries("Type", dimple.plot.bar);
myChart.addLegend(60, 10, 1100, 20, "right");
myChart.draw();

[DavidGoldwasser]

For reference, here are the lifecycle objects in the OSM model.

OS:LifeCycleCost,
  {f27aaec3-cc46-49fc-971e-5d670f9f73bf}, !- Handle
  LCC_Mat - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Construction,                           !- Category
  Construction,                           !- Item Type
  {93f87511-34ea-49f6-960f-3acfc6e2cec7}, !- Item Name
  107.639104167097,                       !- Cost
  CostPerArea,                            !- Cost Units
  ,                                       !- Start of Costs
  ,                                       !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  10;                                     !- Repeat Period Years

OS:LifeCycleCost,
  {afb1b713-2822-4a19-a1a7-6a32a3811e53}, !- Handle
  LCC_Demo - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Salvage,                                !- Category
  Construction,                           !- Item Type
  {93f87511-34ea-49f6-960f-3acfc6e2cec7}, !- Item Name
  32.2917312501292,                       !- Cost
  CostPerArea,                            !- Cost Units
  ,                                       !- Start of Costs
  10,                                     !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  10;                                     !- Repeat Period Years

OS:LifeCycleCost,
  {2473a3eb-f94a-42bd-96cd-277cea78199b}, !- Handle
  LCC_OM - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Maintenance,                            !- Category
  Construction,                           !- Item Type
  {93f87511-34ea-49f6-960f-3acfc6e2cec7}, !- Item Name
  10.7639104167097,                       !- Cost
  CostPerArea,                            !- Cost Units
  ,                                       !- Start of Costs
  ,                                       !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  2;                                      !- Repeat Period Years

And here they are in the IDF

! OS:Construction, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6
LifeCycleCost:NonrecurringCost,
  LCC_Mat - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Construction,                           !- Category
  9634.52365676109,                       !- Cost
  ServicePeriod;                          !- Start of Costs

! OS:Construction, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6
LifeCycleCost:RecurringCosts,
  LCC_Mat - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6 Replacement, !- Name
  Replacement,                            !- Category
  9634.52365676109,                       !- Cost
  ServicePeriod,                          !- Start of Costs
  10,                                     !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  10;                                     !- Repeat Period Years

! OS:Construction, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6
LifeCycleCost:RecurringCosts,
  LCC_OM - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Maintenance,                            !- Category
  963.452365676109,                       !- Cost
  ServicePeriod,                          !- Start of Costs
  ,                                       !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  2;                                      !- Repeat Period Years

! OS:Construction, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6
LifeCycleCost:NonrecurringCost,
  LCC_Demo - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6, !- Name
  Salvage,                                !- Category
  2890.35709702834,                       !- Cost
  ServicePeriod,                          !- Start of Costs
  10;                                     !- Years from Start

! OS:Construction, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6
LifeCycleCost:RecurringCosts,
  LCC_Demo - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 ExtRoof IEAD ClimateZone 5-6 Recurring, !- Name
  Replacement,                            !- Category
  2890.35709702834,                       !- Cost
  ServicePeriod,                          !- Start of Costs
  20,                                     !- Years from Start
  ,                                       !- Months from Start
  10;                                     !- Repeat Period Years

Looks like changing the objects using "Replacement" as a category to use "Construction" should get what I'm looking for. Is there any reason it has to be "Replacement".

[macumber]

@DavidGoldwasser look in the EnergyPlus IDD, I think those two objects have different allowable values for category

[DavidGoldwasser]

@macumber I didn't realize that, but see that now that I look at the input output guide. I even tried "MajorOverhall" But don't think that worked.Maybe this will require an e+ update in figure version. Maybe for now I should lump Capital and O&M together and just leave energy separate. I was also thinking of hiding water until there is a way to cost that.

[DavidGoldwasser]

I created a merged heading called "Building" that combines "Capital" and "O&M". If in the future EnergyPlus supports recurring capital cost I can break them out.