Allow input fields to be numbers OR schedules

[shorowit]

General Summary

Some fields in EnergyPlus are a number (simple to enter and what is desired in most use cases) and some are a schedule (more complex to enter but allows additional flexibility including EMS). It'd be nice if fields could support BOTH.

Detailed Description

This constantly comes up: Should an EnergyPlus field be a number (simple to enter and what is desired in most use cases) or should it be a schedule (more complex to enter but allows additional flexibility including EMS). It requires a developer to decide whether to choose simplicity or flexibility. As a user, I am constantly frustrated that I cannot vary an input throughout the simulation because the developer chose simplicity.

Here are just a few examples of many:

• Add Fuel Efficiency for Ideal Loads Air System #10971 (review)
• Changing sequential load fractions to schedules #7360
• Allow schedules to be used for water heater deadbands #11397

This dilemma would go away, and EnergyPlus would get the best of both worlds, if it supported fields that could be either a number OR a schedule. In other words, if you enter "2", that is used, whereas if you enter "foo_schedule", the foo schedule is used. It would also reduce requests for new EMS actuators.

We could develop an initial list of fields where we would want this applied.

Possible Implementation

I don't know. Maybe a new IDD type (real-or-object-list)?

[shorowit]

A classic example where you might want to use schedules for a variety of inputs is modeling power outages. There are some models in EnergyPlus (crankcase heating, water heater parasitics, etc.) that cannot be scheduled.