SIM-VICUS is an open-source building and district energy simulation software developed for planning offices. Originally created by a research team, the project is transitioning into VICUS Buildings and VICUS Districts, with the code remaining publicly available on GitHub. The software supports detailed thermal building performance analysis and district-level energy planning.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Planning offices and engineering firms often rely on proprietary or fragmented simulation tools that limit flexibility, transparency, and long-term adaptability. Open-source alternatives may lack professional-grade features or sustained development, making it difficult for practitioners to perform reliable building and district energy simulations without vendor lock-in.
Solution
SIM-VICUS provides an open-source simulation platform for building and district energy modeling, developed through a collaborative research effort. The software enables users to create detailed thermal models of individual buildings and entire districts, supporting performance analysis and energy planning. As the project evolves into VICUS Buildings and VICUS Districts, it aims to offer a sustainable, professional-grade toolset for planning offices. The source code remains publicly accessible, allowing for community contributions, customization, and long-term continuity beyond the original development phase.
Target Audience
Primary users are planning offices, engineering consultancies, and energy specialists who need reliable, adaptable simulation tools for building performance analysis and district energy planning.
Features
- Open-source codebase publicly available on GitHub for transparency and community-driven development
- Supports both building-level and district-scale energy simulation in a unified platform
- Developed with a focus on professional usability for planning offices and engineering consultancies
- Transitioning into two product lines—VICUS Buildings and VICUS Districts—to address distinct simulation scales
- Built on research-grade methodologies from the building physics domain