A planning tool used to facilitate more efficient design of a central plant is configured to provide an advanced user interface. The user interface includes a symbol palette with selectable symbols that represent resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices associated with a central plant. The user interface allows users to drag these symbols onto a workspace and form various connections between the symbols. The user interface provides feedback to the user and prevents improper connections by evaluating user inputs according to a set of rules. The rules define valid relationships between the resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices. The user interface also allows users to specify equipment contained within the subplants. After a central plant model is created via the user interface, users can simulate operation of a central plant according to the model for planning, budgeting, and/or design considerations.

A system for operating or designing building equipment is configured to provide a user interface comprising a workspace with selectable symbols representing multiple devices of building equipment, evaluate a user input defining a connection between at least two of the selectable symbols on the workspace according to a set of rules to determine whether the connection is valid or invalid, prevent the user from making the connection in response to determining that the connection is invalid, generate a valid model of a system comprising the multiple devices of building equipment in response to determining that the connection is valid, execute a model-based control process or simulation using the valid model to generate control decisions or design decisions for the multiple devices of building equipment, and operate or design the multiple devices of building equipment in accordance with the control decisions or the design decisions.

A planning tool used to facilitate more efficient design of a central plant is configured to provide an advanced user interface. The user interface includes a symbol palette with selectable symbols that represent resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices associated with a central plant. The user interface allows users to drag these symbols onto a workspace and form various connections between the symbols. The user interface provides feedback to the user and prevents improper connections by evaluating user inputs according to a set of rules. The rules define valid relationships between the resource suppliers, subplants, energy loads, and resource storage devices. The user interface also allows users to specify equipment contained within the subplants. After a central plant model is created via the user interface, users can simulate operation of a central plant according to the model for planning, budgeting, and/or design considerations.

A system for operating or designing building equipment is configured to provide a user interface comprising a workspace with selectable symbols representing multiple devices of building equipment, evaluate a user input defining a connection between at least two of the selectable symbols on the workspace according to a set of rules to determine whether the connection is valid or invalid, prevent the user from making the connection in response to determining that the connection is invalid, generate a valid model of a system comprising the multiple devices of building equipment in response to determining that the connection is valid, execute a model-based control process or simulation using the valid model to generate control decisions or design decisions for the multiple devices of building equipment, and operate or design the multiple devices of building equipment in accordance with the control decisions or the design decisions.