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WELCOME
To the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP)
Welcome to the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP)
HAP assists engineers in designing HVAC systems for commercial buildings. HAP is two tools in one. First it is a tool for calculating peak loads and designing HVAC systems. Second, it is a tool for modeling energy use and calculating energy costs. HAP version 6 uses the ASHRAE Heat Balance Method for load calculations and detailed hour by hour energy simulation techniques.
This program is released as two similar, but separate products. The “System Design Load” program provides the system design and load calculation features. System Design Load is not available for users in Southern Africa territory. The full “HAP” program provides the same system design capabilities plus energy modeling features.
HAP System Design Features
HAP calculates peak cooling and heating loads for commercial buildings in order to determine required sizes for HVAC system components. Ultimately, the program provides information needed for selecting and specifying equipment.
- Calculates peak cooling and heating loads for spaces, zones, and coils in the HVAC system.
- Determines required airflow rates for spaces, zones and the system.
- Sizes cooling and heating coils.
- Sizes air circulation fans.
- Sizes chillers and boilers.
HAP Energy Modeling Features
HAP calculates annual energy use and energy costs for HVAC and non-HVAC energy consuming systems in a project by simulating building operation for each of the 8,760 hours in a year. Results of the energy analysis are used to compare the energy use and energy costs of alternate HVAC system designs so the best design can be chosen.
- Simulates hour-by-hour operation of all heating and air conditioning systems in the building.
- Simulates hour-by-hour operation of all plant equipment in the building.
- Simulates hour-by-hour operation of non-HVAC systems including lighting and appliances.
- Uses results of the hour-by-hour simulations to calculate total annual energy use and energy costs. Costs are calculated using actual utility rate features such as stepped, time-of-day and demand charges, if specified.
- Generates tabular and graphical reports of hourly, daily, monthly and annual data.
60 Day Trial Request
60-day trial versions are available to customers at no charge. Request your free trial using the link below.
HAP New Features
HAP is regularly updated with new features and capabilities to keep up with new standards or practices. For major updates introduced with HAP v6.0 to v6.2, see below link.
Useful Applications
The program is a powerful tool for designing systems and sizing system components. HAP can easily handle projects involving:
User Defined Design Conditions
If you want to directly define your weather data rather than use a weather station in HAP, you can search for geographic location on the link then enter data of the selected weather station manually as ( "user-defined" ) on the Design Parameters tab of the program.
Climate Data Files
Simulation weather data not available in HAP can be downloaded from external source then be loaded on HAP with the “Import Weather” feature. Simulation weather data refers to the 8,760 hour sequence of measured weather data used to simulate building loads and HVAC equipment operation over the course of a year.
South Africa Energy Rates
Standard energy charges that can be used to define the pricing structure for use of electricity in an alternatives for energy modeling . The rate data is used by HAP to determine annual costs for an energy model.
Useful Links
User Defined Design Conditions
If you want to directly define your weather data rather than selecting a station on the program ( "user-defined" ) weather data.
EnergyPlus Weather (EPW) file
Simulation weather data for for energy modeling of locations not on the program can be downloaded then loaded on the program with the “Import Weather” feature.
South Africa Energy Rates
Standard energy charges for calculating use of electricity in alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
- To keep pace with advances in HVAC technology
- To keep pace with evolving energy modeling techniques
- To keep pace with industry design practices
- To keep pace with computer and software technologies
- Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11 64-bit
- Hard Disk Space: 1.0 GB
- RAM: 8 GB or greate
- Customer number and license key you received via email from us.
- HAP is Microsoft Windows-based software but can be run on Apple Mac computers using virtual machine software.
- This is the same approach for running any Windows software on a Mac computer.
- The virtual machine software creates a software environment in memory that acts like a Windows computer.
- Windows-based software can be installed in the virtual machine environment and run there.
- Carrie’s standard policy has always been to support past versions as well as the new version.
- One more update to HAP v5.11, HAP v5.2 will be released soon.
- This update will correct any known problems in HAP v5.11 and also modernize its project storage software and its installation software – implementing the same data storage and installation schemes used in HAP v6.
- There will be no more updates or future developments after the release of HAP v5.2. All developments will be for HAP v6.
- As computer technology changes going into the future, there will be a point where you will not be able to run HAP v5.2 on modern computers anymore like it happened with previous DOS based HAP.
- Previous versions from HAP v3.00 and next coming HAP v5.2 uses the ASHRAE Transfer Function Method for calculations. This method is a simplification of Heat Balance Method.
- It uses the Principle of Superposition which calculates each load component independently and then adds them up.
- Simplification of Heat Balance Method achieved calculation speed however has limited application and accuracy in some applications.
- Heat Balance Method is more faithful to the building physics. It calculates the space load considering all heat gain sources simultaneously.
- Load calculating method based on fundamental principles of heat transfer and thermodynamics.
- Directly calculates all radiation, conduction, convection processes in room.
- Organizes around heat balance equation for each surface, and for room air mass
- Yields a good representation of building physics.
- Ultimately models building as thermally interconnected network of spaces.
- Provides consistent accuracy across a very broad range of building applications.
- No. Software using the Heat Balance method has been on the market for about 25 years at this point.
- In the last 10 years, the number of tools using Heat Balance has increased.
- Much of the recent increase in its usage has been due to software improvements that have reduced Heat Balance calculation times to acceptable levels.
- Looking across the whole market there is an evident trend of much of the market migrating to tools using the Heat Balance Method.
- Recent advances in software engineering and computer technology have reduced calculation times significantly where they are now acceptable for everyday engineering use.
- In order to perform Heat Balance load calculations you need complete data about the 3-dimensional geometry of the building.
- To input that geometrical data in a tabular format would be prohibitively labour-intensive. Instead, graphical means are needed to describe floor plan geometry and building envelope geometry so the software can take over the burden of computing all the 3-dimensional coordinates of surfaces in a building.
- Software technology for graphically defining building geometry has existed for many years, but tools and resources for creating this type of software have become much better in recent years which makes it economical to build software for efficiently defining building data by graphical means
- Because of these reasons, Carrier determined now is the right time to switch to the Heat Balance Method.
- HAP v6 will be able to import floor plan images in PDF format and a number of graphical formats such as JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF and TIFF.
- AutoCAD DWG files or DXF files can not be directly imported. Nor can RVT files be directly imported.
- These files contain drawing language data rather than images and therefore require significant processing to turn the data into images that can then be used in HAP.
- AutoCAD and Revit have features to output floor plans as PDF or graphical images.
- Starting with HAP v6.2, HAP can also import building 3D geometry in gbXML-format files generated by AutoCAD or Revit.
- Carrier offers a range of training and support resources for HAP users such as inbuilt help support, online tutorials, EXchange Newsletter and e-Helps.
- The program has a very detailed help system built in that explains in full details what is required at any point in the program.
- The inbuilt help includes detailed tutorials and an example project that is installed with HAP as a sample project file.
- Additionally, Carrier University provides scheduled training sessions online for licensed users.
- One of the benefits for licensing the program is that you get access to HAP training video library on Carrier University Online.
- This ensures that users have the skills and knowledge they need to effectively use Carrier HAP and achieve their design and analysis goals.
- The Carrier University training is approved by The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) in US and Canada for Professional Development Hours.
- Engineering Council of South Africa does not accept IACET approved training courses.
- The training from Carrier University can not be used for CPD for points.
- HAP v6 has not been tested against SANS 10400. The program was developed in US so it is using the Amarican standard called ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).
- HAP is now used extensively globally and it is not possible to test it against performance standard of every country.
- Different pertinent international standards can be inputted in the program for load calculations.
