About the Cost Estimators
The Unitary Air Conditioner (UAC) and the Room Air Conditioner (RAC) Cost Estimators compare high-efficiency rooftop and room air conditioners to standard equipment in terms of life cycle cost. These electronic tools provide an alternative to complicated building simulation models, while offering more detail than simplified estimating tools that are commonly available. While simplified tools are typically based on full-load efficiencies and full-load equivalent operating hours, the estimators account for local climate and partial-load, as well as full-load efficiencies.
The cost estimators assist decision-making regarding the purchase or replacement of packaged rooftop air conditioning equipment and room air conditioners, by estimating a product´s lifetime energy cost savings at various efficiency levels. Other key features include the following:
- The cost estimators are fully web-based .
- The menu-driven format is easy to learn and use.
- The tools quickly estimate life cycle cost, simple payback, return on investment, and savings-to-investment ratio.
- The estimators simulate operation under specific climate conditions at any of 237 U.S. locations selected by the user.
- The tools reflect user-specified air conditioning requirements and building-use patterns.
- Estimator results are easily downloaded as graphic files for further analysis and presentation.
The results obtained with the cost estimators will be useful to home owners, facility managers, financial officers, energy management professionals, air conditioning contractors, and other decision makers interested in maximizing both energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of cooling system investments. The tools provide energy and cost estimates, suitable for comparison purposes. They were not designed to replace building load simulating software for heating and cooling systems design. Due to the dynamic nature of building heating and cooling, actual energy use will vary depending on the application.
These cost estimators are screening tools that estimates a product's lifetime energy cost savings at various efficiency levels. The tools provide energy and cost estimates, suitable for comparison purposes only. They are not designed to replace building load simulating software for heating and cooling systems design. Actual performance and costs will vary depending on specific operating conditions. Neither the U.S. Department of Energy, nor Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is responsible for any adverse outcome associated with results generated by the cost estimators.