AAON Energy and Economics Analysis Program

The AAON Energy and Economics Analysis Program (AAON EEAP) is a tool for AAON sales representatives, consulting engineers, design-build contractors, building owners, and other professionals involved in the design and analysis of commercial buildings to show the energy and economic benefits of innovative and high performance HVAC technology.

Analysis Method

The energy calculations in this program are based on an enhancement of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) TC 4.7, Simplified Energy Analysis Procedure. A full discussion of the overall method can be found in the book, “Simplified Energy Analysis using the Modified Bin Method”, ASHRAE Editors, ISBN/ISSN: 0910110395.

Weather data was obtained from the bin weather data produced under ASHRAE research project 385-RP, “Development of Bin Weather Data for Simplified Energy Calculations and Algorithms for Generating Variable Base Degree Day Information” with additional sites added from the Typical Meteorological Year II Weather Sites developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Load calculations are based on ASHRAE cooling load temperature difference and cooling load factors. This program performs calculations at each temperature bin, without interpolation.

Monthly profile calculations of occupied and unoccupied periods give this program flexibility and enhanced accuracy, specifically in modeling schedule options. These monthly profiles are used for calculating energy usage.

The systems and plants algorithms are based, in part, on the simulation techniques used in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BLAST hourly program. This allows the capability to evaluate system and plant options, including controls, with energy predictions on a monthly basis.

Benefits

AAON EEAP allows a simple comparison of up to six alternatives in building construction, scheduling and control, and energy consuming equipment such as compressors, condensers, fans, heaters, chillers, boilers, pumps, lighting, and other miscellaneous electrical equipment. It can increase your knowledge of the energy and economic benefits of various alternatives in your building and local climate.

Many features and options available in AAON EEAP cannot be found in any other energy and economics analysis program, such as variable capacity scroll compressors, evaporative-cooled condensers, air-cooled condenser fan control, hot gas reheat, and direct drive backward curved plenum fans.

The simple mode of operation allows a two alternative energy and economic analysis to be completed in less than 10 minutes, while the detailed mode of operation allows a comprehensive energy and economic analysis to be performed between multiple alternatives.

After either a simple or detailed energy and economic analysis is performed a sophisticated, yet easy to understand, analysis report with weather information, load information, system information, and plant information presented in graphs, charts, and summaries can be produced in either a plain text or Microsoft Word® format.

Site Selection

Weather data from over 230 locations across the United States and Canada is available in AAON EEAP, with the functionality to import you own weather data.

Building Loads

Predefined building templates are available to use as a common model or as a starting point, where the details of a building and its mechanical systems can be input. Envelope design, internal configuration, internal features, internal loads, and schedules can be customized to make the building model more accurate.

Systems

Virtually any air system available from any manufacturer can be simulated with the system options available in AAON EEAP. A multitude of heating, cooling, dehumidification, preheating, economizer, energy recovery, and system scheduling options are available.

Results

Using AAON EEAP allows optimization of the design or renovation of a building and its mechanical systems by comparing alternative designs.

Bar graphs showing monthly occupied and unoccupied weather data, fan energy consumption, condensing unit/chiller energy consumption, total cooling energy consumption, electric heat energy consumption, gas heat energy consumption, boiler electric energy consumption, total electric energy consumption, total gas consumption, alternative fuel consumption, total electrical cost, and total energy cost.

Pie charts showing the percent of total building energy that is used for specific items such as lights, heating, cooling, fans, and miscellaneous energy consuming equipment.

Multiple analysis reports are available such as a one page summary report, a building/load report, a systems report, a plants report, or a final report containing all of these along with the charts and graphs from the analysis.

Contact your local AAON Sales Representative for a demonstration of how innovative and high performance HVAC equipment can reduce your building’s energy usage and save you money.

New Construction

During the conceptual design phase AAON EEAP can be used to test the impact of various architectural and mechanical system alternatives using local weather data and local utility rates.

During the preliminary design phase it can be used to refine the analysis with additional building and mechanical system information available.

During the final design phase it can be used to enhance the accuracy of the models used in the analysis with detailed building and mechanical system information.

During the commissioning phase it can be used to compare the model’s estimated energy consumption with the building’s actual energy consumption to provide insight into where design, operation, and maintenance improvements can be made.

Retrofit Applications

AAON EEAP can be used to model an existing building and its existing mechanical systems. The integration of new designs into the building and its mechanical systems can then be evaluated against this base model.

Features and Options

Plants

Analyzing any manufacturer’s chiller and boiler plants is possible with the necessary performance information. Options available for analysis include air-cooled condensers, evaporative-cooled condensers, cooling towers, pumps, gas, electric, or oil fired boilers, plant scheduling, and thermal storage.

Economics

Actual electric, gas, and oil rates can be created with multiple rate types and adjustments available. Time of day rates, stepped rates, monthly/annual demand rates, inflation rates, capital costs, maintenance costs, and life span options are available to calculate energy costs, return on investment, and payback values.

AAON • 2425 South Yukon Avenue • Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107 • (918) 583-2266 • Fax (918) 583-6094 • www.aaon.com

AEEAP • R80500 • 090630