System Type defines the HVAC system used in the building. Each System Type includes an Air, Heating, and Cooling system type that fully defines the elements of the building's HVAC (or mechanical) system. analysis.tool selects a default system type depending on your project's location and energy code, however, the user has full control to customize to meet any project needs!
System Types in analysis.tool are named with the following scheme allowing for quick and easy assignment of detailed design inputs.
'Air System w/ room units' + 'Heating System' + 'Cooling System'
With eleven air system options, six heating systems options, and seven cooling systems options we have a total of seventy-two available system type options. These systems provide the basis for comparison when optimizing a building's HVAC systems. If you are exploring a system that isn't described below, just reach out to our expert for help in getting your system modeled!
Choosing an HVAC System
For commercial projects we recommend using this guide, and for a residential project refer to this article.
Learning the Terminology
Selecting a system type without the aid of a Mechanical Engineer can be an intimidating task. Use this article guide to learn more about the various system type options to shortlist the system that best fits your project's needs.
A. Overview of Air, Cooling, and Heating Systems
CAV with Reheat
CAV with Radiant
VAV with Reheat
VAV with Radiant
DOAS with FCU
DOAS with VRF
DOAS with Induction
DOAS with Radiant
DOAS with WSHP
Single Zone
Natural Ventilation
Gas Boiler
Electric Boiler
Electric Resistance
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP)
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF)
Furnace
Water Cooled Chiller
Air Cooled Chiller
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Packaged DX
Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF)
Cooling Tower
Direct Expansion (DX)
B. Detailed System Type Description Articles
Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP)
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP)
Related Inputs
Selecting a System Type will populate several fields on the Building System tab, providing a reasonable starting point for the project team. It is recommended that the project's mechanical engineer review these inputs to confirm they match the specific design intent of each project. Check out this article to see the sources for the following inputs.
Alphabetical List of Building Systems
CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Reheat, with GSHP, and GSHP
CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Air Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Radiant, with Gas Boiler, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Packaged DX
CAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
CAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with ASHP, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ FCU, with GSHP
DOAS w/ Induction, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with ASHP, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Induction, with GSHP, and GSHP
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with ASHP, and Air Cooled Chiller
DOAS w/ Radiant, with GSHP
DOAS w/ VRF, with Electric Boiler, and Cooling Tower
DOAS w/ VRF, with Gas Boiler, and Cooling Tower
DOAS w/ VRF, with Ground Source
DOAS w/ VRF
DOAS w/ WSHP, with Electric Boiler, and Cooling Tower
DOAS w/ WSHP, with Gas Boiler, and Cooling Tower
Natural Vent, with Gas Boiler, and Direct Expansion
Natural Vent, with Electric Boiler, and Direct Expansion
Natural Vent, with Electric Resistance, and Direct Expansion
Natural Vent, with ASHP, and Direct Expansion
Natural Vent, with ASHP, and No Cooling
No Mechanical System
Single Zone, with Air Source Heat Pump
Single Zone, with Gas Boiler, and Packaged DX
Single Zone, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Furnace, and Direct Expansion
Single Zone, with Furnace, and Packaged DX
Single Zone, with Furnace, and Air Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Furnace, and Water Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Electric Boiler, and Packaged DX
Single Zone, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
Single Zone, with Electric Resistance, and Packaged DX
Single Zone, with Ground Source Heat Pump
VAV w/ Radiant, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Radiant, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Radiant, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Packaged DX
VAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Gas Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Air Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Boiler, and Packaged DX
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Air Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Packaged DX
VAV w/ Reheat, with Electric Resistance, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Water Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Air Cooled Chiller
VAV w/ Reheat, with ASHP, and Packaged DX
VAV w/ Reheat, with GSHP
FAQ
What is the system type that is equivalent to the oil-fired furnace(heating)?
An oil powered Furnace option is not available in our tool since the focus has always been decarbonization. The closest equivalent we have that can match with your design would be to select the air system and 'gas boiler' system option and edit Heating System COP input to match the furnace.
In all cases, if you don't need the cooling at all, increase the cooling setpoint and setback to really high number like 150F so the system never turns on.
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