Alphabetical List of Building Systems
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Input Descriptions
Building System
System Type
System Type
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Akshay Padwal avatar
Written by Akshay Padwal
Updated over a week ago

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. cove.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 cove.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 use 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

  • Air 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

  • Heating Systems

    • 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

  • Cooling Systems

    • 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

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.

Integrated Part Load Value

Heating System COP

Cooling System COP

Fan Flow Control Factor

Specific Fan Power

Ventilation Control

Pump Control for Cooling

Pump Control for Heating

Primary Energy Heating

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

Related Articles

Further details on the core systems components can be found in these articles below.

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