What is Bin OpCost?
The Bin Operating Cost Analysis Program (Bin
OpCost) is a useful tool for estimating the annual energy consumption
and operating costs of commercial building HVAC systems.
Who Can Benefit From Bin OpCost
Engineers and designers wishing to compare the energy
consumption and operating costs of alternative HVAC designs can
benefit from Bin OpCost. Because the program uses the temperature
bin energy analysis method and simplified building and equipment
inputs, it can be used for quickly screening candidate designs.
How Bin OpCost Works
Bin OpCost utilizes the temperature bin energy analysis
method. The cost analysis involves five steps:
- Define Weather Conditions.
Bin weather conditions for the building site are defined by choosing
from one of 327 pre-stored North American cities, or by directly
defining bin profiles.
- Define Building Characteristics.
Users have the option of defining specific building characteristics
such as wall, roof, window, etc... elements, or specifying simplified
cooling and heating load data directly.
- Compute Building Loads.
When a detailed building description is provided, design and
bin-by-bin loads are computed using principles from the E20-II
Design Manual Method and the ASHRAE TC 4.7 Simplified Energy Analysis
Method. When simplified building data is entered, simple straight-line
load profiles are created instead.
- Define Systems and Equipment.
Characteristics of fan systems, plant equipment and related controls
are then defined. Users can choose among 14 air system types,
10 central fan types, 7 cooling plant types, 8 heating plant types
and numerous accessory devices and controls.
- Compute Annual Operating Costs.
Finally, building energy consumption and operating costs are
determined from a simulation of air handling system and plant
equipment operation. Both tabular and graphical output options
are provided.
Hardware Requirements
The minimum hardware requirements for this program
are:
- MS-DOS compatible personal computer.
- Minimum 256 kilobytes of available conventional
RAM.
- One hard disk and one floppy disk drive.
- Monochrome or color monitor.
- Compatible printer.
How to Order
Bin OpCost is a member of the E20-II family of HVAC
design software programs. For information on how to order, or
for a hands-on demonstration, contact your local Carrier distributor
or direct sales office. Or for further assistance, please contact
Carrier's Software Systems Network at (315) 432-7072.