Help coming to assess life cycle costs of HVAC equipment

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is developing a new web data service to help engineers and their clients select air-conditioning and heating systems that give the best value in the long-term.
“The consensus in the industry has been that the use of life-cycle evaluations provides the most effective method for determining the best value of HVAC system alternatives,” said Jim Poulos, chair of a committee that is monitoring the project. Until now the necessary data for making decisions on life-cycle costs and justifying them to clients has not been readily available. This research project will collect and validate at least 150 data sets of HVAC equipment service life and maintenance costs. It will also provide the methods and information to assist designers in using life-cycle analysis to select the right systems in particular applications.
The ASHRAE 1237-TRP, Interactive Web-Based Owning and Operating Cost Database is expected to take 12 months to complete at a cost of $95,000. Principal investigator is Barry Abramson, P.E., Servidyne Systems, Georgia.