Carrier's Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) v4.31 has been approved by the U.S. Department of Energy for calculating energy savings for the energy efficient commercial building tax deduction under the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 2005. HAP is one of only three software programs in the United States that has received approval to date.

EPACT 2005 contains a provision for commercial building owners or leaseholders to claim a federal tax deduction for installing energy efficient equipment. Buildings that achieve a 50 % savings versus an energy cost benchmark may deduct up to $1.80 per sq ft of building floor area. Buildings that achieve a 16-2/3 % savings may deduct up to $0.60 per sqft of floor area. Energy savings claimed for the deduction must be certified and this requires a qualified individual use a qualified building energy simulation program to calculate the energy savings. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for approving software programs and maintaining the list of qualified energy programs. DOE approved HAP v4.31 as a qualified program on August 30, 2006.

This tax deduction can be a significant incentive for owners to install energy efficient HVAC systems and equipment in their buildings, and represents an opportunity for engineering firms to offer services to the owner to design for energy savings and certify those savings. Carrier HAP serves as a versatile, efficient tool to perform this work. The program can simulate a wide range of HVAC systems, equipment and controls and is easy-to-learn and easy-to-use. These attributes have made HAP one of the most widely used building simulation tools on the market.

HAP v4.31 is a new version of the Hourly Analysis Program that has just been released. Existing software users can download the HAP v4.31 update free of charge as part of their software license. Existing users will also be mailed the new version on CD-ROM. Information about HAP is available on the Carrier web site or from your local Carrier sales office.