HAP combines two tightly integrated capabilities: HVAC system design and energy modeling. On the design side, it calculates peak heating and cooling loads for commercial buildings using detailed zone-by-zone envelope, lighting, people, and equipment inputs, then sizes air systems (VAV, constant volume, fan coil, packaged DX, chilled water, etc.) and plant equipment (chillers, boilers, cooling towers). On the analysis side, HAP runs a true hour-by-hour simulation across all 8,760 hours of the year using measured weather data, producing energy use, operating cost, and peak demand results that are widely accepted by the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED credits.
HAP v6 is a major architectural upgrade with a modernized user experience, graphical building modeling that automatically calculates floor, wall, ceiling, and roof dimensions, and improvements to core calculation engines. The program supports unlimited zones per air system and unlimited air systems and spaces per project, making it workable on everything from a small office to a multi-building campus. Carrier has allowed most current users to transition from HAP v5 to v6 free of charge at their own pace, with v5 remaining available during the transition period.
HAP is licensed, not sold, under Carrier's eDesign Suite model: a first-year license fee covers usage, updates, and technical support from Carrier's HVAC engineers, with renewal fees in subsequent years. Historical forum references pegged pricing in the $1,500 range with roughly $300/year renewals, though current pricing requires contacting Carrier directly. HAP is purpose-built for commercial mechanical design rather than residential Manual J and is a staple inside engineering firms and D/B mechanical contractors who need defensible, energy-code-compliant calculations.