About nine months ago I was searching the Internet for duct design programs. While there have been many such programs available for many years, and I have purchased four or five of them for evaluation or use, I am always on the lookout for the ultimate duct design program. Alas, I had no success.
However, way down the list on a Google search (you know I had to be desperate to be using that) I spotted a reference to HVAC Solution. Why I clicked on that out of all the other possible leads I’ll never know. While it was instantly clear that it was not a duct design program, it was immediately apparent that HVAC Solution was a mind-blowing application the likes of which I had never seen.
Nowadays, it takes quite a lot to get my vital juices flowing. After all, I did my undergraduate work with a slide-rule in hand and have used many of the nifty electronic gizmos that have come along since, not to mention programs like VisiCalc, QuattroPro, Excel, WordPerfect (remember the great equation editor it had), Word, DOE, Trace, the Elite product line, Visio, AutoCAD, and PowerDOE.
Instead of going through a laundry list of what HVAC Solution can do (the web site does a good job of that), I would rather like to be more general in my description. I am sure many of you remember how exciting it was the first time you created a spreadsheet that ground out a long calculation (with many inputs) almost instantly. HVAC Solution is similar in that one puts in the components of an HVAC system and voila, all the janitorial calculations one usually has to make are done automatically. This would not be such a big deal if it were not for the fact that the program uses drag and drop components and said components look realistic (not the cheesy component symbols we are used to dealing with). If this were not enough, the stunning visual displays can easily be printed out on a color printer (a $100 Epson gives gorgeous results). Not only is this handy when building up a library of systems one commonly uses, but it will shut up the most demanding architect or owner who wants a preliminary or final "presentation". The final coup de grace is that once the final system design is completed (or whenever) HVAC Solution can automatically create "professional" looking schedules for AutoCAD. They are a joy to behold.
I think HVAC Solution will be helpful to beginning engineers who may be more likely to do what-if calculations that a more experienced engineer might bypass. On the other hand, for the experienced engineer it is a godsend for preliminary system design, presentations, schedules and final system design and checking.
Beyond all of the above, HVAC Solution is just a riot to play and experiment with. In design and implementation it is simply an elegant work of art. Eventually, it will be as common in a mechanical engineer’s office (or other sophisticated HVAC designer) as the common spreadsheet.
Finally, the boys at HVAC Solution seem to be driven by the joy and excitement of their creation not the usual ego driven know it all attitude (frankly, they would probably be justified because they damn near do know it all). In all my dealings with them they have been most gracious in their acknowledgments of my suggestions, comments or criticisms, even when the latter were undoubtedly boneheaded.
Tom Rotchford, P.E.
Solargy, Inc.
Woodland Hills, CA
