Carrier HAP review

HAP is the commercial engineer's workhorse on this list. It combines system design and energy modeling, so the inputs you enter to size a system are reused to compare energy use and cost between design alternatives. Building models start from imported floor plan images: you scale them, sketch space boundaries, and HAP computes areas and extrudes the plan into 3D for checking. Sizing is system based, which means reports are tailored to rooftops, VRF, central air handlers, water source and ground source heat pumps, fan coils, chilled beams and DOAS rather than raw zone loads. Loads use the ASHRAE Heat Balance method, ventilation follows ASHRAE Standard 62.1, and the sizing summaries fit equipment selection data on two pages. HAP costs $1,995 in the US with a free trial on request. It is not meant for residential Manual J work, and the depth takes time to learn.

Who it is for

Consulting engineers and design-build contractors sizing commercial systems and comparing their energy cost.

Price

$1,995 in the US.

Pricing: $1,995 US / $2,445 CAN
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• 3D building modeling by sketching over imported floor plan images
• System-based sizing for rooftops, VRF, air handlers, WSHPs, GSHPs, fan coils and chilled beams
• ASHRAE Heat Balance load method and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 ventilation calculations
• Sizing data for coils, fans, terminals, chillers and boilers, plus DOAS
• Energy modeling that reuses the design inputs to compare alternatives

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Design and energy analysis share one model
• Strength: Two-page sizing summaries for equipment selection
• Strength: Free trial available on request
• Weakness: Commercial focus; not built for residential Manual J
• Weakness: High upfront price for a small shop
• Weakness: Engineering depth means a learning curve

Key facts

• Price: $1,995 US, $2,445 CAN
• Current version: HAP v6.40
• Load method: ASHRAE Heat Balance
• Trial: Free trial on request

Where it ranks

Carrier HAP is No. 4 in our Best HVAC Design Software verdict.