Elite Software Chvac review

Chvac is the budget pick for commercial loads. It calculates peak heating and cooling loads with either the Radiant Time Series or CLTD method, reports building tonnage and room CFM, and sizes runout and main trunk ducts. Ventilation follows ASHRAE Standard 62, the program complies with ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183, and it can look up design weather for over 2,000 cities. Rooms can be grouped under VAV boxes and into as many as 100 air handling systems, and gbXML import and export lets you exchange geometry with other tools. Results can go to EnergyPro or eQUEST for energy analysis. The price scales with room capacity, from $299 for 2 rooms to $1,499 for unlimited rooms, so most real projects need one of the higher tiers. Drawing Board for floor plan input costs extra.

Who it is for

Engineers and contractors who need ASHRAE commercial loads at a lower price than full energy modeling suites.

Price

$299 to $1,499 depending on room capacity.

Price: $299 - $1499
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Peak heating and cooling loads with the RTS or CLTD method
• Building tonnage, room CFM and runout and main trunk duct sizes
• Compliance with ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183 and automated ASHRAE Standard 62 ventilation
• Weather data for over 2,000 cities, with editing and custom locations
• gbXML import and export, plus data transfer to EnergyPro and eQUEST

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Low entry price, scaled to the number of rooms you need
• Strength: Rooms can be grouped into up to 100 air handling systems
• Strength: Works in English or metric units
• Weakness: The $299 tier is limited to 2 rooms; unlimited rooms costs $1,499
• Weakness: Floor plan input needs Drawing Board, sold separately
• Weakness: Energy analysis requires a separate program

Key facts

• Price: 2 rooms $299, 10 rooms $399, 50 rooms $599, 100 rooms $999, unlimited $1,499
• Current version: Chvac 8.3, released April 2026
• Load methods: RTS or CLTD
• In market since: 1979, per Elite Software

Where it ranks

Elite Software Chvac is No. 5 in our Best HVAC Design Software verdict.