Air Conditioning System Selection

When considering and selecting an air conditioning system, the designer must understand the
building and the client’s requirements and try to study and evaluate the following factors:
• Building location, surrounding environment and external climate
• Uses and functional requirements of the building
• Client’s budget, investment policy and expected quality of service
The designer should consider various system options and recommend one or several that will be likely to perform as desired. Some of the selection criteria include:
• Performance requirements – on comfort, noise, control options, flexibility and meeting
requirements of local regulations/codes
• Capacity requirements – range of capacity, multiple units, zoning, etc.
• Spatial requirement – plant room space, space for ducting and piping (vertical shafts), space for terminal equipment
• Costs – initial cost, operating cost and maintenance cost
• Energy consumption – for both economic and environment reasons
• System qualities – e.g. aesthetics, life, reliability and maintainability