8A-i 

APPENDIX 8A. USER INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LIFE-CYCLE 

COST ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET FOR SPVU EQUIPMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

8A.1 USER INSTRUCTIONS .............................................................................................. 8A-1

8A.2 STARTUP ..................................................................................................................... 8A-1

8A.3 DESCRIPTION OF LIFE-CYCLE COST WORKSHEETS ....................................... 8A-1

8A.4 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING THE LIFE-CYCLE COST 

SPREADSHEET ........................................................................................................... 8A-2

LIST OF TABLES

Table 8A.3.1 Key Worksheets in LCC Workbook ................................................................... 8A-1
8A-1 

APPENDIX 8A. USER INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LIFE-CYCLE COST ANALYSIS 

SPREADSHEET FOR SINGLE PACKAGE VERTICAL UNIT (SPVU) EQUIPMENT

8A.1 USER INSTRUCTIONS 

The results obtained in this analysis can be examined and reproduced using the Microsoft 

Excel spreadsheets available on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Single Package 

Vertical Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps rulemaking website: 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/35. From 

that page, follow the links to the Notice of Public Rulemaking (NOPR) and then to Analytical 

Tools. 

8A.2 STARTUP

DOE’s spreadsheet enables users to perform the life-cycle cost (LCC) and payback 

period (PBP) analysis for each equipment class. One spreadsheet exists for all single package 

vertical unit (SPVU) equipment classes. 

To examine the spreadsheet, DOE assumes that the user has access to a personal 

computer with a hardware configuration capable of running Windows XP or later. All LCC 

spreadsheets require Microsoft Excel 2003 or later installed under the Windows operating 

system. Because certain variables inside the spreadsheets are defined as distributions, a copy of 

Crystal Ball (a commercially available add-on program) is required to view them. 

8A.3 DESCRIPTION OF LIFE-CYCLE COST WORKSHEETS 

For all of the SPVU equipment classes, DOE created a single spreadsheet containing a 

collection of worksheets. Each worksheet represents a conceptual component within the LCC 

calculation. Table 8A.3.1 lists the worksheets contained in the LCC spreadsheet. 

Table 8A.3.1 Key Worksheets in LCC Workbook 

Worksheet Description

Labels This worksheet is used as a go-between for user inputs and the rest of the 

worksheets -- do not modify this sheet.

LCC Summary Contains the input selections and a summary table of energy use, 

operating costs, LCC and Payback.

Crystal Ball Contains outputs for each equipment class from the Crystal Ball/Monte 

Carlo analysis. 

Results for NIA Contains outputs from the LCC analysis for importation into the NIA 

model.

Markups Contains data used to derive industry baseline and incremental markups.

Engineering Contains the manufacturer price data for units at each efficiency level. 

Also contains data on utilization rates, electricity and natural gas 

consumption, and summarizes other engineering-derived data. 

Discounted Costs Contains annual operating costs in cashflow tables. 

Discount Rate Contains all data used to calculate discounts rates for each type of 

business. 
8A-2 

Table 8A.3.1 (contd)

Worksheet Description

Gas Prices Contains EIA 2013 population-weighted natural gas prices by state, 

AEO2013 natural gas price projections, and natural gas price ratios 

derived for the various building types using the 2003 Commercial 

Building Energy Consumption (CBECS) data.

Electricity Prices Contains EIA 2013 population-weighted electricity prices by state, 

AEO2013 electricity price projections, electricity price ratios derived for 

the various building types using the 2003 Commercial Building Energy 

Consumption (CBECS) data.

Installation Costs Contains multipliers to vary the installation costs by state. Derived from 

data published by RS Means Publishers and Consultants.

Sales Tax Contains data on sales tax rates by state and population data by state.

Population&Wts Contains 2013 Census Bureau estimates of population by state and 

market weights relative to share sales of SPVACs and SPVHPs among

different types of businesses.

Maintenance and Repair 

Costs

Contains inputs for different schedules of RS Means maintenance and 

repair costs and summarizes the data in an annualized format.

EnergyConsumption Gives electricity use computations by efficiency level and business type

EnergyConsumptionGas Gives natural gas use computations by efficiency level and business type

EnergyConsumption(Details) Gives breakdown of unit electricity consumption for heating, cooling, 

and fan power and heating energy takeback calculations by state for 

SPVUs by equipment class and capacity. 

TSD Tables Contains selected summary input and output information.

8A.4 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING THE LIFE-CYCLE COST 

SPREADSHEET 

Basic instructions for operating the LCC spreadsheet are as follows. 

Step Description

1. Once you have downloaded the LCC file from the DOE BT website, open the 

file using Excel. Select Yes when asked if you want to enable macros. At the 

bottom of the Excel window, click the tab for the LCC Summary sheet. Note that 

if you plan to run the Monte Carlo routine, you will need to have Crystal Ball 

loaded as an add-in and activated. 

2. Use Excel’s View/Zoom commands at the top menu bar to size the display to 

your screen. 

3. You can interact with the spreadsheet by clicking choices or entering data using 

the graphical interface on the LCC Summary tab. Select choices from the various 

dropdown input boxes throughout the LCC Summary tab. Note: on this tab, 

results are shown for energy levels. The third energy level is the baseline level. 

Energy Level 4 is the same as Efficiency Level 1 discussed in the TSD and the 

NOPR.
8A-3 

Step Description

4. From the user defined input options, select from the buttons and boxes for the 

following: (1) assumed baseline level; (2) equipment class; (3) analysis year 

(year of purchase) ; (4) economic growth case; (5) year to discount costs to; (6) 

whether or not to include heating takeback for AC equipment (in sensitivity 

analysis; (7) heating fuel for takeback calculations; (8) standard efficiency level; 

(9) building type; (10) state or region to analyze; (11) whether or not to analyze 

telecommunications applications with an economizer on the air conditioner; (12) 

conservation program to model; (13) installation cost escalation; (14) repair cost 

escalation; (15) analysis type; (16) price learning toggle (not used); and (17) 

discounting toggle. You can start a complete Crystal Ball simulation of 10,000 

runs by clicking the Monte Carlo button. All inputs, with the exception of some 

conservation program inputs, are either dropdown option boxes or toggle boxes 

(checked boxes make the statement true).

4A. Equipment classes are defined as particular combinations of equipment families. 

Currently there are 4 active equipment classes. They can be selected 

individually in sensitivity mode and all classes can be run in Monte Carlo mode. 

If you select a combination of equipment families that has not been analyzed by 

DOE (because few or no shipments have been identified), the Annual Electricity 

Bill shown on the LCC Summary tab will be $0, blank, #DIV0!, or #VALUE!”. 

4B. There is room for up to eight possible energy levels, including the baseline 

efficiency level. Up to six levels are currently populated with data. If an 

equipment class contains fewer than eight levels, the extra levels will be have 

blank or #VALUE! values in the calculated output cells on the LCC Summary 

tab.

5. This spreadsheet gives the user two types of calculation methods: Sensitivity, 

and Monte Carlo mode which uses Crystal Ball. 

5A. If base and sensitivity analysis is chosen, then all calculations are performed for 

a set of single input values, usually an average. The new results are shown on the 

LCC Summary tab as soon as the input values are changed through a dropdown 

or toggle box. 
8A-4 

Step Description

5B. Alternatively, if the Monte Carlo option is chosen or if the button is clicked, the 

spreadsheet generates a set of results from calculations for each equipment class. 

For a number of inputs, the Crystal Ball software has custom distributions that it 

uses to set the level of the input. The model runs each of the studied classes in 

turn, performing 10,000 model runs for each. At the end of each equipment class 

run, the model records to the Crystal Ball tab a large number of outputs that you 

can then work with for further analyses. The Monte Carlo button executes a 

macro written in Visual Basic for Applications to loop through all equipment 

classes and selected efficiency levels (Macro LCC_CrystalBall_Runs.). The 

Monte Carlo analysis usually takes 45 minutes to complete for all 4 equipment 

classes. This can be changed by editing the macro, or by just using the Monte 

Carlo button for one equipment class at a time with run preferences set as you 

prefer.