Elcimaï Environnement unveils a new tool for comparing heating and air conditioning systems, in partnership with Amorce and France Chaleur Urbaine

The Amorce network has unveiled a new tool for comparing heating and cooling systems, designed and developed in collaboration with France Chaleur Urbaine and Elcimaï Environnement.

This tool for comparing costs and CO2 emissions is primarily educational, as it helps users better understand the technical, economic, and environmental implications of various heating and cooling options. While it serves as a decision-making aid for technicians and decision-makers, it does not replace the technical and economic feasibility studies that engineering firms can conduct. Only these studies, carried out by experts, can reduce uncertainty and yield results tailored to the specific project.

Led by Amorce, it succeeds RCE33, also developed by the network. Elcimaï Environnement contributed its technical expertise, and France Chaleur Urbaine implemented and funded the online version. The project received funding from the European Heat&Cool; Life program in the Sud region, which aims to create tools for the development of sustainable heating and cooling networks.

While heating and cooling needs still account for more than 40 % of France’s energy consumption, this tool allows users to evaluate different heating and cooling systems based on three key aspects : technical, economic, and environmental. Using a total cost approach, the tool analyzes system performance over their entire lifecycle, taking into account installation, operating, and maintenance costs, as well as environmental impacts such as CO₂ emissions.

Users can easily compare multiple solutions using predefined technical parameters that include building characteristics, usage patterns, and equipment specifications. These assumptions are general in nature and are regularly updated. The predefined values simplify the comparison process while offering the flexibility to customize certain parameters to better reflect each user’s actual conditions.

Two usage levels are available for the cost and CO₂ emissions comparator :

General Public Level (Simplified) : Designed for non-expert users, this mode offers an intuitive interface with predefined values to facilitate comparison. It allows for a quick assessment of overall costs and environmental impacts without requiring in-depth technical knowledge.

Technical (advanced) level : intended for more experienced users, this mode offers greater flexibility by allowing detailed modification of a wide range of variables. It enables a more detailed and customized analysis of systems based on the specific characteristics of the project.

We will be exhibiting alongside France Chaleur Urbaine and Amorce at the Assises de l’énergie trade show, June 24–26, in Strasbourg.