Heat Recovery Ventilator for Commercial Applications
Commercial Ventilation: Heat Recovery vs. No Heat Recovery
A heat exchanger to heat or cool incoming fresh or outside air, capturing about 50% to 70% of the sensible heat from the exhaust air that would otherwise be discharged into the atmosphere.
Synopsis:
When outside ventilation air is introduced into the interior of a building at a higher or lower temperature than the building temperature, it must be heated or cooled (Roth 2010). Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems provide a controlled way of ventilating a building while minimizing energy loss. This technology reduces the costs of heating ventilation air in the winter by transferring sensible heat from the warm inside air being exhausted to the incoming fresh (but cold) outside air. The fresh outside air is not mixed with the stale indoor air that is being exhausted. In the summer, the inside air cools the warmer supply air to reduce cooling costs and can assist in removing moisture from the outside air.
HRVs with flat plate counterflow heat exchangers or heat pipes capture about 50% to 70% of the heat from the exhaust air that would otherwise be lost to the outside with traditional HVAC designs. This pre-heating or pre-cooling results in a 30% reduction of total heating and cooling loads. HRVs can be used for small commercial applications, education/classrooms, nursery school facilities, hospitality applications, and in healthcare and retirement communities. They are also supplied for air-tight residential or multifamily units.
Energy Savings: 30%
Energy Savings Rating: Comprehensive Analysis
What's this?
| Level | Status | Description |
| 1 | Concept not validated | Claims of energy savings may not be credible due to lack of documentation or validation by unbiased experts. |
| 2 | Concept validated: | An unbiased expert has validated efficiency concepts through technical review and calculations based on engineering principles. |
| 3 | Limited assessment | An unbiased expert has measured technology characteristics and factors of energy use through one or more tests in typical applications with a clear baseline. |
| 4 | Extensive assessment | Additional testing in relevant applications and environments has increased knowledge of performance across a broad range of products, applications, and system conditions. |
| 5 | Comprehensive analysis | Results of lab and field tests have been used to develop methods for reliable prediction of performance across the range of intended applications. |
| 6 | Approved measure | Protocols for technology application are established and approved. |
Simple Payback is one tool used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a proposed investment, such as the investment in an energy efficient technology. Simple payback indicates how many years it will take for the initial investment to "pay itself back." The basic formula for calculating a simple payback is:
Simple Payback = Incremental First Cost / Annual Savings
The Incremental Cost is determined by subtracting the Baseline First Cost from the Measure First Cost.
For New Construction, the Baseline First Cost is the cost to purchase the standard practice technology. The Measure First Cost is the cost of the alternative, more energy efficienct technology. Installation costs are not included, as it is assumed that installation costs are approximately the same for the Baseline and the Emerging Technology.
For Retrofit scenarios, the Baseline First Cost is $0, since the baseline scenario is to leave the existing equipment in place. The Emerging Technology First Cost is the Measure First Cost plus Installation Cost (the cost of the replacement technology, plus the labor cost to install it). Retrofit scenarios generally have a higher First Cost and longer Simple Paybacks than New Construction scenarios.
Simple Paybacks are called "simple" because they do not include details such as the time value of money or inflation, and often do not include operations and maintenance (O&M) costs or end-of-life disposal costs. However, they can still provide a powerful tool for a quick assessment of a proposed measure. These paybacks are rough estimates based upon best available data, and should be treated with caution. For major financial decisions, it is suggested that a full Lifecycle Cost Analysis be performed which includes the unique details of your situation.
The energy savings estimates are based upon an electric rate of $.09/kWh, and are calculated by comparing the range of estimated energy savings to the baseline energy use. For most technologies, this results in "Typical," "Fast" and "Slow" payback estimates, corresponding with the "Typical," "High" and "Low" estimates of energy savings, respectively.