Energy Savings with Energy and Heat Recovery Ventilators

Energy savings can be achieved in many ordinary ways like:  lowering your thermostat or A/C, turning off lights when leaving a room, and unplugging appliances when they’re not in use.  Unfortunately, all of these do take some effort to remember to do.  There is an easy way to get energy savings, though, with energy recovery ventilators (ERV) and heat recovery ventilators.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are recommended for warmer, more humid climates.  They minimize energy loss by continuously supplying fresh air and exhausting stale air. ERVs reduce the strain on air conditioners, which saves on cooling costs.

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) also minimize energy loss by bringing a continuous supply of fresh air into a home while exhausting contaminated air. HRVs use a heat recovery core that transfers heat from the exhaust air stream to the incoming air stream. HRVs are recommended for colder climates.

Both HRVs and ERVs include a heat exchanger, and are generally whole-house ventilation systems with their own duct system or shared ductwork.  Both regulate the amount of water vapor in the air to help control the temperature in the house.  Most energy recovery ventilation systems can recover about 70%–80% of the energy in the exiting air and deliver that energy to the incoming air.  This can add up to substantial savings, especially for houses in climates that are very hot or very cold.