LoginThe European market for residential ventilation is strongly driven by energy performance regulations. In new buildings, the share of balanced ventilation systems with heat recovery is increasing as a result of more stringent energy performance requirements (NZEB). Energy labelling for residential ventilation units and Ecodesign requirements for ventilation systems may further encourage the wider adoption of heat recovery ventilation in new buildings.
The methods used to assess the influence of heat recovery ventilation on building energy use are typically based on single zone energy balance equations. Multi-zoning is often not considered although heating behaviour and set-points differ between rooms within a dwelling. As a result, the energy savings associated with heat recovery ventilation, as assessed using single zone methods, may be overestimated when compared with approaches that account for spatial variations within dwellings. This is related to the fact that the recovered heat supplied to the dwelling through the ventilation system is not ‘useful’ to reduce space heating and cooling demand at all times and in every room (e.g. in unheated rooms like bedrooms).
The goal was to collect information to quantify the utilisation of heat recovery ventilation on building energy use based on multizone approaches in different climates:
- Results from multi-zone simulation studies and field studies
- Definition of influencing parameters
- Definition of metrics to define the utilisation of heat recovery for reducing energy use in dwellings while accounting for spatial variations
- Ventilation concepts to improve energy performance of heat recovery ventilation