EPA and DOE recommend Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) systems for occupant health and energy efficiency

Posted 21 October, 2019 — Technical Notes

Schools Benefit from Airxchange® More Than Most Buildings

  • Schools have higher occupant densities than most buildings leading to higher building code requirements for outdoor air ventilation
  • Higher outdoor air ventilation means a greater percentage of the HVAC system is dedicated to treating outdoor air
  • ERV can save up to 40% of HVAC operating cost and should have an instant payback for most school applications

State of Ohio Mandates Use of Energy Recovery Ventilation in Schools.

For these reasons, the state of Ohio mandates the use of energy recovery ventilation in all of their schools. In their School Design manual, the State of Ohio states:

“Energy recovery shall be used as a part of the design for classroom, gymnasium, locker room, and student dining/auditorium systems in order to reduce the energy consumption required to provide the necessary outdoor ventilation rates. The energy recovery systems will require both sensible and latent heat recovery necessitating the use of desiccant heat wheels or the equivalent.”

The Environmental Protection Agency Recommends Energy Recovery Ventilation for Schools.

The EPA also provides extensive information regarding indoor air quality and use of energy recovery ventilation in schools. As part of the design process, the EPA specifically recommends energy recovery in order to reduce by 2/3 the negative implications of outdoor air ventilation on an HVAC system.

The EPA also provides software to assist architects, engineers, school officials, and others in calculating the economics of energy recovery in schools. Learn More»

Quick Links:

DOE’s Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools recommends ERV in all climate zones. For more information on Energy Design Guidelines.
Click here»

For more information on EPA’s Design Tools for Schools.
Click here»

For more information on ERV from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Click here»