Even with proper
insulation, new windows, and a newly-installed roof, cool and warm
air inside the house will find its way out one way or another. It's
not like the house is strictly airtight. If energy is lost in the
process, then the least you can do is collect some of it before it's
lost for good.
This is the objective
of energy
recovery ventilation (ERV): outgoing energy is collected and
reused to cool or warm incoming air. The promise of energy
savings—with a payback period of between one and three years—is
enough to attract more households into installing ERVs. You probably
know that an ERV system recycles heat and puts it back on the HVAC
grid, but how does it do it?
The function depends
on the type of ERV system used; the most popular is the rotary wheel
system. Although...