Hello All,

We are working on a project with Habitat and our trying to provide recommendations for ventilation. We would like to see them install a Spot ERV like Panasonic's Whisper Comfort, but the small (<1,500sf) home (4 bdr) requires just over 50cfm fresh air. The Panasonic can only provide 40cfm continuous and installing two brings the incremental cost over an air cycler strategy or supply ventilation strategy too far off budget.

Does anyone have any experience / recommendations for how to best address this situation?

We are in Climate Zone 4, in Middle Tennessee, mixed-humid.

Thanks for any information!

Stefan

Tags: 62.2, ERV, ashrae, ventilation

Views: 424

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Buy a larger one & use a timer - trust me when I say you do not want them running 24x7, especially in a humid enviroment

Sean, help a cold-climate guy out here... what's the issue with humidity and 24/7 run-time?

The humidity inside rises to much & in small houses where the AC unit is oversized because we cant buy a small enough unit...

There are a couple of pretty nifty choices from Venmar.  The Kubix unit comes in either an HRV or ERV version.  It uses 60 watts, 77% Apparent Sensible Effectiveness (ASE).  It's like a 16" cube using 4" ducting.  A more energy efficient alternative is the EKO version.  The ERV version is 73% ASE.  It uses between 26 and 37 watts with flows up to 84 cfm.  It doesn't require a drain in the ERV version.

These are not ceiling mounted units like the Panasonic, but I think getting the supplies and exhausts separated is a better way to go if possible.

I also work with Habitat and like yours, our houses have oversized units because of the extreme tightness, low UA numbers and limitations on ASHP systems.  We use a cycle timer and motorized damper for supply air ventilation. We are also considering ERV/HRV but before choosing and ERV I would have to ask if the manufacturer  can supply a certification that the latent energy (water) recovery does not include any VOC, airborne pathogens or aerosols from toilets. My request to Venmar got circled back to our sales rep who was unsure if such a certification was required.

RSS

Home Energy Pros

Home Energy Pros was founded by the developers of Home Energy Saver Pro (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and brought to you in partnership with Home Energy magazine.

Latest Activity

tedkidd commented on Tom Delconte's blog post Robert Shiller Says Retrofits Are Never Worth It!
"Bob B.   Buying a home is a good investment because it is forced savings more than a good…"
1 hour ago
Joe Huang posted a discussion

White Box Technologies launches Web-based weather data for building energy simulations

White Box Technologies is pleased to announce under agreement with ASHRAE the launch of WBT Weather…See More
2 hours ago
Tom Delconte commented on Tom Delconte's blog post Lykans $29, Vampires $0 !
"Bill: these are available for free at www.freeenergy.com . Just ask for Jen Guarater! I…"
2 hours ago
Joseph Lamy commented on Jim Gunshinan's blog post The Universe Is Made of Stories
"My life changed when I got 'ductalatored' - became familiar with proper sizing guides for…"
3 hours ago
J.C. Martel replied to J.C. Martel's discussion Disasters & sustainable energy
"Thanks Dennis."
3 hours ago
Judi Lyall joined allen p tanner's group
Thumbnail

Energy Auditing Equipment for Sale, Trade or to Purchase

Discuss the pros and cons of the equipment you are interested in prior to purchase. Post equipment…See More
16 hours ago
Judi Lyall replied to David Starrett's discussion I am looking for a good IR camera in the group Energy Auditing Equipment for Sale, Trade or to Purchase
"Hi there I am selling my equipment and have a great Fluke TIR for sale for 3600.00    If…"
16 hours ago
William H Nickerson commented on Tom Delconte's blog post Lykans $29, Vampires $0 !
"66 watts a/sec  -3960 w/min   237600 w/hr   5702400  w/day …"
19 hours ago
tedkidd commented on Jim Gunshinan's blog post The Universe Is Made of Stories
"I think Tom is busting your chops Jim.  The "drivel" part may not have been well…"
22 hours ago
Tom Maides commented on Jim Gunshinan's blog post The Universe Is Made of Stories
"Some of the best scientists of the previous 1000 years were also leaders in the Church.  Aside…"
yesterday
Laurie DiDonato posted an event

HERS Rater Training in Massachusetts at Maki Building Center

June 3, 2013 to June 8, 2013
6-Day HERS Rater Training- The first step to becoming a HERS RaterLast Week To Register!Your Cost…See More
yesterday
Tom Delconte posted a blog post

Lykans $29, Vampires $0 !

Just wondered, does anyone know of a better looking intelligent managed power strip?…See More
yesterday

© 2013   Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service