In the midst of this new normal, most people are working from home. Rather than leaving the office empty and untouched, take this period of time to invest in making the office space healthier for your employees when they return. If you want them to breathe a little easier, a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) system might be a good investment.
What is an HRV?
When it comes to HVAC systems, most people are only familiar with common options like an air conditioner or a furnace. But, an HRV system could be a great addition to your office. An HRV unit is a controlled ventilation system that reduces high humidity, pollutants, and odors in the home by replacing stale air with fresh warm air.
How Does an HRV System Work
As said before, an HRV system is designed to supply conditioned air to an occupied space to reach a desired level of comfort. HRVs can be compared to noses on a building. This is because they consist of two ventilation ducts running next to one another passing between the inside and the outside of a building. One carries cool, fresh air in while the other carries moist, stale air out.
The hot, moist waste air from the building gives up almost all its heat as it passes through the heat exchanger on its way out of the building. The cold, dry incoming air flowing through the opposite duct picks this heat up as it flows into the building. Ideally, no heat is lost.
Main Benefits of an HRV System
There are a number of significant benefits to having an HRV unit in your home. Read on to discover the top four.
1. Benefits health by reducing pollutants
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is typically 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. With people spending 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor air quality ranks in the top five environmental risks to human health. With an HRV unit in the office, the air quality can be dramatically improved. The system is constantly refreshing the air which can be incredibly helpful for those employees struggling with their allergies. Since the HRV unit pulls in the fresh air and flushes out stale air, it can reduce allergens that linger in the office. Trust us, your employees will thank you!
2. Retains heat by recycling from other sources
Although the name can be misleading, an HRV doesn’t actually generate heat. Instead, it captures and recycles heat from other sources in an office building such as gas heaters, electric heaters, heat pumps, hot water heaters or boilers. The HRV’s main purpose is to recover the heat from the exhaust air stream and put this directly back into the office building. In the summer months, the purpose of the HRV is a little different — the process simply flips during the summer. The hot outdoor air loses its heat to the cooler indoor air, lowering the temperature of the outdoor air.
3. Reduces high levels of humidity
Condensation building upon your office windows is a sign that an HRV unit is necessary. This technology focuses on reducing the humidity in the building all year around. With this system in place, you no longer have to be fearful of condensation causing rot or mold growth. As the seasons change, make sure you adjust the humidity control seasonally. In warmer weather, you want the HRV’s humidity control to be at a higher setting. As the weather gets colder, the setting can be lowered.
4. Saves your company money and energy
An HRV system is a great way to cut costs. Installing an HRV system in your office is a great way to save money and reduce your energy requirements for heating by reusing the heat that is normally lost through gaps in construction or from opening windows to circulate stale air. An HRV system is also designed to operate continuously at a low rate to minimize energy consumption.
Contact Us
At EnergyLink, we are committed to helping our clients find energy-saving solutions during this time. For more information on how to cut costs and how to finance an energy system upgrade, contact us!
