RenewAire ERV Energy Recovery Ventilator User Guide
- June 16, 2024
- RenewAire
Table of Contents
ERV GUIDE
FOR ENHANCED INDOOR AIR QUALITY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ERV Energy Recovery Ventilator
BENEFITS OF INCREASED VENTILATION
EVERY GEOGRAPHY, EVERY CLIMATE, EVERY HOME, EVERY BUILDING AND EVERY APPLICATION RENEWAIRE EVERYWHERE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY MATTERS
DEFICIENT INDOOR AIR QUALITY IS A THREAT
As buildings get tighter to seal weather out, they seal in contaminants,
causing deficient indoor air quality (IAQ). Typical contaminants include off-
gassing from carpeting, furniture and building materials,excess humidity and
mold, odors, cooking and cleaning fumes, CO2, hair and fibers, to name a few.
Deficient IAQ is a threat since it can harm occupant health and cognitive
function, damage structures and hurt the bottom line.
It’s especially concerning since people spend about 90% of their time indoors,
and indoor air can be two to five times—and up to 100 times— more polluted
than outdoor air. The EPA ranks indoor air pollution as a top-five health
risk.
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF DEFICIENT IAQ
HEALTH PROBLEMS
Deficient IAQ can cause allergies, headaches, coughs, asthma, skin
irritations and breathing difficulties, as well as cancer, liver disease,
kidney damage and nervous-system failure.
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Harvard and Berkeley Lab found that CO2— a constituent of exhaled
breath—negatively impacts thinking and decision-making at levels commonly
found indoors.
DISEASE TRANSMISSION
Ventilation with outdoor air is vital to diluting airborne contaminants and decreasing disease transmission rates.
REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY
Berkeley Lab found that deficient IAQ can cost $200 billion in debilitated
worker performance and $58 billion in lost sick time.
VENTILATION CAN ENHANCE IAQ AND DECREASE THE TRANSMISSION OF AIRBORNE INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INCLUDING COVID-19: BIT.LY/COVID19WP_22
PEOPLE SPEND 90% OF THEIR TIME INDOORS
Everyone is at risk of suffering from deficient IAQ. Due to weaker immune
systems, children and seniors are the most vulnerable. Children are especially
susceptible because proportionally they inhale more pollutants than adults and
have narrower airways (World Health Organization).
-
Contaminated Airborne Aerosols: Aerosols generated by coughing, sneezing, talking and breathing can act as carriers for viruses and bacteria
-
Humidity: Exhaled breath, water sources (faucets, showers, leaks, floods)
REDUCE INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANTS -
Carbon Dioxide: Constituent of exhaled breath
-
Formaldehyde: Off-gassed from adhesives, fabric treatments, stains, varnishes
-
Odors: Bathrooms, kitchens, dry-erase markers, occupant odors (perfume, soap/shampoo residue, clothing detergent, general odors), pets
-
Tobacco smoke: Smoking areas close to building entrance
-
Phthalates: Off-gassed from adhesives, vinyl flooring, wood finishes, plastic plumbing pipes, other building materials
-
VOCs, toxic gases, vapors: Off-gassed from furniture, carpets, paints, cleaners, solvents, glues, building materials
-
Ozone: Off-gassed from copiers, electrostatic air cleaners, other office equipment
REDUCE ENERGY COSTS AND IMPROVE IAQ AT HOME
HIGHEST-QUALITY INDOOR AIR VIA VENTILATION
The solution to pollution is dilution achieved via increased and balanced
ventilation, which is the most effective way to realize cleaner and healthier
indoor air. With enough controlled fresh and filtered outdoor air coming in to
replace equal parts of stale indoor air via balanced design, IAQ will be
enhanced.
TYPES OF HOME VENTILATION
| FAIR| GOOD| BETTER| BEST
---|---|---|---|---
| EXHAUSTONLY
(bath fans)| BALANCED
VENTILATION| HRV| ERV
EXHAUSTS CONTAMINANTS FROM WHOLE HOUSE: Generally, exhaust-only ventilation,
such as bath fans and oven hoods, only expel contaminants from a localized
single source. The optimal solution will provide whole-house ventilation.| |
| |
PROVIDES FILTERED SUPPLY AIR: Exhaust-only units bring in uncontrolled outdoor
air that has seeped through cracks and openings. Uncontrolled air is not
filtered air. Controlled supply air is preferable as contaminants are
filtered out.| | | |
PERFORMS WELL IN ALL CLIMATES YEAR-ROUND: Hot, humid or sub-zero extreme
environments add a heavy load onto home heating and cooling systems. Because
RenewAire ERVs temper the air (temperature and humidity) via energy recovery,
they work well in all climates. Additionally, RenewAire ERVs do NOT have
issues with freezing in winter conditions, which can be problematic for HRVs:
Since humidity is transferred via core material in an ERV, the core itself
will not freeze so there is no need for defrost (known issue with HRVs)
There are no condensate lines to freeze in an ERV (known issue with HRVs)| | |
|
OPTIMIZES ENERGY AND SAVES MONEY: Energy recovery recycles energy by reusing
the otherwise-wasted energy and humidity from exhaust air to temper incoming
outdoor air, which saves money year after year by lowering demand/load on your
mechanical AC/heating equipment.| | | |
EASY TO INSTALL: RenewAire ERVs can be mounted in multiple orientations and
they do not require drain pans, which makes them a breeze to install. By
comparison, HRVs require drain pans, which can complicate installation. Also,
ERVs provide a single exhaust point, which means less equipment to purchase
and install (no need for individual bath fans).| | Maybe | |
EASY TO MAINTAIN: Since RenewAire ERVs do not require drain pans (like HRVs),
issues with frozen drain lines in cold-weather applications are avoided.
Additionally, since ERVs provide a single exhaust point, this means less
maintenance and cleaning. Our ERVs are effortless to maintain—simply check and
replace disposable filters as needed and vacuum the ERV core face once a
year.| | Maybe | |
THE BEST SOLUTION
The best solution is RenewAire’s energy recovery ventilation technology, which
provides enhanced IAQ, greater ventilation efficiency and major energy cost
savings.
Whole Home Ventilation:
No , Single Space Exhaust
Filtered Supply Air: No
Tempered Supply Air: No| Whole Home Ventilation:
Yes , push/pull provides optimized
ventilation
effectiveness to all spaces
Filtered Supply Air: Maybe
Tempered Supply Air: No| Whole Home Ventilation:
Yes , push/pull provides optimized
ventilation
effectiveness to all spaces
Filtered Supply Air: Yes
Tempered Supply Air: Yes
BETTER HEALTH + LOWER BILLS = INCREASED VENTILATION VIA ERVs
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) 62.2 committee has established a residential ventilation standard,
known as Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential
Buildings. The goal of this standard and its continuous revisions are to not
only evaluate and recommend every building’s minimum ventilation needs, but
also emphasize indoor air quality and its relationship with occupant health.
See the chart below to calculate the minimum ventilation required for your
home: .03 x sq. ft. + 7.5(bedroom +1). For example, a 2,200 sq. ft. home with
4 bedrooms requires a minimum of 104 CFM.
**MINIMUM VENTILATION AIRFLOW REQUIRED BY HOME SIZE***
SQUARE FEET| <500′
30| 501′-1000′
45| 1001′-1500′
60| 1501′-2000′
75| 2001′-2500′
90| 2501′-3000′
105| 3001′-3500′| 3501′-4000′
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
1 BEDROOM
120| 135
2 BEDROOMS| 38| 53| 68| 83| 98| 113| 128| 143
3 BEDROOMS| 45| 60| 75| 90| 105| 120| 135| 150
4 BEDROOMS| 53| 68| 83| 98| 113| 128| 143| 158
5 BEDROOMS| 60| 75| 90| 105| 120| 135| 150| 165
- Infiltration credit not considered, please contact RenewAire to assist in selecting a unit that is best suited for your home.
SL SERIES
- 30–130 CFM
- Low-profile, commercial-grade appliance, often usedfor multi-family units
- EC motors, variable speed with boostmode, Dial-A-Flow easy balancing, plug-in and hard wired power available
- MERV 13 filter accessory
BR SERIES
40–140 CFM
Indoor
Two-duct design| GR SERIES
40–110 CFM
Indoor
Contractor grade four-duct design| EV SERIES
30–300 CFM
Four-duct design
OPTIMIZE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN EVERY SPACE
OPTIMIZING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
RenewAire ERVs are a sustainable ventilation solution. Our static-plate,cross-
flow core separates the outgoing, polluted indoor airstream from the incoming
fresh airstream—while simultaneously transferring total energy (heat and water
vapor) between the two.
Airstreams do not mix and pollutants are not transferred across partition
plates. In the winter, that means that the cold, dry outside air ispreheated
and humidified by the outgoing warm interior air. And in the summer, the warm,
humid outside air is precooled and dehumidified by the outgoing air-
conditioned interior air.
ASHRAE 90.1 ENERGY STANDARD
“Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings” is a
benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the U.S. and across the
world. ERVs are required in several instances based on climate zone and
percent of outdoor air at full design airflow rate.
RenewAire in Action: HVAC LOAD REDUCTION & HEALTHY IAQ AT GCU
- HVAC loads reduced by 40%
- Annual HVAC costs reduced by 40% every year for the life of the ERVs
- Excel in small spaces due to downsized HVAC equipment
- Work within limiting parameters of existing HVAC infrastructure
RENEWAIRE ERVs REDUCE UNIVERSITY’S ANNUAL HVAC COST BY 40%: BIT.LY/2JPAFT5
COMMERCIAL ERVs
The simplicity, flexibility, reliability and efficiency of the RenewAire HE and LE Series Commercial ERVs excel in every commercial application. The packaged solutions of the HE Series and the large capacity of the LE Series offer a wide airflow range, as well as static capacities. These innovative commercial ERVs can be applied in every type of building in every climate to maximize energy efficiency, downsize HVAC equipment and reduce costs.
HE SERIES
- Packaged solutions
- Indoor/outdoor
- 166–8,800 CFM
LE SERIES
- Large capacity
- Indoor/outdoor
- 1,500–11,000 CFM
APPLIED ERVs
The flexibility and efficiency of the RenewAire CA, PA and SA Series Applied ERVs allow for numerous applications, airflows and configurations. The CA Series modular cabinets house up to four energy recovery cores and can be installed individually or be stacked up to five cabinets high. The PA Series modular arrays of 6, 8, 9 or 12 energy recovery cores can be installed side- by-side. The SA Series is designed for air- handling Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and caters to greater airflow needs.
CA SERIES
- Modular cabinets
- Indoor/outdoor
- 500–4,400 CFM
- Stackable to 20,000 CFM
PA SERIES
- Modular panels
- Indoor
- 1,500–unlimited CFM
SA SERIES
- 2,250–70,400 CFM
- Packaged core with plenum assembly
- Flexible and modular
- Large airflow capacities
Read our SA Series case study, HVAC Engineers and Contractors Solve Refrigeration Tonnage Constraints in Hospital Lab HVAC Retrofit:
DOAS SYSTEMS
Specific codes within various regions call for DOAS-type products to deliver
100% outside air to each occupied space. Additionally, many codes call for
incorporating energy recovery. ASHRAE standard 90.1 and IECC require a minimum
of 50% of total effectiveness for the energy recovery component. Even when not
mandated, it is one of the best ways to improve a building’s energy
efficiency.
OPTIONS & ACCESSORIES
OPTIONS
- Integrated Programmable Controls
- ECM motors
- Variable frequency drives
- Motorized isolation dampers
- Bypass economizers
ACCESSORIES
- Indirect gas-fired duct furnaces
- Electric duct heaters
- Combo curbs
- Filter alarms
VIEW LIFE SIZE VERSIONS OF SELECT ERVs
HE07IN| HE10RT| 
HE1.5XIN
---|---|---
https://qr.marketscale.com/he07in| https://qr.marketscale.com/he10rt|
https://qr.marketscale.com/he15x
LE10RT| DN3RT|
https://qr.marketscale.com/le10rt| https://qr.marketscale.com/dn3rt|
RENEWAIRE ERVs TEMPER THE AIR
Our ERVs moderate the extremes of outdoor supply-air temperature and humidity year-round, providing a sustainable ventilation solution for every climate.
IN SUMMER, THE WARM, HUMID OUTSIDE AIR IS PRECOOLED AND DEHUMIDIFIED BY THE
OUTGOING COOL INTERIOR AIR
IN WINTER, THE COLD, DRY OUTSIDE AIR IS PREHEATED AND HUMIDIFIED BY THE
OUTGOING WARM INTERIOR AIR
GREEN BUILDING TRENDS
High-performance, green-building standards seek to reduce energy use and
increase ventilation to improve health, wellness, IAQ and indoor environmental
quality (IEQ). Sustainable design initiatives like ASHRAE Standard 189.1,
LEED, 2030 Challenge, Living Building Challenge and WELL Building Standard
have grown in popularity among architects, engineers, contractors and building
owners alike.
RenewAire ventilation technologies create healthier and more comfortable
indoor environments, while optimizing energy efficiency. This is done by
reusing otherwise-wasted total energy from the exhaust air to condition
incoming outdoor air. The results are exceptional IAQ, IEQ, energy reductions
and cost savings.
RENEWAIRE ERVs ARE THE SUSTAINABLE VENTILATION SOLUTION
WHY ENERGY RECOVERY IS CRITICAL
DECARBONIZATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY DEMANDS
The main responsibility of a 100% outdoor air unit is to dehumidify the
incoming air. In this process, the system inherently handles large heating and
cooling loads. Adding energy recovery significantly minimizes these loads and
the HVAC equipment required to condition the air.
ASHRAE 90.1-2010 requires the use of energy recovery based upon a unit’s
supply airflow, outdoor air percentage, geographic location and hours of
operation. The standard mandates the total effectiveness (sensible and latent)
by a minimum of 50% when required.
The effectiveness of energy recovery devices varies depending on the type,
material and airflow balance. This value is determined based on the test
procedure outlined in the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration
Institute’s (AHRI) Standard 1060.
RENEWAIRE VENTILATION SOLUTIONS INCREASE MONETARY BENEFITS
RENEWAIRE SUPPORTS THE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
PEOPLE
Reduce acute and chronic
health problems
Improve alertness
and cognitive function
Boost productivity| PLANET
Committed to green
manufacturing since 1982
Protect the environment
with less energy use
Achieve a green structure
with greater energy efficiency| PROFIT
Can benefit from a
short payback period
Realize annual energy savings
Trouble-free operations
and maintenance
For unit details and certifications, visit: RenewAire.com/our- ervs
Member of the S&P Group
Family of Brands
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>