Talking About Green

Ventilation is the exchange of inside air with outside air. There are two types of home ventilation systems one is natural wherein air comes into the house by means of open doors & windows and other is mechanical ventilation wherein electrical devices like fans are used to circulate and purify the air.
Every house requires ventilation for controlling the dampness, bad smell that flock in badly ventilated homes. Bad ventilated house may also cause irritation and health problems. Though thicker insulation results into energy efficiency and savings, it has made it almost impossible for these homes to breathe. In order to permit outside air in, houses should be built based on proper ventilation.
Energy recovery ventilation system reduces energy loss and helps in ventilating a home. The system cuts down the costs of heating in winters through exchange of hot inside air with the cold fresh outside air. In the summer, the inside air cools the incoming supply of warmer air and reduces ventilation costs.
There are two types of energy-recovery systems: heat-recovery ventilators and energy-recovery ventilators. The main difference between the two techniques is on the working of heat exchanger. In an energy-recovery ventilator, the heat exchanger transfers some water vapor with heat energy, while in a heat-recovery ventilator it only transfers the heat.
As an energy recovery ventilator remove some vapors from the outgoing air to the incoming winter air with lesser humidity, the level of humidity of the house remains unchanged. Because of this the heat exchanger core gets warmer and minimizes the problems of freezing.
In summer energy-recovery ventilator help in controlling humidity of the house by moving some water vapor present in the incoming air to the drier air which go out from the house. To keep indoor humidity levels low, it is advisable to turn off the system in very humid weather.
Almost 75% of the energy in the outgoing air may be recovered by energy recovery ventilation systems. It is also cost effective in extreme winters or summers and where fuel costs are very high.