What is an erv?

An energy recovery ventilator, or ERV, is a system that employs energy recovery technology, such as a static-plate core or rotating wheel.  This process uses balanced airflows and recovers otherwise-expended total energy comprised of heat (sensible energy) and humidity (latent energy). In summer, warm and humid outside air is precooled and dehumidified via the total energy from the outgoing cool interior air. In winter, cold and dry outside air is preheated and humidified via the total energy from the outgoing warm interior air. Subsequently, less energy is needed for conditioning and ventilation, which means HVAC equipment can be downsized.

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Static Plate Core

Not all ERVs are created equal. RenewAire’s high-efficiency, static-plate, enthalpy-core ERVs utilize a highly developed air-to-air energy-exchange core. Many layers of plates physically separate the airstreams so there’s no cross-contamination of the fresh air. The plates are made of an engineered “resin” material that simultaneously transfers heat through conduction and humidity by attracting bound water vapor from one airstream to the other. This is done while moderating extremes in both temperature and humidity.