7ways an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) can save money for your next commercial building project.

By -


An Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) can significantly reduce energy costs for a small commercial building in the southern United States by improving the efficiency of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system. Here are several ways an ERV achieves this:

 

# 1 Heat Exchange Efficiency

ERVs transfer heat between incoming and outgoing air streams. In warm climates, they can cool incoming fresh air by transferring the heat to the outgoing stale air, reducing the load on the air conditioning system. This process helps maintain indoor comfort without requiring as much energy for cooling.

 


#2 Humidity Control


In humid southern climates, ERVs also transfer moisture. They can reduce the humidity of incoming air by transferring moisture to the outgoing air, which reduces the need for dehumidification. This leads to lower energy consumption as the HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard to remove excess humidity.

 

#3 Reduced HVAC Load

By pre-conditioning the incoming air (either by cooling or dehumidifying it), ERVs reduce the amount of work the HVAC system must do. This results in lower energy consumption, as the HVAC system can operate more efficiently.

 

#4 Improved indoor Air Quality (IAQ

ERVs bring in fresh outdoor air while exhausting indoor air, which improves IAQ. Better IAQ can contribute to higher productivity and comfort for occupants, which can indirectly reduce energy costs by promoting a healthier, more comfortable work environment.

 

#5 Balanced Ventilation

ERVs maintain a balanced airflow, which helps prevent over-pressurization or under-pressurization of the building. Proper pressure balance reduces the infiltration of unconditioned outdoor air, which can otherwise increase the HVAC load and energy costs.

 

#6 Reduced Peak Load Demand

By lowering the demand on the HVAC system, ERVs can help reduce the peak load demand on the building's energy system. This can result in lower demand charges from utility companies, which are often based on peak usage periods.

 

#7 Long-Term Cost Savings

While there is an initial investment in installing an ERV, the long-term energy savings can outweigh the initial costs. ERVs typically result in lower utility bills due to decreased energy consumption for heating, cooling, and dehumidification.

 

Practical Example

Consider a small office building in a southern state where summers are hot and humid. Without an ERV, the HVAC system must cool and dehumidify the outdoor air brought in for ventilation. By installing an ERV, the building can pre-cool and dehumidify this incoming air, reducing the HVAC system's workload. Over time, this leads to significant energy savings, particularly during peak summer months when air conditioning costs are highest.

 

We installed a Panasonic Intelli Balance 100 on my recent project for a custom home. 



We sealed the entire house and to bring in fresh air we decided on this ERV. The house is 1,800 SF with a 9-foot ceiling height throughout. The cost to supply and install this ERV was $2,400.



As seen from this diagram the incoming air flows across the outgoing air. 

The hot outside air is cooled by the outgoing cool air in hot climates.  This transfer of energy saves electric costs for the homeowner. For this house, we figured a $50 per month savings based on the electrical costs of $.11 per kilowatt hour. The payback would be 4 years. The Panasonic ERV has a warranty of 6 years and can exceed a 10-year lifespan with regular maintenance.

 

Retail Project

For Retail and office buildings, The Texas A&M Energy Systems Laboratory conducted an  

Analysis of Energy Recovery Ventilator Savings for Texas Buildings. (Enclosed link)

ESL-IC-09-11-31.pdf (tamu.edu)

Their findings are listed above for an office/classroom in College Station, Texas 

For a typical office building that only requires 10% outside air, an ERV could save up to $1.00 per CFM of outside air over one year. 

The constant replacement of outdoor air with fresh air helps eliminate odors and keep humidity levels low, preventing moisture problems such as mold growth that can result from excess moisture in the air.



Maintenance costs would be the cleaning of the filters every 4 months and probably replacing them every 6 months. 

Conclusion=

Implementing an ERV in a small commercial building in the south can lead to substantial energy cost savings by improving HVAC efficiency, managing humidity levels, balancing ventilation, and reducing peak load demand. These benefits contribute to a more energy-efficient and cost-effective building operation.


Shettig Construction Management provides Professional Design-Build Construction Management services from the inception of your project through completion. www.shettig.com mshettig@gmail.com





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

When is it good to use the Design-Build Method on Construction Projects?

By -
Image
The Design-build method on your construction project versus the traditional Design, bid, build method. Project: Huntsman Chemical Computer Building Addition, Conroe, Texas  I met Huntsman in mid-August and reviewed their completed drawings for the project.   They required that their project be complete by December 1 st . Their design showed a 44’ x 40’ painted block addition, one story along with bar joists and a structural steel deck with poured concrete and a gable steel frame roof with metal roof panels.                                  Bar joists with metal deck and poured concrete deck. METAL BAR JOISTS SCHEDULE PROBLEM Bar joists require a 10–12-week delivery after the shop drawing review. This puts the delivery in early December. Their design is a 7-month schedule project, not the 3 months that they desired. REDESIGN OF THE PROJECT TO A STRUCTURAL STEEL FRAMING I discussed with them that they would have to change the design to a structural steel beam design instead of the bar
Read more

Pre-Construction in the Design Build Method of Construction

By -
Image
The Design-Build Method is an alternative in the building of your project.  In the Design-Build method, you will start an immediate collaboration with your Design-Build consultant (DBC) The Pre-Construction activities are the first part of the Design-Build Method. The pre-construction phase starts with a Preliminary drawing or sketch that can be generated by the Design-Build consultant or the Owner. Develop Estimates and Budgets From there, you want to establish the Budget of the project from the design stage through the construction stage. The DBC team will start with square foot estimates. As more detailed drawings are completed by the  D BC, they will develop a more detailed construction estimate.   Incorporate Value Engineering into your  project. At this point, the DBC will develop some Value engineering suggestions and Options for the building. The Value Engineering suggestions would look at alternate materials, methods, and components in the design that can add value and reduce
Read more

Notices of Nonperformance to a Trade Contractor on a construction project

By -
Image
  Bridgewater College Dormitory Project Let me give you an example of an underperforming contractor from one of my past projects. I was involved in the building a $2.7 million Bridgewater Dormitory on the Campus of Bridgewater University in Bridgewater, Virginia. The Structure is 3 stories with a basement. Bridgewater Dormitory Liquidated Damage Project This was a liquidated damage clause project. The project had to be completed before the school year started in late August. Liquidated Damages clause means that if we go over the allotted time for the project then we would be charged a specific amount for each day that we were over the time limit. So,  the overall schedule of this project was very critical to the completion of the project. The critical path of this project was the construction of the exterior masonry work which included the brick and the Capstone on the top of the building. Every Trade Contractor is tied to the overall schedule of the project and the completion date.
Read more