As building designs continue to pursue greater user comfort coupled with efficient HVAC systems, ventilation becomes an increasingly vital part of the solution. Delivering fresh air via Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems with Heat Recovery Ventilators is becoming more common practice, however the cost of de-coupling ventilation air from conditioned air often holds back better building designs.
To demonstrate the economic benefit of de-coupled systems, we will explore the building types and situations where a DOAS/HRV system makes the most sense, how to zone indoor spaces most cost-effectively, and what target CFM/ton can be pursued to keep the payback of these systems within an acceptable range to keep them from becoming value-engineered out of a design.