April 1st, 2011 - Posted By: Kelly

To achieve zero net energy, zHome is super insulated and extremely tightly sealed. This is great for preventing energy and heat loss, but also prevents any naturally occurring ventilation. A home needs proper ventilation to bring in fresh air, remove stale air and provide moisture control.  Heat Recovery Ventilation provides the perfect solution for providing fresh air while maintaining energy efficiency.

Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) is a countercurrent heat exchange between inbound and outbound airflow.  Heat from the outgoing stream of air is transferred to the incoming stream of fresh air.  The HRV contains an air to air heat exchanger (essentially a honeycomb with half the pipes for exhaust and half for intake)  This way, there is constant air flow, with less loss of heat than would occur with direct ventilation of outside air.  Less energy is needed to heat the house because the heat is continuously exchanged.  

Below is a photo of the HRV system in zHome:

zHome includes a small ducting system to route the fresh air through the home – about 25% the size of forced air furnace ducting.