Mika Vuolle

Performance of Balanced Ventilation with Heat Recovery in Residential Buildings in a Cold Climate

Abstract This study simulated the performance of various mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation systems, incorporating heat recovery, in a typical Finnish residential apartment building. Dynamic thermal simulations were undertaken, representing a period of a year. These simulations incorporated the building details combined with information about the HVAC-systems, internal thermal loads and outdoor climate. The ventilation systems investigated included a simple centralised constant air volume (CAV) mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation system and a decentralised air handling unit that included an option for variable air volume (VAV) for demand-controlled ventilation. Energy consumption, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, pressure conditions, and air infiltration flows were simulated.