Demand-Controlled Ventilation in Multiy-story, Multi-residential Buildings
Tuesday, 23 February 2010 | |
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This paper discusses the benefits of demandcontrolled ventilation (DCV) systems in multi-story, multi-residential buildings which include improving building energy efficiency, enhancing comfort and other key performance factors.
DCV has a significant history of use in multi-story, multi-family buildings. This paper reviews the application of DCV in new, retrofit and renovated building projects, and discusses the significant benefits associated with such practices – in particular, for high-performance ventilation, energy savings and comfort.
DCV is ideally suited for vertical subdivisions due to ease of installation and compliance with the latest building codes, particular those related to multistory clothes dryer exhaust. More importantly, DCV enhances high-performance ventilation, as a result of quiet operation, reduced uncontrolled air infiltration and exfiltration – which can lead to improved indoor air quality (IAQ) – and substantial energy savings from reduced volumes of conditioned air exhausted and lower fan operating cost.
In terms of cost, a fixed speed ventilation system used with a clothes dryer can exhaust close to $800 of conditioned air annually, while a DCV system only exhausts $250. Similar differences can be found for bathroom and kitchen exhaust systems.
Actual savings depend on location.
This paper will examine general principles and recommended practices for selecting and designing DCV systems. We also review saving models that can be used to determine possible energy savings and ROI on retrofit projects.
In addition, an outline of performance expectations, such as durability, energy efficiency, sustainability considerations, and maintenance requirements is presented. We also present several case studies that highlight the real-world track record of DCV.
Properly specified and applied, DCV is shown to provide significant benefits for new construction and renovation projects.
