Joel Seagren, M.AIRAH

Australian Passive House Association
Test standards for heat recovery ventilation units

Australia currently has no Australian Standard for heat recovery ventilation (HRV) unit testing or minimum performance requirements. This poses an issue to all in the industry, because customers cannot determine the performance of what they are buying, or how this might impact their energy efficiency and IAQ aspirations.

Europe has long had these regulations in place for both residential and commercial HRV units. Australia already has MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standards) for electric motors and air conditioning equipment, so it would seem reasonable that it is time to stipulate a test standard and minimum performance requirements for heat recovery ventilation equipment. After all, this also impacts building energy consumption in a world where CO2 emission reductions are becoming increasingly critical. 

This presentation reviews existing European and international test standards as a starting point for adopting a standard for use in Australia, and explains the performance consequences of not having a test standard in place.

About Joel Seagren:
Coming soon. 

(LinkedIn)