Performance of Heat Recovery Ventilation System with Ground Source Brine Heat Exchanger Pre-Heating System in the Context of nZEB

Abstract

The paper analyzes effectiveness of the ventilation unit pre-heating system with a ground source brine heat exchanger in a nearly zero energy building in Estonia. Focus is on the analysis of measured energy usage and possible effects on the energy usage of alternative solutions of the ventilation pre-heating system in terms of nearly zero energy building. The studied building was planned and realized according to the international passive house concept. To further lower the energy demand, the building was equipped with a solar thermal system and a photovoltaic solar system to cover the total final energy demand of the building, making it nearly zero energy building. The ventilation system is equipped with temperature and relative humidity sensors to measure supply, extract, exhaust air parameters and air parameters before and after the pre-heating system. Energy usage to pre-heat the ventilation airflow with a ground source brine heat exchanger was also measured. Our results show that annual energy used for pre-heating the ventilation airflow is around 420 kWh, which makes about 3% of the building’s total energy usage. The efficiency of the ventilation unit heat exchanger was over 80 % in the winter season due to the pre-heating system.