Effectiveness of residential total heat exchanger units in mild climate regions: A study on effectiveness of total heat exchanger units in detached houses Part 1

Total heat exchangers are useful in reducing thermal load of heating and cooling systems with high electric power consumption because they decreases fresh air load, and consequently are the subject of much expectation - especially with regards to their energy saving effect in regions with under cold climatic conditions. In the present study, an evaluation was on the thermal comfort and energy saving effect when total heat exchangers were adopted for detached houses in a mild climate region. The results of the study suggest that the heating load can be reduced by about 10% and heat recovery may have a reverse effect in intermediate seasons, and also have a small effect on the cooling load, but the cooling load can be reduced by about 20% by utilizing natural ventilation.