Table of Contents
- Classrooms are among the most densely occupied spaces in any building. With 20 to 30 students per room and high metabolic CO2 loads, ventilation rates under ASHRAE 62.1 approach 10 to 15 litres per second per person. Without recovery, exhausting that air year-round means discarding both heating energy in winter and cooling energy in summer.
- Opening windows is unreliable and, in polluted or noisy urban settings, impractical. Mechanical supply-and-exhaust systems with energy recovery cut the conditioning load by 60 to 80 percent compared with a conventional make-up air unit, because incoming fresh air is pre-conditioned by the outgoing exhaust.
- Plate (fixed-core) exchangers – best for balanced, frost-free climates and low maintenance. Enthalpy wheels – preferred where humid summers demand moisture-transfer control. Heat-pipe or run-around coils – used when supply and exhaust streams are physically separated.
- Demand-controlled ventilation tied to CO2 sensors modulates flow to actual occupancy, saving further energy during empty periods while protecting cognitive performance. 26YC air-to-air plate exchangers are a common retrofit for district school portfolios seeking quick payback and quiet operation.
Classrooms are among the most densely occupied spaces in any building. With 20 to 30 students per room and high metabolic CO2 loads, ventilation rates under ASHRAE 62.1 approach 10 to 15 litres per second per person. Without recovery, exhausting that air year-round means discarding both heating energy in winter and cooling energy in summer.
Opening windows is unreliable and, in polluted or noisy urban settings, impractical. Mechanical supply-and-exhaust systems with energy recovery cut the conditioning load by 60 to 80 percent compared with a conventional make-up air unit, because incoming fresh air is pre-conditioned by the outgoing exhaust.
- Plate (fixed-core) exchangers – best for balanced, frost-free climates and low maintenance.
- Enthalpy wheels – preferred where humid summers demand moisture-transfer control.
- Heat-pipe or run-around coils – used when supply and exhaust streams are physically separated.
Demand-controlled ventilation tied to CO2 sensors modulates flow to actual occupancy, saving further energy during empty periods while protecting cognitive performance. 26YC air-to-air plate exchangers are a common retrofit for district school portfolios seeking quick payback and quiet operation.