Table of Contents
- The core is built from thin, water-vapor-permeable membranes stacked into counter-flow or cross-flow channels. Sensible heat moves through the membrane by conduction, while water vapor diffuses along its partial-pressure gradient. The result is total (enthalpy) recovery without any air mixing.
- Laboratories and cleanrooms where cross-contamination must be avoided — see cleanroom HVAC heat recovery and laboratory heat recovery. Hospitals and clinics with strict infection-control requirements. Humid climates where latent recovery matters as much as temperature recovery.
- Metric Typical Range Sensible effectiveness 70–85% Latent (enthalpy) effectiveness 60–80% Pressure drop per side 100–250 Pa
- A desiccant wheel can deliver deeper dehumidification but needs regeneration energy and carries a frost or condensation risk in cold exhaust. A membrane core recovers latent heat passively and is simpler to maintain. For a side-by-side comparison, read enthalpy recovery wheel vs membrane. Because membranes have no rotating seal, they avoid the leakage and imbalance issues covered in energy recovery wheel troubleshooting, making them a low-maintenance choice for critical ventilation.
Membrane energy recovery ventilation (MERV) uses a stationary, non-rotating polymer membrane core to transfer both sensible and latent heat between supply and exhaust airstreams. Unlike a rotating energy recovery wheel, a membrane exchanger has no moving parts and physically separates the two airstreams, which eliminates the carryover of moisture, odors, and particulates that can occur with desiccant wheels.
The core is built from thin, water-vapor-permeable membranes stacked into counter-flow or cross-flow channels. Sensible heat moves through the membrane by conduction, while water vapor diffuses along its partial-pressure gradient. The result is total (enthalpy) recovery without any air mixing.
- Laboratories and cleanrooms where cross-contamination must be avoided — see cleanroom HVAC heat recovery and laboratory heat recovery.
- Hospitals and clinics with strict infection-control requirements.
- Humid climates where latent recovery matters as much as temperature recovery.
| Metric | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Sensible effectiveness | 70–85% |
| Latent (enthalpy) effectiveness | 60–80% |
| Pressure drop per side | 100–250 Pa |
A desiccant wheel can deliver deeper dehumidification but needs regeneration energy and carries a frost or condensation risk in cold exhaust. A membrane core recovers latent heat passively and is simpler to maintain. For a side-by-side comparison, read enthalpy recovery wheel vs membrane.
Because membranes have no rotating seal, they avoid the leakage and imbalance issues covered in energy recovery wheel troubleshooting, making them a low-maintenance choice for critical ventilation.