Energy Recovery
One of the strategies for keeping energy use low is to recover as much energy as possible. Energy Recovery Ventilators recover heat and cooling from the outgoing air. But what about all that hot water going down the drain when you shower?
Drain Water Heat Recovery
Drain water heat recovery extends the life of your water heater. It lowers the energy used for water heating by approximately one third.
The drain water heat recovery system in the Next Generation Home captures heat from hot water pouring down the drains and uses it to preheat the cold water going into the water heater. This system can reduce a water heater’s energy consumption by up to 25%!
The Power-Pipe® in the Next Generation Home consists of copper tubes wrapped around a copper drain pipe. The waste water from your shower flows down the copper drain pipe, clinging to the inner surface as a very thin film. At the same time, cold fresh water travels up through the wrapped copper tubes. The heat in the waste water travels safely and efficiently through the copper and into the cold fresh water. Energy conservation doesn’t get any simpler.
A Breath Of Fresh Air
In conventional homes, air moves in and out through leaks in the building envelope and open windows and doors. That lets things inside that we don’t want to breathe in, like smoke, vehicle exhaust or pollen, and lets heat out. A high performance home is airtight, so mechanical ventilation by an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is used to move air in and out. They can also filter out pollutants.
An energy exchanger recovers heat or cold from outgoing stale air to moderate the temperature of the incoming air, saving energy. Outside air is brought in, filtered, and then pre-warmed or cooled before circulating through the home. Stale and moist air from activities like cooking, showering, or even smells from new furniture, is exhausted out.
