We can all agree to the sheer fact that VRFHVAC units offer superior energy efficiency and the ability for a quick return on investment. As a quick reminder, VRF stands for variable refrigerant flow, which goes a surprisingly long way toward describing how this system uses a refrigerant for both air conditioning and heating.
You can deem a VRF to be a ductless, large-scale system for HVAC that performs at a high capacity. That said, this quick blog post examines some of the common methods of VRF outdoor ventilation air you should know about. Read on below to uncover more.
Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS)
A dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) is merely an air handling unit that filters and conditions 100% outdoor air, which is then distributed throughout a building as ventilation air. The good thing about using a DOAS is that it removes the ventilation air heating and cooling load from the VRF HVAC system.
It is worth noting that the DOAS is selected to handle the ventilation air heating and cooling load rather than the full heating and cooling load of each space, which reduces the needed size of the DOAS unit.
Exhaust Recovery Ventilator (ERV)
An exhaust recovery ventilator (ERV) relies on building exhaust air to pre-condition inbound building ventilation air. This, in turn, helps recover some of the energy that would have otherwise been lost through the building of exhaust fan.
Bear in mind exhaust recovery ventilators can be chosen to transfer some of the ventilation air heating and cooling load to the indoor terminal units of the VRF system or selected to handle the heating and cooling of the ventilation air exclusively.
It is highly recommended that you take it upon yourself to factor in the pros and cons of an ERV and DOAS before settling on one. The essence of doing this is to help ensure you decide on what is ideal for your heating and cooling needs. So, what are you waiting for before you finally get going with your search for the best VRFHVAC system?
