Why MVHR ticks so many boxes for your new, low-energy home and a healthier you

June 01, 2020 by Greg Bishop

With a dizzying number of competing technologies vying for the attention of the new home builder – providing unprecedented levels of comfort and efficiency, while decreasing environmental impact – it can be difficult to choose which ones are a ‘nice to have’ and which ones are a must.

MVHR – An Integral Part of Your Low-energy Strategy

The single largest on-going cost of a conventional build is space heating and so increasing airtightness and insulation should be top of your shopping list. However, maximising those two elements alone would lead to stale air, damp and black mould. So, helping your air-tight home to breathe with quality ventilation is another ‘must have’, and with MVHR, the added efficiency advantages mean it’s mandated by industry experts such as Passivhaus and a best practice for the Energy Saving Trust.

A Healthier Environment for your Family

MVHR is a lifestyle choice as well as a money-saver. Too many homes suffer from poor ventilation using the traditional trickle vent/ extractor fan method creating poor air quality within the home. Stale, humid air can be contaminated with toxins, dust particles, mould spores and smells from the kitchen and bathroom and added to by pollution and pollen from outside, creating and perpetuating a myriad of health issues. MVHR saves your body from dealing with these air-borne pollutants, removing poor air and replacing it with a constant supply of high-quality, dehumidified fresh air from outside, filtered to remove its impurities. A much healthier living environment is the outcome for everyone, but particularly those sensitive to air quality including asthma and allergy sufferers.

Efficiency and Money Saving

Traditional forms of ventilation let cold air in while throwing away the warmth you’ve paid for. With MVHR, warm air is not just released but is used to constantly pre-warm fresh replacement air coming in, minimising the energy lost. In fact, 95% of the heat can be recovered, and the ‘single largest on-going cost’, heating, can be reduced by up to 25%. Reduced even further, with the other elements of your low energy strategy, another Passivhaus requirement can be met, with your home requiring only a little additional energy to maintain a comfortable year-round climate.

Comfort

MVHR constantly balances out warm and cold air and so as well as warming in-coming cold air in winter, it can replace stuffy warm air in the Summer with cooler filtered air.

Controlled ventilation also means an MVHR home is also draught-free and more peaceful.

Low Running Costs

Costs vary depending on size of property and system requirements but could be as little as £40 a year running costs.

NGRE

If you are interested in an MVHR system, fill out our contact form, and one of our experienced team will be in touch to discuss your requirements.

We can help you through the entire process, from initial enquiry through to commissioning, including a full survey and CAD drawings of the proposed duct runs, supplying and installing as well as notifying the relevant authorities.

NGRE specialise in the supply of the latest renewable solutions for architects, builders and homeowners in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas and have more than 10 years’ experience.