About this program:

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This session explores the connections between our built environment and our health and the importance and benefits of an airtight envelope coupled with balanced, filtered, and continuous ventilation with heat recovery. We can reduce the sources of contaminants by using healthy high performance building materials and we can effectively control, remove, and dilute others with with mechanical heat recovery ventilation (HRV) and enthalpy/energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems. H/ERVs allow us to control how much fresh oxygenated air is brought in, supply and exhaust it to/from desired zones, and improve the quality of that air, while reducing the amount of energy needed to heat that incoming air. This presentation discusses many of the ways our indoor air effects our health and well being as well as the technical aspects behind the top HRV and ERV systems. 

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What You'll Learn

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• Outline the relationship between air-tightness and a building’s comfort, energy-efficiency, and risk of condensation, rot, and mold.

• List the benefits of mechanical, continuous, balanced, ventilation with heat recovery to the building and occupants.

• Understand what makes an H/ERV unit high performance

• Describe sources of contamination to our indoor environment

• Understand the basics on how to design and install an HRV/ERV system well

 

About the Presenter:

Gabrielle is a the Brink Team Manager specializing in the centralized Brink H/ERV systems. Her previous positions working in improving efficiency and optimizing building operations, five years in healthcare, and her childhood around construction, provide her a unique perspective on the relationship between our homes, indoor environment, and health. Gabrielle has a M.S. in Sustainable Architecture/Engineering, B.S. in Physiology, Neurobiology and Chemistry, is a Certified Passive House Tradesperson, and a LEED Green Associate. Outside of work she enjoys home improvement projects, podcasts, winter sports, sailing, and time with family.

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Program Level:

Intermediate

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Content Areas:

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Residential Buildings; Balancing Energy Efficiency and IAQ; Ventilation; Filtration; IAQ Monitoring; Construction Practices and Building Science; New Technologies

 

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