Energy Savings and Radon Mitigation with Heat exchanger ventilation system in Residential Buildings

Keramatollah Akbari, Malardalens University

Abstract

Abstract Balanced ventilation with heat recovery has strongly effects on radon mitigation and energy saving in residential buildings.

While reducing radon by means of forced ventilation, it is necessary to increase outdoor supplied air, and this in turn raising energy use. Also through ventilation systems energy losses is inevitable by exhaust fan or another ways, but by heat recovery technology it is possible to recover most of this heat loss.

Heat recovery ventilation systems which recover exhaust air can reduce ventilation loss significantly and with balancing indoor air pressure play a good role on effectiveness of ventilation to reduce and mitigate radon level.

This paper deals with the effects of heat exchanger on radon concentration and energy consumption in a detached house in Stockholm, as a case study. The performance of heat recovery ventilation system in the viewpoints of radon mitigation and energy saving is investigated with radon concentration measurements and life cycle cost analysis during winter.

The results of measurements and dynamic simulation showed that heat recovery ventilation system can reduce radon level from about 900 Bqm-3 to below 100 Bqm-3 and 80% energy savings of ventilation loss, amounted about 500 kWh per month in winter and to 37 kWh/m2.a in cold climate with ventilation rate 0.5 ach and 5000 heating degree days.