Frequently asked questions

Below are answers to frequently asked questions. For any additional questions, please contact us.

Are there any financing options?

Financing is available for qualified customers in qualified locations, whereby the installation costs are paid overtime and effectively defrayed by the energy savings. If you are interested in financing, we will bring in an HLR financing professional to help you evaluate your options.

Is there a warranty?

The HLR system comes with an industry standard one-year warranty that covers parts and labor.

Which is more important? Carbon Dioxide or VOCs?

From an indoor air quality standpoint, this has been a subject of debate with the most recent science pointing to the relatively higher importance of CO2. But from an energy savings standpoint, they are equally important and cannot be separated. Since our aim is to offer a comprehensive solution to reducing energy costs while maintaining air quality, we must comprehensively address all potential indoor air contaminants. Ours is the only solution, other than wasteful outside air ventilation, to address both CO2 and VOCs and does not favor or select a subset as being more important to address in maintaining air quality.

A centralized sensor at the return-air may not be good enough, because we have several zones, each with its own Carbon Dioxide loads. Can you accommodate inputs from our distributed sensors?

Yes, we can. However, these inputs are unlikely to add value, because by design the centralized return air feeding into the HLR mixes the air from all the rooms to which it is connected. Localized CO2 sensors are useful primarily as occupancy sensors (and are formally required for DCV) but are not necessary for proper IAQ management by the HLR nor are they required for compliance with ASHRAE 62.1 IAQP.

We have a significant indoor odor problem in our building. Can the enVerid HLR system help?

The HLR is not the appropriate solution for indoor odor problems because it is designed to deal with “ordinary” airborne contaminant levels that are typically found in buildings and successfully being addressed with ventilation. If there are currently odor problems under normal ventilation, there is likely an unusually high level of indoor contaminants that the HLR is not designed to address.

We have poor air quality. Can enVerid's HLR system help?

It depends on the source of the poor air quality. The HLR module delivers significant energy savings while maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ). However, the HLR is designed to replace the role of outside air ventilation, and not necessarily to address IAQ problems that ordinary ventilation does not solve.

Can we get LEED points if we install the HLR?

Yes. USGBC has an initiative to encourage companies to reduce outdoor air in order to save energy. USGBC is looking for partners to pilot initiatives to save energy by reducing outdoor air usage. Installation of the HLR system can earn LEED credits. If you are interested, we can make an introduction to the right contacts at USGBC and help you with the process.

Is HLR approved by ASHRAE/compliant with ASHRAE guidelines?

HLR is compliant with ASHRAE guidelines. ASHRAE does not “approve” or endorse products.

ASHRAE Standard 62.1 for ventilation and IAQ allows for two modes of operation:

  1. The “Prescriptive Path”, also known as the Ventilation Rate Procedure (VRP), defines the minimum amount of fresh air ventilation based on square footage and occupancy levels.
  2. The “Performance Path”, also known as the Indoor Air Quality Procedure (IAQP) allows for fresh air modulation based on monitoring of indoor air contaminants. The HLR is compliant with ASHRAE’s 62.1 Performance Path, as was officially recognized by ASHRAE in the Jan. 2015 meeting of the ASHRAE 62.1 Committee and published on the ASHRAE website in Feb. 2015.

What is the expected energy savings?

Dependent on climate and baseline building efficiency, most buildings will see 20% average annual savings, with peak savings as high as 40-50%.

What is the energy consumption of the HLR?

The ROI calculation provided as part of the HLR proposal includes the net energy savings. The HLR average energy consumption is negligible relative to the energy savings.

Does the system have its own filter for the outside air? If so, how often does it need to be replaced?

The HLR system does have a filter for outside air, however outside air is being drawn in only during regeneration, which is rarely over one hour per day, and often less. Thus, the required filter’s replacement is only once per year and is recommended to be replaced annually along with the cartridges.

Does the HLR introduce a pressure drop in the return air?

The HLR is installed as a slip stream with its own booster fan, therefore it does not affect air flow or pressure drops in the air handling systems.

What are the building pressure implications? How do you keep the air pressure in the building balanced?

The HLR doesn’t block the outside air completely, leaving just enough of the normal outside air intake for offsetting exhaust and building pressure balancing. During the site analysis, we will evaluate the building’s exhaust rates and adjust the minimum OA to this level.

How is the regeneration performed during the winter when the outdoor temperature is very low?

The first generation HLR units were designed for summer operation only. Our newest model (which will be available in May 2015) features so-called “closed-loop regeneration” and does not depend on heated outside air. Therefore, it operates as easily in winter as in summer.

Can the HLR be installed to scrub the supply air instead of the return air?

Yes, and we have done it for some customers, and it even slightly improves the HLR’s performance, but it is usually easier to connect to the return air.

How is air quality monitored?

Indoor air quality is monitored in two ways:

  1. Real time monitoring via multiple built-in state of the art CO2 sensors and VOC sensors.
  2. Periodic air samples which we take from your indoor space and send to an independent third-party lab for detailed analysis.

What is the return on investment (ROI)?

ROI largely depends on building setups, climate, and the local cost of energy. We will be able to provide a better estimate after visiting the site and will include a projected ROI as part of the proposal.

How is energy savings reported?

One of enVerid’s strengths is that the savings of installing the HLR are directly measured, easy to reconfirm and visible via the HLR software. We perform a procedure where we turn the system off and compare the HVAC energy usage to the previous day when the system was on. We can do a periodic on/off comparison (day on/day off, week on/week off, etc.) as often as required even long after the system has been installed and operating.

Contact us today to discover the HLR advantage!

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