Abstract :
In December 2004 the EU RESHYVENT project was completed, a 3-year project within the EU Fifth Framework Program on the investigation and development of demand-controlled hybrid ventilation systems in residential buildings. The project is a cluster of four industrial consortia with a multi-disciplinary scientific consortium. Each of these industrial consortia has developed a working prototype of a hybrid ventilation system for a specific climate. A scientific group with 12 partners from research institutes, consultants and universities carried out the scientific research work for the development of these systems.
Energy use by ventilation losses and fans accounts for almost 10% of total energy use in EU. As dwellings represent about 25–30% of all energy used in EU countries, new innovative energy-efficient ventilation technologies for residential buildings could give an important contribution to the EU objectives on energy and CO2 reduction. The most promising ventilation systems are based on demand-controlled hybrid technologies. These are two-mode system using natural forces as long as possible and electric fans only if necessary. Sensor technologies are used to establish the exact required airflow for indoor air quality and thermal comfort to a minimal energy demand. Using hybrid ventilation systems, the expected energy saving on long term within EU is approximately 64 PJ/year for residential buildings, giving a reduction of 3.6 Mton CO2-eq./year.
