Large Business | FPL Energy Recovery Ventilation: A Fresh Approach to Saving Energy for Your Business
 

Energy Recovery Ventilation: A Fresh Approach to Saving Energy for Your Business

  Business Sense: Making the Most of FPL’s ERV Incentive
  To qualify for FPL’s ERV incentive your system must:

  • Be an enthalpy wheel or plate type ERV system which recovers both sensible and latent heat from the building exhaust.
  • Control humidity using either desiccant or moisture transfer membranes.
  • Be listed on the ARI Web site (www.ari.org) with at least a 50 percent total cooling effectiveness rating.
  • Be installed by an FPL Participating Independent Contractor (for HVAC systems smaller than 65,000 BTU/hour).
  The amount of your incentive will be based on the size and efficiency of the ERV unit, as well as the heating type for the HVAC system.
  These programs are subject to modification or cancellation at any time with notice. Final eligibility requirements are specified in the program standards.

Fresh air is essential to healthy people – and healthy buildings. That’s why commercial buildings are required to bring in fresh air – typically 15-20 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for every occupant. This unconditioned air greatly increases your building’s air-conditioning load – and since an equal amount of air must be vented outdoors, you’re basically “throwing away” air you’ve paid to cool.

Energy recovery ventilation systems – or “ERVs” – help reduce this waste and lower your energy costs. What’s more, an FPL incentive program now helps businesses pay for this technology – so you can save even more when you install a qualifying ERV unit on a new or existing HVAC system.

ERV options

ERV systems use your building’s exhaust to precondition the incoming fresh air. Two of the most widely used ERV systems are:

  • Enthalpy Wheels: Wheels that slowly turn through both the exhaust and incoming air flows, transferring heat from one to the other. They are among the least expensive and most efficient ERVs when packaged with the HVAC systems.
  • Plate Type Heat Exchangers: Layers of plates that come into contact with both the exhaust air and incoming air. They have no moving parts and recent technological advances have enhanced moisture removal.

This following illustration shows a typical ERV layout serving a rooftop air conditioning unit, where most or all of the exhaust is available for recovery.

A stand alone ERV system can recover energy from air being exhausted from spaces like restrooms, offices, breakrooms, etc.

ERVs save money

ERVs can save money in several ways:

  • Reduced Peak Demand: The Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute estimates an ERV system can reduce a building’s air conditioning design load by up to 4 tons per 1,000 cfm of air-handling capacity. A typical office building’s can reduce its air conditioning load by up to 20 percent – and cut total energy costs by as much as 10 percent a year.
  • Increased System Efficiency: ERV systems recover energy that would otherwise be wasted, increasing the efficiency of both heating and cooling – in some cases by as much as 40 percent at peak design conditions.
  • Improved Humidity Control: Moisture absorbing desiccant or moisture transfer membranes control indoor humidity levels, which helps prevent mold and mildew.

Everybody wins

With ERV technology, building owners save money, occupants work in more comfortable surroundings, and all of us benefit from reduced energy demand.

Start saving today

Contact your Customer Manager or our Business Care Center at 1-800-FPL-5566 (1-800-375-5566) to learn more.