The Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC, http://www.cchrc.org) is researching alternative ventilation options that could be better suited for small homes (under 1500 sq ft. typically with less than 50 CFM required ventilation) in Alaska.

Project Background: Indoor air quality is an important factor in the health of home occupants. The current methods of providing fresh air to the space while exhausting stale air have the potential for variable results. This variability is often due to user interaction with ventilation systems, climatically inappropriate systems, or lack of education about the systems. Ventilation systems that deliver too much cold air, use excess energy, and/or over-dry a house tend to get shut off. HRVs with dedicated defrost cycles are well proven in Alaska but the large size and cost make them less than ideal for smaller homes.

If you have experience in installation and design of whole-house mechanical ventilation systems for smaller and air-tight homes, please respond to these questions:

What products have you used to address ventilation in Passive House US (or equivalently air-tight) homes under 1500 sq ft?
What climate zone did you use this product?
Would you recommend or advise against this product, and why?
If possible, please share cost information for the unit, installation, and maintenance.

If you’d prefer, please direct responses to [[email protected]]. Thank you!