| Title |
A Study on Current Problems of Heat Recovery Ventilator Operated by Occupants in High-rise Apartment Houses |
| Authors |
Kim Jin-Hyo ; Cho Hyun ; Lee Jong-In ; Kim Yu-Sin ; Jeong Jae-Weon |
| Keywords |
High-rise Apartment ; Heat Recovery Ventilator ; Decentralized Ventilation ; Centralized Ventilation ; Natural Ventilation |
| Abstract |
The main thrust of this paper is to investigate current status and problems of heat recovery ventilator operation in high-rise apartment buildings. Since 2006, installation of decentralized mechanical ventilation device at every single unit in an apartment complex with more than 100 units has been common practice. However, the survey performed in this research reveals that a number of heat recovery ventilators are not operated correctly by residents. First of all, it is found that occupants usually avoid powering their ventilators and just open windows in order to save their utility cost. However, inherent characteristics of high-rise buildings, such as highly air-tight envelopes and lack of operable windows make it difficult to meet the ventilation needs without mechanical ventilation. In addition, depending on occupants' decision in tuning on or off of ventilation units may be the biggest problem in current ventilation system operation. Consequently, the followings are suggested in this research for improving mechanical ventilation performance in high-rise apartment houses; fully automated ventilation system control for preventing uncertainty caused by manual operation, integration of renewable energy sources for realizing zero-energy ventilation system, and use of centralized ventilation system concept instead of decentralized one which is widely applied these days. Most of all, enhancing the people's level of understanding on high-rise building ventilation is very critical for effective ventilation system operation. |