Performance evaluation of heat recovery in mechanical ventilation of residential buildings in different climate zones

This paper adopts EnergyPlus software to establish a typical residential model with mechanical ventilation in different climate zones of China, and the accuracy of ventilation and energy consumption simulation is verified by experimental tests. The annual energy consumption and operating cost of the air conditioning system without heat recovery, sensible heat recovery and total heat recovery under different rated heat recovery efficiencies are simulated, and the energy saving effect under different heat recovery efficiencies and the payback periods of heat recovery facilities are analysed. It is found that the sensible heat recovery and total heat recovery in the severe cold and cold zones can reduce energy consumption by about 20%, sensible heat recovery in the hot summer and cold winter zone and the hot summer and warm winter zone has no effect, and no heat recovery method works in the mild zone. Based on the current initial investment of the household heat recovery facilities, the payback periods of heat recovery facilities for residential buildings in the five climate zones is all more than 15 years, which is not economically acceptable.