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ZERN ENGINEERING™
by Blauberg Ventilatoren GmbH
Stäblistraße 6.
81477, Munich, Germany
| 💨 How ventilation improves indoor air quality and health |
Why indoor air quality (IAQ) matters
We spend up to 90% of our lives indoors – in homes, schools, offices, and public buildings.
Yet indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air due to:
These contaminants can harm both comfort and health – especially for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions.
The health risks of poor ventilation
Insufficient air exchange is linked to:
1. Fatigue, poor sleep, and headaches
2.Worsening of allergies and asthma
3. Higher risk of airborne infections
4. Productivity loss and cognitive decline
5. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
According to the World Health Organization, proper mechanical ventilation is one of the most effective ways to ensure clean, safe indoor air in shared spaces.
The solution – heat recovery ventilation
Opening windows can help temporarily – but it’s inconsistent, energy-inefficient, and weather-dependent.
That’s why modern buildings rely on mechanical ventilation units (MVUs) – also known as HRVs or ERVs – to ensure constant, controlled air exchange.
At the heart of every MVU is the heat exchanger
And it’s this component that determines how effectively your system:
– Supplies fresh, filtered outdoor air
– Removes stale, humid, or polluted indoor air
– Prevents cross-contamination between airstreams
– Recovers thermal energy to reduce heating or cooling losses
👉 The quality of the heat exchanger = the quality of the air you breathe.
At ZERN ENGINEERING, we manufacture these core components with a focus on:
Whether it’s a home, school, or hospital – the right heat exchanger makes all the difference in air quality.
One purpose and many technologies
Whether it’s a sensible plate, rotary, or enthalpy heat exchanger – the core function is the same 👉 to provide healthy, continuous, and energy-efficient ventilation.
Each type has its strengths depending on building use, climate, and comfort needs.
But all of them contribute to:
✅ Better breathing
✅ Cleaner indoor environments
✅ Healthier people
✅ Lower carbon emissions
At ZERN ENGINEERING, we offer the full range of technologies to match your application – from compact residential units to large-scale commercial systems.
Every modern building needs fresh air – not just for comfort, but for long-term health.
And a properly selected heat exchanger is the most effective way to deliver it – without energy waste or air mixing.
📞 Contact ZERN ENGINEERING to integrate a smart air recovery solution that supports both health and efficiency.
| Reducing carbon footprint with heat recovery systems |
Cutting greenhouse gases using heat recovery solutions
Not just better air – but a better planet🌍
What Is a Carbon footprint?
Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases – primarily CO₂ – generated by your daily energy use. In buildings, the biggest contributors are:
🔥 Heating systems
❄️ Cooling systems
💨 Ventilation losses
Ventilation is often overlooked – yet exhausting warm or cooled indoor air without recovery leads to significant energy waste, and consequently, higher emissions.
Why does it matter?
Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global CO₂ emissions.
Ventilation systems without energy recovery:
In the context of Net Zero targets, ESG commitments, and rising energy prices, energy-efficient ventilation is no longer optional – it’s essential.
What can help?
At ZERN ENGINEERING, we manufacture high-performance air-to-air heat exchangers that:
1. Recover thermal energy from exhaust air
2. Transfer it to fresh incoming air
3. Operate without mixing the air streams
4. Reduce heating and cooling energy demand by up to 40%*
(*depending on climate, system setup, and airflow – see IEA Report)
🔍 But how do we measure this performance?
We use Thermal Efficiency (TE) – the percentage of heat recovered from exhaust air and reused in supply air.
For example:
A TE of 85% means that 85% of the heat that would otherwise be lost is retained and transferred back indoors.
Let’s make it practical:
A domestic ventilation unit with 250 m³/h airflow and a 20 °C temperature difference (e.g. indoors 22 °C, outside 2 °C) using a ZERN plate heat exchanger with 85% TE can recover approximately 1.2 kW of thermal energy.
That’s 1.2 kW your heating system doesn’t need to produce – every hour.
✅ The higher the TE, the greater your savings – in kilowatts and kilograms of CO₂.
Which heat exchanger should you choose?
Let’s look at three proven technologies – and how they help in real-world situations:
🔷 Sensible plate heat exchangers
How they work: Airflows are separated by a series of parallel plates. Heat is transferred from exhaust air to fresh air through the plate surfaces – with no air mixing.
Ideal for: Homes, apartments, hospitals, and hygienic environments where air separation is critical.
Example:
In a small residential HRV unit, a sensible plate exchanger (TE = 85%) handles 200 m³/h airflow.
Result: ~1.0 kW heat recovery, cutting heating demand by 25–30% in winter – and reducing annual emissions by up to 200 kg CO₂ (with gas heating).
🔷 Rotary heat exchangers
How they work: A slowly rotating wheel transfers thermal energy – and, in some versions, moisture – between exhaust and supply air.
ZERN ENGINEERING offers three types:
– Condensation: transfers only sensible heat
– Enthalpy: transfers heat + moisture
– Sorption: enhances latent transfer using a coated hygroscopic surface
Ideal for: Medium and large ventilation systems in commercial or industrial settings.
Example:
A supermarket installs ZERN ENGINEERING rotary exchangers (enthalpy type) for 3 000 m³/h airflow.
Result: Up to 14 kW heat recovery with added humidity transfer – saving thousands of kWh and over 800 kg CO₂ annually (with electric heating).
🔷Enthalpy plate exchangers (membrane-based)
How they work: A special polymer membrane allows heat and water vapor to pass, but blocks gases and microorganisms.
Ideal for: Schools, offices, and residential buildings in humid or cold climates.
Example:
In a kindergarten with 400 m³/h airflow, an enthalpy exchanger maintains comfortable indoor humidity in winter.
Result: Lower heating and humidification needs, better comfort, and hygienic operation compliant with VDI 6022.
Ready to make an impact?
Whether you’re designing systems for residential, commercial, or public spaces – the right heat exchanger helps cut emissions, reduce energy bills, and support environmental goals.
Contact ZERN ENGINEERING to select the right heat exchanger for your project – based on airflow, climate, and sustainability targets📩
| Humidity control with enthalpy heat exchangers – smart, hygienic approach to indoor air quality |
In modern ventilation, managing humidity is just as critical as controlling temperature. That’s where enthalpy heat exchangers stand out – they not only recover heat, but also preserve indoor moisture balance, ensuring comfort, energy savings, and hygiene.
An enthalpy heat exchanger is an air-to-air energy recovery device that transfers both sensible heat (temperature) and latent heat (moisture) between supply and exhaust air streams. It uses a special membrane that enables water vapor to pass while blocking air, contaminants, and particles.
At the heart of the exchanger is a semi-permeable membrane designed for selective diffusion. When warm, humid air from inside the building flows past one side of the membrane, and cooler, drier outdoor air flows on the opposite side, a vapor pressure difference occurs.
This drives water vapor molecules to naturally diffuse through the membrane – humidifying the incoming air in winter or stabilizing it in transitional seasons.
At the same time, the membrane:
1. Allows only water vapor to pass
2. Blocks gases, odors, viruses, and microorganisms, ensuring clean and hygienic air transfer without direct mixing.
✅ Advantages
🏢 Best applications
Enthalpy heat exchangers are most effective in climates with cold winters or mixed seasons, where maintaining indoor humidity is important and heat recovery contributes to energy savings.
In very hot and humid climates, however, they may not be ideal for applications requiring significant dehumidification – sensible-only or desiccant-based systems may be better suited in such cases.
Typical applications include:
🏠 Residential homes – improving comfort and air quality, especially in colder regions.
🏫 Schools and offices – promoting well-being, reducing sick leave, and improving concentration.
🏥 Healthcare and senior facilities – where humidity control and air hygiene are essential.
📚 Museums and archives – to protect sensitive materials from fluctuations in moisture.
🏨 Hotels – ensuring guest comfort and consistent indoor climate throughout the year.
🏢 Passive or high-efficiency buildings – where airtightness and moisture balance are vital.
Enthalpy heat exchangers offer more than just energy savings – they create healthier, more stable indoor environments, making them a smart choice for modern ventilation needs.
