V is for Victory and… Ventilation
What’s New in Ventilation
Published March 14, 2025
Overlooked & Underestimated
Ventilation is the somewhat neglected letter of the acronym HVAC. Ventilation is a constantly evolving area of building science. Homebuyers are far, far more aware of indoor air quality as a primary concern than they used to be. Whether the average homeowner makes the connection between indoor air and ventilation is an open question.
The Growing Importance of Indoor Air Quality
In general, the prices for better ventilation via ERVs are on a downward trend. There is the caveat of course, that tariffs and other economic forces may alter that. EnergyLogic maintains close relationships with multiple ventilation manufacturers including Panasonic and AprilAire specifically. Both companies have new products available now or coming online soon. Every manufacturer has different approaches to both product and ventilation strategies in general. However, each also has products to meet any ventilation strategy that a builder might choose.
ERVs: Cost Trends and Market Growth
Panasonic, and I would suspect other manufacturers, have reported growth in ERVs as a percentage of the market has exploded. Part of that is driven by costs coming down, especially relative to simple supply or exhaust strategies. Part of the growth is also driven by code adoptions, especially for the Mechanical Code (IMC) regarding multifamily projects.
Labor and Installation
Like all products, material cost is but one component with labor being the other. Installer familiarity is a big factor in pricing installation. In areas of the country that have driven the market to ERVs as a standard or near standard, installation costs are half of what they are in areas where that change has not taken place. Familiarity drives lower installation costs as perceived risk goes down. Part of that risk perception concerns commissioning products and ensuring they perform properly.
Innovations in Ventilation Technology
Manufacturers that emphasize ease of installation, for example, ceiling cassette ERVs and controls in the unit that enable balancing make installation and commissioning much simpler. We expect continued innovation in the ventilation space and more products and systems for whole-house ventilation.
Notable Products and Industry Events
The WhisperComfort is a great product for multifamily consideration.
We’d also like to make you aware of an AprilAire event on March 27. If you are an HVAC contractor, engineering firm or builder check out the opportunity.
AprilAire Ventilation Summit & Open House
Thursday, March 27, 3-7 pm at Top Golf Centennial
Contact Aaron Trapp for more information.
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