Report: CERV-1000 - Creating a Healthy, Comfortable, Productive, and Energy Efficient Classroom.
CERV-1000 units deliver up to 1000cfm of fresh air with 3 tons of high efficiency, cold temperature heat pump comfort conditioning. UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) integrated into the unit further sanitizes classroom air while energy recovery cores provide exceptional energy efficiency.These reports will provide an overview of the CERV-1000's performance in 12 classrooms at the Mary Miller Junior High School in Georgetown, Illinois.
Sep, 2023
Report: Creating a Healthy, Comfortable, Productive, and Energy Efficient Classroom
Report: Brixham Montessori Friends School: A Healthy, Energy Efficient and Cost Effective Learning Environment
Brixham Montessori Friends School (BMFS) has achieved a hat trick with simultaneous improvement of indoor air quality, reduced annual utility costs, and increased environmentally friendly operation. The following summarizes BMFS decarbonizing conversion from propane furnace operation to high performance heat pumps and smart ventilation.1) BMFS installed five CERV2 smart ventilation units that automatically maintain CO2 and total VOC levels at 800ppm or less. Enhanced ventilation and air recirculation filtration are estimated to reduce absenteeism and staff sick days by 40% relative to standard building ventilation, or approximately 1 fewer sick days per person per year, or 90 fewer less sick days for the school’s students and staff members. Assuming a cost of $500 per sick day, the value of improved indoor air quality is $45,000 per year spread across BMFS student and staff families.
2) Five heat pumps with nominal 10.5 tons of capacity (heating capacity 126,000Btu/h) replacing five propane fueled furnaces have:
a. Reduced annual energy costs by $3000/year
b. Reduced annual energy usage and site EUI (Energy Use Intensity) by 40%
c. Reduced building carbon dioxide emissions by 13 to 15 tonnes per year BMFS demonstrates the economic feasibility of creating healthy indoor environment coupled with conversion to environmentally sustainable building operation.
June, 2023
Report: Brixham Montessori Friends School
Report: 5 Steps to Net Zero Multi-family Residence Renovation: Toronto
Renovating multi-family residences for net zero capable operation is a process. This report presents a 5 step renovation process for a multi-family residence in Toronto consisting of window replacement, infiltration sealing, smart (CERV2) ventilation, cold weather comfort conditioning heat pump, and heat pump water heater.June, 2021
5 Steps to Net Zero Multi-family Residence Renovation: Toronto
COVID-19 Reports
Build Equinox has been at the forefront of fighting the transmission of Covid-19 from the beginning. Too many lives have been needlessly lost through confusion and inaction within the US, and unfortunately, we are still at the beginning of the pandemic. As horrifying as the current 3,000,000 infections with over 130,000 fatalities in the US sound, we are on a path toward 200,000,000 infections without effective control of the virus.We have included two reports written by Ty describing the basis for the social distance modeling of Covid-19 (“Quantified Easing of Social Distancing Restrictions: Prediction of Covid-19 Disease Transmission Based on a Social Distancing Index”), predicting the current summer surge (“400,000 Infection per Day”), and examining COVID-19 spread due to comfort conditioning ("Killing Ourselves with Comfort").
Instructions: Covid Safe Space IAQ calculator
“Is My Space Safe” Series
Quantified Easing of Social Distancing Restrictions
Prediction of Covid-19 Disease Transmission Based on a Social Distancing Index
400,000 Infection per Day
Killing Ourselves with Comfort
The Link Between Comfort Conditioning and Airborne Disease Transmission
Herd Immunity and Infection Probability
Indoor SARS-CoV-2 Herd Immunity and Infection Probability Estimates Based on Ventilation, Vaccination, Infections and Face Masks
Report: Designing Exceptional Homes for Exceptional People
In today’s high performance homes, occupant energy usage is often more important than climate-related energy usage. Building an exceptional home that exceeds occupant expectations and minimizes callbacks requires designing homes for exceptional people!Our report analyzes field data and applies “3 sigma” design to determine fresh air ventilation and comfort conditioning needs that satisfy most people. The answers are simple:
1) Each home, regardless of size, should have fresh air ventilation air flow capability of 300cfm
2) Each home, regardless of climate, should have 2 to 3kW (1/2 to 1 ton) of heating and cooling capacity
Jan, 2020
Designing Exceptional Homes for Exceptional People
Report Series: Handling Humidity
This report series discusses sources of moisture in homes (Part 1), climate impact on a home’s moisture management requirements (Part 2), moisture management methods (Part 3), and overall house modeling of moisture and energy (Part 4).Nov, 2019
Executive Summary
Aug, 2019
Pt1: Moisture Generation in Homes
Sep, 2019
Pt2: Climate Moisture Variations
Oct, 2019
Pt3: Methods for Managing Moisture
Nov, 2019
Pt4: Putting It Altogether; House Moisture Modeling
Report: Poor HVAC Maintenance = Increased Health Risks
Poor maintenance habits will make you sick! These reports detail the relationships between environmental illnesses, mold, maintenance, HVAC (comfort conditioning), plumbing, building structure, and many other issues.Jul, 2019
Poor Home Maintenance = Increased Health Risks
A survey of privatized housing units at 200 military facilities has an important lesson for all.
Jan, 2021
Air Quality Case Study
Service Center and Computer Server Facility Indoor Air Quality and Comfort Report
Smart Ventilation and Smart Air Distribution Reports
The new Smart Ventilation and Smart Air Distribution reports provide analyses and field data to explain how and why the CERV2 smart ventilation system is more effective in maintaining excellent air quality in an energy efficient manner.Feb, 2019
Preventilation Pt1
Smart Ventilation
Feb, 2019
Preventilation Pt2
Smart Air Distribution
Ductology - Understand Duct Design & Performance
Proper design of residential ventilation systems is essential for economic optimization of duct installation cost and ventilation fan power cost. Learn how to design and characterize ducts properly!Jan, 2018
Ductology Pt1
Cost Optimization of Ventilation Ducts
Jan, 2018
Ductology Pt2
Does Your Ventilation System Make the Grade?
Jan, 2018
Ductology Test #1
Duct Performance
Jan, 2018
Ductology Test #2
Duct Leakage
CERV Articles
Detailed investigation of residential air quality, comfort, and energy usage in 13 nearly identical “Vermod” homes with an advanced CERV® fresh air ventilation system.June, 2018
Minisplit Mania!
Cost and Performance of Ductless Heat Pumps
August, 2016
What Can The CERV Smell?
July, 2016
VERMOD CERV Report
ASHRAE Articles
In 2010 and 2011, we wrote a series of 12 articles for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) which detailed the many design aspects of the Equinox House. While the articles detailed Equinox House particulary, they discuss techniques that can easily be implemented in new construction and retrofit homes. The full series is listed below.September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
Equinox House Articles
Equinox House demonstrates that solar powered living is real and is economical. The following annual summaries are part of our continuing education efforts to ensure that others realize that the power of sun is more than sufficient to supply our daily energy needs for living in a comfortable, healthy and sustainable manner that provides a future for our children.
First Anniversary: A Solar Powered Lap Around the Sun
First Year Energy Characteristics of Equinox House
Second Year Performance of Equinox House
