Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR, for short) is a new style of ventilation system that has great benefits for your SME (small/medium-sized enterprise), both in terms of saving money and improving employee satisfaction, among others.
Read on to find out the nitty-gritty about MVHR, and why you should consider it for your office space.
What is it all about?
In most office spaces, ventilation is either achieved by A/C units or simply opening a window or a door to create a draft. Whilst these are great solutions in the short-term, sometimes they can lead to the space becoming too hot/cold, and over time it can lead to issues such as damp and mould forming. MVHR systems take warm, damp air from the office space and, at the same time, take in fresh air from outside. A heat exchanger processes the interior air, taking in leftover heat and expelling damp and cold. Conversely, the heat exchanger separately processes the exterior air, taking in the freshness and the heat while removing any unpleasant nasties. Built-in air filtration also prevents any foreign particles, such as pollen, from entering the premises. The result? Clean, warm (and thermally consistent) air pumped into the premises on a 24/7 basis. The system itself comes installed with a thermostat to control the temperature, and during normal use it is inaudible, unlike for example an A/C unit.
How does it benefit my business?
A good question. First and foremost, the most important benefit of constant fresh air is increased employee satisfaction. The air is clean, those with allergies are not ill, people’s productivity is overall increased – perhaps there are fewer people calling in sick. All that this can mean is an increased turnover with a potential for increased profits. Think about it this way – would you rather work in a smoggy, polluted environment filled with dirty air, or in an environment whose air is clean and conducive to real concentration?
What about costs and savings?
MVHR reduces (or, indeed, eliminates) the need for other ventilation systems such as A/C installations. Not only does this save you money in both the short- and long-term, but the long-term financial benefits of MVHR by itself are clear – MVHR systems reduce costs by about 25% or more in most use cases. That is 25% more money that can be spent on whatever else your business needs – a very nice boon, indeed. MVHR also decreases the risk of damp or mould forming, eliminating any potential future maintenance costs.
However, as with all good things when it comes to improving your business, the initial cost for installation can be quite steep (£3,000 – £10,000). Moreover, as with any such system, MVHR units do require occasional servicing from time to time. Nevertheless, the long-term benefits greatly outweigh the short-term setbacks.
In conclusion, MVHR has the potential to be an amazing long-term investment for your business – it can save your employees stress, increase overall productivity, save you money, and make your office space a pleasant work environment.
