Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

The next step in the ongoing evolution of HVAC design, very high efficiency DOAS uses the most efficient HVAC equipment and key design principles to provide cleaner and safer indoor air, enhance indoor comfort, and reduce commercial building HVAC energy use by an average of 69% (when compared to a code-minimum system).

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

A Proven Approach to High-Performance HVAC Improves Efficiency, Health and Comfort

Very high efficiency dedicated outside air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) pair the highest performance HVAC equipment with key design principles to provide cleaner and safer indoor air, enhance indoor comfort, and reduce commercial building HVAC energy use. This approach has been demonstrated to reduce HVAC energy use by an average of 69% when compared to a code-minimum version of the existing equipment (often a packaged rooftop unit).

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Very High Efficiency DOAS Equipment & Design Best Practices for Optimal Efficiency

System requirements, recommendations and compliant systems intended to provide guidance to manufacturers, designers and specifiers regarding the components and design principles of very high efficiency DOAS.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

[Video] Very High Efficiency DOAS: How It Works and Why It Matters

In commercial buildings across the U.S., outdated or inefficient HVAC systems waste a staggering amount of energy and money, while also creating unhealthy and uncomfortable indoor environments. However, research and field studies have proven there’s an optimal approach to HVAC design that can significantly improve indoor air quality and occupant health, comfort and productivity, while maximizing energy-cost savings. Learn how this optimized, high-performance approach to HVAC combines high-efficiency equipment with design best practices to make widespread commercial HVAC deficiencies a thing of the past.

learn more

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Video: Net-Zero Preschool Makes Healthy, Mindful HVAC Decisions

In operation for more than 40 years, New Day School has a deep commitment to environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. When New Day School’s Kishalay building required a renovation, the preschool’s leadership team quickly committed to adopting advanced practices and products to ensure the renovations would result in a net-zero energy building.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Video: New-School HVAC Approach Improves Comfort and Air Quality for K-12 Students

When a 25-year-old HVAC system increased energy costs and negatively impacted the learning environment for students and teachers, the administrators at Monument School in Monument, Ore., sought a healthier and more efficient solution. Hear from school and utility staff members on how the very high efficiency DOAS approach to HVAC design dramatically reduced the rural K-12 school’s monthly energy costs, significantly improved their air quality, reduced viral spread, and provided a far more comfortable and productive learning environment.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Lewis & Clark Student Center Blazes New Trail to HVAC Efficiency

When it came time to renovate the Stephanie Fowler Student Center, the administrators at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., placed sustainability front and center. Designed to be the “heart of the campus” according to Lewis & Clark president Robin Holmes-Sullivan, the renovation designs included the most efficient HVAC system available to provide optimal thermal comfort for the newly constructed third floor of the building, a 6,370 sq. ft. multipurpose area that includes a conference room, two meeting rooms, and a technology classroom.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Portland Law Office Objects to Inefficient HVAC

When SBH Legal moved into a nearly century-old historic building in downtown Portland, Ore., they knew that a variety of improvements would be necessary to modernize building efficiency and provide a comfortable indoor environment for their employees and clients. By embracing an optimized approach to a dedicated outside air system (DOAS), SBH Legal drastically reduced their building’s overall energy use by 60%, while improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) and occupant thermal comfort.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Portland Firm Engineers Thermal Comfort and HVAC Efficiency

Originally built as a warehouse in 1943, the 11 Main Building in Portland, Oregon, was converted into an office space in 2014. Though its existing HVAC system was functional, its deficiencies created an uncomfortable indoor environment with occasionally poor indoor air quality. Learn how Energy 350 upgraded their HVAC using the very high efficiency DOAS approach to improve their comfort and air quality while saving energy and money.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Innovative HVAC Approach Helps Airport's Energy Savings Take Off

Although a two-story, 1930s airport terminal building in Seattle underwent a major renovation in 2002, the HVAC was largely untouched. The duo of large, multizone rooftop units (RTUs) were left in place, with a third unit of the same type added during the renovations. This inefficient HVAC system wasted energy and money, led to inconsistent temperatures, and caused severe occupant discomfort.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Oregon Department of Transportation Drives Up HVAC Savings and Indoor Air Quality

Learn how the Oregon Department of Transportation upgraded a 66-year-old office building with a combination of mini-split heat pumps and, later, a high efficiency energy-recovery ventilator to improve the building’s comfort, efficiency and indoor air quality.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Legal Firm Objects to Older Building's Inefficiencies and Discomfort

Local law firm Immix Group purchased the upper floor of a 1909, two-story historic building in the once-industrial area of Northwest Portland. Vacant for nearly three years, the 12,000-square-foot space presented many comfort challenges. Air leaked between floors, the fresh air dampers were all closed shut, and the oversized existing HVAC system was aging and inefficient.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Research Firm Engineers a Smaller Energy Footprint

Ecotope, an energy efficiency engineering and research firm in downtown Seattle, outgrew their office space and decided to lease the third floor of a 3.5-story mixed-use building. The building’s existing heating and cooling equipment featured an all-electric, variable air volume (VAV) rooftop unit (RTU) with electric resistance terminal heat in the individual zones including open office areas, conference rooms, a shared breakroom and a server room.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Trapper Creek Dorm Snares Energy Savings for Good

The Trapper Creek Dormitory is a federal government work campus in rural Montana. When restricted airflow caused summertime overheating, ventilation issues, and unsafe C02 levels in their dormitories, the facility managers decided to partner with Ravalli Electric Co-op and Bonneville Power Administration to implement a high-performance HVAC conversion.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

High-Performance HVAC Gets to Work for Utility Office

Flathead Electric’s district office is a single-story 1960s-vintage building with offices at the front and a combination of storage space and garage bays for utility trucks in the back. Their former HVAC system had been pieced together from several years of changes and modifications and it was no longer providing indoor comfort or an adequate level of heating efficiency. Flathead Electric took advantage of an innovative approach to HVAC they knew all to well—a very high efficiency dedicated outside air system (also referred to as very high efficiency DOAS).

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Reels in Energy Savings and Indoor Comfort

The aging HVAC system at the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s district office complex in Corvallis resulted in high energy costs and limited comfort control for tenants. The HVAC system struggled to provide consistent temperatures across 13,200 square feet of conditioned floor area, made up of four separate buildings sharing concrete walls and the various zones within the buildings. The building managers knew any retrofit project would be difficult due to the complex’s unconventional arrangement.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Portland Restaurant Cooks Up Comfort and Energy Savings

When faced with an an older HVAC system that was causing tenant discomfort, Portland-based restaurant Verde Cocina turned to an innovative HVAC approach that would reduce their energy costs while improving their customer experience.

Case Studies

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Pizza Restaurant Takes a Slice out of Energy Waste and Discomfort

The owners of a popular pizza restaurant in Corvallis, Ore., experienced high energy bills and poor ventilation and airflow — a particularly vexing issue for businesses with commercial kitchens. Many culprits were to blame for these issues, including leaky and poorly insulated walls, large make-up and exhaust air openings from the venting system that serves the pizza oven, and a number of additional air supply and exhaust pathways that weren’t in service but nonetheless resulted in significant air leakage.

Case Studies

Designer Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Very High Efficiency DOAS Equipment & Design Best Practices for Optimal Efficiency

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Very High Efficiency DOAS Comprehensive Design Guide

This comprehensive design guide includes the system definition and design recommendations that provide guidance to manufacturers, designers and specifiers regarding the key components of a Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air System.

Resources

HVAC

Very High Efficiency DOAS Pilot Project Summary Report

Conducted in partnership with local utilities, this report details the findings from eight pilot projects which sought to validate the performance and savings potential of very high efficiency dedicated outside air systems.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Very High Efficiency DOAS vs. WSEC DOAS Requirements

A comparison table of very high efficiency DOAS with Washington State Energy Code DOAS requirements.

Resources

Supporting Research

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Efficient HVAC Approach Eclipses Standard Design Performance

While conventional practice can lead to HVAC systems that are oversized by 25% or more, the proven very high efficiency approach to DOAS design allows for the downsizing of heating and cooling systems through ventilation heat recovery and by decoupling ventilation from the primary heating and cooling equipment. In fact, when combined with accurate thermal-load calculations, the very high efficiency DOAS approach can reduce HVAC system size by an average of 32%, as proven by recent real-world field studies.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Keep ’Em Separated: The many benefits of decoupling.

A key design component of the very high efficiency dedicated outside air system (very high efficiency DOAS) approach, the decoupling of ventilation from heating and cooling systems reduces energy use while significantly improving indoor air quality.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Field Evaluation of Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems Finds Persistence of Savings

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) evaluated the long-term performance of Very High Efficiency (VHE) Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOASs) installed in eight buildings.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Energy Modeling Guide for Very High Efficiency DOAS

This energy modeling guide for energy analysts and design consultants addresses a resource gap for best representing very high efficiency DOAS in annual energy modeling by providing technical analysis support and recommendations using lessons learned and time-tested methods.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Maximizing HVAC Efficiency, Flexibility, and Resiliency with High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems

Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) are a proven solution for reducing energy consumption as they optimize the control and functionality of ventilation and thermal comfort independently. A very high efficiency approach to DOAS pairs a high efficiency heat/energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV) with a high efficiency heat pump, while following design principles that optimize performance.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

COVID-19 Risk Reduction Strategies and HVAC System Energy Impact

This report summarizes the leading institutions’ COVID-19 mitigation recommendations for commercial ventilation systems to incorporate and design commercial buildings for resiliency.

Resources

HVAC
+2 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems
- Efficient Gas Rooftop Units

Proven HVAC solutions to reduce viral spread and increase energy efficiency

For building owners and operators everywhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the importance of enhancing indoor air quality through better approaches to commercial HVAC and natural ventilation. A recent study conducted by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), Red Car Analytics (RCA) and the University of Oregon (UO) proves how crucial ventilation is to reducing the spread of dangerous particles.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Literature Review of Non-Energy Benefits Associated with Dedicated Outside Air Systems (DOAS)

To better understand the potential non-energy benefits of very high efficiency DOAS, this literature review summarizes key research, empirical evidence, and studies performed on similar high-performance HVAC approaches, such as conventional DOAS.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Calibrated Energy Savings for Very High Efficiency DOAS in Multi-Family Housing

This report is an initial investigation of the energy benefits of using very high efficiency DOAS in a multi-family building applications to understand the trade-offs in efficiency compared to conventional systems and the impacts of using select options for more significant energy savings potential.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Economic Analysis of Heat Recovery Equipment in Commercial Dedicated Outside Air Systems

This analysis sought to understand the cost benefit of converting an existing commercial building’s HVAC system to three configurations of a Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS) with each one increasing in energy efficiency. The analysis found the Very High Efficiency (VHE) DOAS package to have the highest net present value over the estimated life of the equipment, 20 years, in all climate zones and building types analyzed.

Resources

Analysis of Expanded Efficiency Parameters for Very High Efficiency DOAS

Conducted by Red Car Analytics on behalf of NEEA, this report evaluates an expanded set of parameters for heat recovery or energy recovery ventilation (HRV/ERV). It analyzes the impact of these expanded parameters on energy efficiency and first-cost effectiveness. Report goals included: 1) Analyzing the energy impacts of using lower or higher efficiency parameters in an HRV/ERV configuration compared to standard rooftop heat pump units and a basic efficiency HRV/ERV as defined by the Washington State Energy Code (WSEC), 2) Identifying the first costs, net present value, and the payback period of lower and higher efficiency HRV/ERV configurations compared to standard rooftop heat pump units, and 3) Outlining the additional benefits provided by each parameter and which configurations provide the best benefits.

Resources

HVAC
+1 Tags
- HVAC
- Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems

Energy Efficiency Analysis of Commercial DX-DOAS and ERV/HRV DOAS

This report summarizes the findings of a study conducted by Red Car Analytics on behalf of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) to determine the potential for direct-expansion air conditioning dedicated outdoor air systems (DX-DOAS) products in commercial buildings.

Resources

Still looking at HVAC / Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems ?

View All Resources

Find a Utility Incentive Program

Enter your zip code to find participating utilities and financial incentives in your area.