ERV/HRV Ownership and Maintenance Market Research

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with MarketWise Advising, LLC to conduct market research with commercial HVAC contractors, facilities managers, tenants, and building owners on the maintenance of energy and heat recovery ventilators (ERVs/HRVs) which are a key component of NEEA’s commercial HVAC programs. Data collected in fall 2025 explored perspectives on installing, commissioning, cleaning, and maintaining ERVs/HRVs, and investigated how ERV/HRV cleaning and maintenance occur in real working settings through interviews and site visits.

The study found that, overall, maintenance practices for ERV and HRV systems vary widely and are shaped by awareness, access, staffing, and training rather than by technical complexity of the equipment. Cleaning and maintenance of ERVs/HRVs is generally on par with the effort and attention required for other types of HVAC equipment. Further, the study found that when there is convenient physical access to the ERV/HRV and cleaning procedures are clear, the task is manageable.

As detailed in the appended memo, next steps for NEEA’s commercial HVAC programs include updating a specification for engineers to incorporate into building design documents and improving operator access to maintenance instructions.