ᐅ The Practicality of Ground Heat Exchangers in Mechanical Ventilation Systems with Heat Recovery

Hello everyone!

I have a question about the usefulness of ground heat exchangers in a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery:

I understand that you shouldn’t let cold air directly into the house, and that the heat energy from warm air shouldn’t be exhausted outside. That’s why heat recovery seems practical, even though it involves a significant initial investment. It is said that up to 90% of the heat can be recovered.

So why does a ground heat exchanger make sense? Is it mainly to keep the heat indoors even more efficiently? The idea is that the ground warms the -10°C (14°F) cold air for free, while the heat recovery unit requires electricity to operate. Is the goal then to reduce the electricity consumption of the heat recovery system? Does that pay off?

Or is it primarily about providing the ability to bring cooled air into the house during summer? Usually, you read that the main benefit is in winter use, and the summer benefit is just a small positive side effect.

Best regards

jx7