Examining the Impact of Natural Ventilation versus Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems on Indoor Air Quality: A Tiny House Case Study

Adverse health effects can arise from indoor air pollutants, resulting in allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems among occupants. Concurrently, the energy consumption of residential buildings, particularly concerning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, significantly contributes to global energy usage. To address these intertwined challenges, heat recovery ventilation (HRV) has emerged as a viable solution to reduce heating and cooling demands while providing fresh ventilation rates. This study aims to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of an experimental tiny house building equipped with an HRV unit by simulating real-life scenarios contributing to IAQ. The research evaluates the effectiveness of HRV compared to natural ventilation in managing particle matter (PM), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (CH2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. This research significantly contributes to the understanding of the different ventilation strategies’ impact on IAQ in tiny houses and offers valuable insights for improving living conditions in a unique building typology that is underrepresented in the research literature.