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ERV/HRV Sensible Energy Recovery Calculator

Calculate the sensible heat energy recovered by an energy/heat recovery ventilator, based on its rated sensible recovery effectiveness.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-27 · v1.1.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

Recovered sensible energy

15118.49 BTU/hr

Check your inputs

Use the specific ERV/HRV unit's AHRI 1060-certified Sensible Recovery Effectiveness rating at conditions close to your design case — SRE varies with airflow and temperature/humidity conditions, so a single manufacturer-published number applied outside its rated conditions is an approximation.

At the values currently entered, the recovered sensible energy works out to 15118 BTU/hr. Note that airflow (cfm) sits at the low end of the range this calculator was checked against, so treat the output as indicative rather than settled. Confidence is moderate: the method is sound, but real materials and site conditions vary. Figures are shown for United States, where IRC 2024 is the governing residential reference; switch the market above if you are building elsewhere.

Add the equipment this sizes

This result is a specification — 15,118.488 BTU/hr — not a quantity. Put the thing it sizes into your project: how many, what you call it, and your supplier’s price.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Recovered sensible energy (BTU/hr) = 1.08 × Airflow (CFM) × Temperature Difference (°F) × Sensible Recovery Effectiveness (%), extending the standard ASHRAE sensible heat formula with the unit's AHRI 1060-certified Sensible Recovery Effectiveness (SRE) rating, which represents the fraction of available sensible energy difference the unit actually transfers between airstreams.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the Sensible Recovery Effectiveness (SRE) represent?
SRE is the fraction of the available sensible temperature difference between the outdoor and indoor/exhaust airstreams that the ERV/HRV core actually transfers, as certified under AHRI 1060 testing — a higher SRE means the unit recovers a larger share of that available energy.
Where does the 1.08 constant in this formula come from?
1.08 is the standard ASHRAE sensible heat factor for standard air (accounting for air density and specific heat), used to convert CFM × °F into BTU/hr — the same constant used in general sensible heat load calculations, extended here by the unit's SRE rating.
Is a single published SRE value accurate at all operating conditions?
No — SRE varies with airflow rate and the entering temperature/humidity conditions of both airstreams, so a manufacturer's published SRE at its AHRI 1060 rating point is an approximation when applied outside that rated condition. Use the SRE value closest to your actual design airflow and temperature difference for the most accurate estimate.