Guide
ERV and HRV in India: a guide to fresh-air ventilation for homes
A sealed, air-conditioned home still needs a steady supply of fresh air. An HRV or ERV unit brings outdoor air in through a filter and recovers energy from the stale air leaving, so the air conditioner has less work to do. This guide explains the difference and what to check before you specify a unit. Morion Automation is the authorised Blauberg distributor in India.
What an HRV or ERV does
Both are balanced ventilation units. One fan draws filtered outdoor air in, another pushes stale indoor air out, and the two streams pass through a core where energy is exchanged without the air mixing. The incoming air arrives closer to room temperature, so less energy is spent cooling (or heating) it.
An HRV (heat recovery ventilator) transfers heat. An ERV (energy recovery ventilator) transfers heat and also a share of the moisture, which is called enthalpy recovery. The U.S. Department of Energy describes ERVs as the choice for humid climates and HRVs for dry or cold ones.1
HRV or ERV in India?
India has hot-humid, hot-dry and cooler climates, so there is no single answer. In humid regions an ERV helps limit the moisture that outdoor air brings into an air-conditioned home. Where the air is hot and dry, the difference between the two is smaller. The right choice depends on the city, how the home is air-conditioned and how it is designed, so ask for sizing from an engineer rather than picking a type by name.
What to check before you specify a unit
- Airflow. Units are rated in m³/h. Size the airflow to the rooms and the number of people, and leave headroom.
- Core type. Check whether the core recovers heat only or heat and humidity, and read the manufacturer's efficiency figure with its test conditions.
- Filters. Outdoor air in many Indian cities carries fine particles. Ask for the filter grades, how often they are replaced and where to buy them.
- Bypass. A bypass lets mild-weather air skip the core. Some units switch it automatically, others by hand.
- Sound. Ask for the sound level in dB(A) for the unit you are choosing, especially for a bedroom.
- Controls. If the unit should talk to the building system, check which interfaces it offers, such as Modbus, RS485 or BACnet.
- Space and access. The unit and ducts need ceiling or plant-room space, and the filters need to be reachable.
Blauberg fresh-air units
Blauberg Ventilatoren GmbH makes these home fresh-air series. Figures are from Blauberg's India product pages2; ask Morion which models suit your project and are available.
| Series | Core | Airflow | Also stated by Blauberg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komfort Ultra ME | Cross-flow, aluminium heat exchanger | 250 and 350 m³/h models | Blauberg quotes PM2.5 purification of up to 97% with its compound filtration |
| Komfort EC SB | Counter-flow, enthalpy material (Blauberg: heat and humidity recovery) | 200 to 690 m³/h across the series; the 350 is up to 450 m³/h | Manual bypass; Modbus on S21 models; humidity, CO₂ and PM2.5 sensors optional |
| Komfort GRE EC | Counter-flow total heat exchanger (temperature and humidity) | 800 to 5000 m³/h across the series | Total heat recovery of up to 72%; automatic bypass; RS485 interface; G4 and H11 filters |
The Blauberg page lists the units Morion offers for homes, including the Turbo 150 inline extractor, which removes air but does not recover energy. Blauberg's documents list Modbus and BACnet for building management systems; to connect a unit to a KNX system, ask us which converter fits.
Get advice on fresh air for your project
Send Morion the plans and the city and we will suggest suitable Blauberg units. Call or WhatsApp +91 90303 44479, write to info@morion.in, or book a consultation.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Building Science Education Solution Center, HVAC energy recovery ventilation.
- Blauberg India product pages: Komfort EC SB, Komfort GRE EC and Komfort Ultra ME.
Last updated 21 October 2026 by Morion Automation.