WAUNAKEE, Wis. — RenewAire has introduced the Evergreen SH, the first model in a new Evergreen Series of residential energy recovery ventilators, the company announced June 25.
The Evergreen SH is a compact, ceiling-mounted unit designed for localized ventilation in bathrooms, laundry rooms and smaller residential units such as apartments and condominiums, according to RenewAire. The product line targets a segment of the ventilation market — single-room and small-unit applications — that the company said has been underserved by energy recovery ventilators designed primarily for whole-house installation.
Energy Recovery Ventilator Specifications
The Evergreen SH is a three-duct unit with a built-in return grille alongside ducted supply, exhaust and outside-air connections, and it provides an airflow range of 25 to 130 cfm. The unit simultaneously exhausts humid or odorous air from a space while supplying fresh, tempered outdoor air to the same room or to an adjacent HVAC duct, using single-point exhaust rather than a whole-house ducted return.
Fresh air entering the unit is tempered using RenewAire's fifth-generation energy recovery core, which the company said transfers energy from the outgoing exhaust airstream to the incoming supply airstream without the two streams mixing or coming into direct contact within the core — a design intended to preserve indoor air quality while recovering energy that would otherwise be exhausted outdoors.
Installation and Operation
RenewAire designed the Evergreen SH's footprint and low profile to fit within standard ceiling joist spacing or typical ceiling cavity configurations, a consideration aimed at retrofit installations where structural modifications are costly or impractical. The unit includes 5-inch oval exhaust and supply connections and integrated steel mounting flanges intended to simplify installation in tight mechanical spaces common to multifamily construction.
Operationally, the unit functions as a single-speed device that can run at any of three preprogrammed quick-select minimum airflow settings, or at any point within its full operating range using a variable-airflow setpoint. RenewAire said the unit can be controlled using any standard 120-volt accessory, such as a wall-mounted light switch or a fan timer, rather than requiring a dedicated proprietary control. Standard filtration is rated MERV 7, with an optional MERV 13 filter available for the outside-air intake. The core carries a 10-year structural and performance warranty.
Energy Recovery Ventilator Market Context
The launch comes as building codes and indoor-air-quality standards in multifamily and small residential construction increasingly call for mechanical ventilation beyond what natural infiltration provides, particularly as homes and apartments are built tighter for energy-efficiency purposes. Energy recovery ventilators have traditionally been associated with single-family whole-house installations; RenewAire's decision to launch a dedicated small-space product line reflects growing manufacturer attention to multifamily and small-unit ventilation as a distinct product category rather than a scaled-down version of whole-house equipment.
Energy recovery ventilators differ from heat recovery ventilators in that ERVs transfer both heat and moisture between incoming and outgoing airstreams, while HRVs transfer heat only. That distinction matters most in humid climates and in tightly sealed buildings, where managing moisture along with temperature helps maintain consistent indoor humidity levels without requiring additional dehumidification equipment. Multifamily developers and property managers have shown growing interest in single-room ERV solutions as an alternative to retrofitting a full ducted ventilation system into existing buildings where ceiling space and duct routing are limited.
RenewAire, based in Waunakee, Wisconsin, has manufactured energy recovery ventilation equipment for more than three decades, with a product portfolio spanning residential and light commercial markets. The Evergreen SH is the company's first entry in what it describes as a forthcoming series of residential ERVs, suggesting additional models targeting different airflow ranges or installation types may follow. RenewAire said the Evergreen SH is available now through its existing distribution network; the company has not disclosed list pricing for the unit.
Contractors specifying the Evergreen SH for multifamily renovation work will need to coordinate exhaust and supply duct routing with the building's existing mechanical layout, since the unit is designed to serve a single room or small unit rather than a centralized whole-building system. RenewAire said specifiers and contractors can request detailed installation drawings and submittal documentation through the company's sales channels as projects move from design into construction.
The product's three preprogrammed quick-select airflow settings are intended to simplify commissioning for contractors who may not need to fine-tune a variable setpoint on every installation, while still leaving that flexibility available for jobs with more specific ventilation requirements. RenewAire framed the simplified control approach as consistent with the small-space, retrofit-focused positioning of the broader Evergreen Series, in contrast with the more elaborate building-automation integration often built into whole-house or commercial ERV products.
