Seibu Giken's range of Hi-Panex air-to-air Energy Recovery Wheels is the most effective and practical method of intro-ducing fresh outdoor air into a confined gathering area. When used in summer conditions, hot outdoor air can be introduced into a building and yet do not impose a heavy load on the air conditioning system and its electrical operating costs. This hot outside air is immediately reduced in temperature and the air conditioning load is effectively reduced, thus conserving up to energy.

The HI-PANEX-ION HRW is the latest state-of-the-art technology applied in energy recovery wheels. Unlike conventional rotors that use silica gel affixed to aluminum sheets, the Seibu Giken HI-PANEX-ION HRW uses a technology to coat Ion Exchange Resins on the aluminum sheet in a rotor. This substrate is further coated with a layer of Anti-Bacteria and Anti-Mould agent which prevents propagation and survival of bacteria and mould.

Seibu Giken has manufactured heat wheels over 35 years. “HI-PANEX-ION” wheels are manufactured of coated aluminum sheets and Ion Exchange Resin "desiccant " for commercial air-to-air heat recovery applications in building ventilation systems. To enhance Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Seibu Giken's wheels have been satisfactorily used in hundreds of laborato-ries, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and office buildings throughout Asia, Europe and North America for more than 8 years.

Three key issues that building designers and engineers have to address are the Environment, Indoor Air Quality and En-ergy Conservation. Engineers are also expected to balance these three issues, in order to achieve and sustain the eco-nomic benefit and viability of their design.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE) standard 62-2001 specifies minimum ventilation rates for IAQ in 100 different indoor spaces, including hospitals, public buildings and commercial buildings. This set of guidelines prescribes the supply rates of acceptable outdoor air quality to replace acceptable rates of indoor air quality, with the benefit of removing human bio effluents and other contaminants. (Refer to www.ashrae.org for more infor-mation).

A honeycomb rotor is rotated at about 16 r.p.m. in the direction of the arrow. Return air from the inside passes from the upper half of the cassette through the rotor and is exhausted outside. During this, most of the total heat (heat and moisture) of the return air is kept in the rotor and soiled air only is exhausted. On the other hand, when outdoor air, taken in from the lower half of the cassette, passes through the rotor, the outdoor air receives total heat that the rotor has kept and is pre-heated/humidified in winter and pre-cooled/dehumidified in summer to be thus supplied continuously to the in-side. In other words, the total heat exchanger is an energy-saving equipment that recycles energy lost in ventilation.