Multifunctional Ventilation Unit Testing: Independent Documentation for European Compliance and Market Access

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Accredited laboratory testing provides HVAC manufacturers, importers, and building system integrators with the empirical documentation required to verify heat recovery efficiency, thermal capacity, airflow performance, and acoustic compliance across complex operating modes.

Multifunctional ventilation units represent the cutting edge of integrated indoor climate engineering. By combining mechanical ventilation and balanced heat recovery with active thermodynamic heating, comfort cooling, and domestic hot water (DHW) production within a single compact casing, these units are central to nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB). However, placing these multi-faceted systems on the European market requires navigating complex, overlapping regulatory frameworks—including Ecodesign requirements for residential ventilation units (Regulation (EU) No 1253/2014) and space/combination heaters (Regulation (EU) No 813/2013), alongside relevant Energy Labelling regulations.

At Danish Technological Institute, our Heat Pump Test Laboratory delivers independent, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing specifically configured for multifunctional ventilation units. With more than 20 years of specialised testing experience in advanced HVAC systems, we provide manufacturers, OEMs, and distributors with the traceable empirical data needed to verify ventilation performance, heat pump efficiency, and sound containment. Our accredited documentation reduces technical uncertainty, mitigates non-compliance risks ahead of national market surveillance audits, and directly supports European product certification and national building compliance approvals.

Controlled Aerodynamic and Thermodynamic Testing in Climate Chambers and Test Rigs

Multifunctional ventilation units integrate passive air-to-air heat exchangers (recuperative or regenerative) with active refrigeration circuits, auxiliary heating elements, and multiple air distribution channels (supply, extract, exhaust, outdoor). Evaluating their true seasonal efficiency requires test infrastructure capable of simultaneously regulating ambient conditions, external duct resistances, dynamic airflow rates, and hydraulic loop temperatures.

Our climate chambers and calibrated aerodynamic test rigs simulate realistic indoor extraction conditions (20∘C to 22∘C), variable outdoor air temperatures (from sub-zero winter extremes to high summer peaks), and fluctuating humidity levels:

Key Measured Performance & Compliance Metrics

• Ventilation & Aerodynamic Performance: Airflow rates (m³/h), external static pressure differences (Pa), internal and external air leakage rates, and Specific Power Input (SPI / SFP) in accordance with EN 13141-7 and EN 13141-8.
• Thermal Heat Recovery Efficiency: Temperature and humidity efficiency (η_t) of passive heat exchangers under dry and condensing conditions.
• Active Heating & Cooling Capacity: Heating COP/SCOP and cooling EER/SEER across variable compressor speeds and ventilation loads according to EN 14511, EN 14825, and EN 16573.
• Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Production: Water heating energy efficiency (η_wh), COP_DHW, and tapping cycle delivery under EN 16147.
• Acoustic Sound Power Levels: Casing-radiated noise and in-duct sound power transmission (L_{W A}) for all air connections under EN 12102-2 and EN ISO 5136.
• Regulatory Frameworks: Ecodesign (EU 1253/2014 & EU 813/2013), Energy Labelling (EU 1254/2014 & EU 811/2013), and Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) classification.

Moving from Component Simulation to Integrated Third-Party Verification

For technical directors and R&D managers, computational models cannot fully capture the complex thermal interactions between passive heat recovery cores and active heat pump evaporators/condensers. ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory testing provides the empirical certainty required by authorities, certification bodies, and market partners.

Substantiating Environmental Claims with Empirical Data

With increasing regulatory focus on verifiable sustainability under the EU Green Claims Directive, environmental assertions regarding high heat recovery rates, primary energy reduction, and carbon footprint mitigation must be substantiated by empirical measurements rather than calculated estimates.

Technological Institute provides the independent testing required to document product performance. By generating certified performance metrics under standardized temperature, humidity, and airflow conditions in our climate chambers, we provide manufacturers and distributors with an objective, empirical baseline to support Energy Label classifications, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and low-carbon product claims with full regulatory integrity.

The Testing Process: A Collaborative, Transparent Approach

We operate on a transparent, 5-step methodology designed to keep technical teams informed throughout the measurement programme:

Technical Facilities: Climate Chambers and Test Rigs

Our laboratory facilities are specifically engineered to accommodate the multi-variable testing demands of integrated multifunctional ventilation units:

Comprehensive Testing for Synthetic, HFO, and Natural Refrigerants

The transition toward sustainable refrigerants under the revised EU F-gas Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/573) and PFAS restrictions directly affects multifunctional ventilation units. Because these systems are installed indoors within living quarters, utility rooms, or ceiling voids, adopting low-GWP alternatives requires rigorous validation of thermodynamic performance and charge-safety compliance.

Our Heat Pump Test Laboratory is engineered and certified to safely accommodate the full spectrum of refrigerants:

• Natural Refrigerants (A3, A1): ATEX-compliant testing environments equipped to handle flammable (A3) fluids such as Propane (R290) and Isobutane (R600a), as well as high-pressure (A1) fluids like CO₂ (R744).
• HFOs and Low-GWP Blends (A2L): Dedicated testing protocols for mildly flammable alternatives including R454C, R454B, R1234ze, and R32.
• Conventional Synthetic Refrigerants (A1): Full baseline testing capabilities for legacy HFC systems (such as R410A and R134a)

Our climate chambers and testing stations feature continuous refrigerant gas leak detection arrays, mechanical ATEX emergency exhaust ventilation, and spark-free electrical interfaces to handle flammable charge limits safely during testing.

Discuss Your Multifunctional Ventilation Testing Requirements

Whether validating a next-generation R290 compact indoor climate unit, verifying dual Ecodesign compliance for ventilation and space heating, or generating accredited data for European quality marks, our laboratory team provides the necessary capacity and technical expertise.

Contact our Heat Pump Testing Laboratory to define your testing scope, verify lead times, and book laboratory capacity.

Lasse Søe

Team Manager

Phone: +45 72 20 12 69

E-mail: las@teknologisk.dk

Lasse has overall responsibility for the team, the laboratory and its technical direction. He has more than 25 years of experience in refrigeration and heat pump technology, covering product testing, laboratory measurements, and market surveillance, as well as energy efficiency and the implementation of international standards. He is an expert in testing in accordance with international standards and has extensive experience with heat pumps, refrigeration systems, condensing units and related components for both public authorities and industry.

Preben Eskerod

Business Manager

Phone: +45 72 20 26 35

E-mail: pres@teknologisk.dk

Preben has worked in the energy sector for more than 20 years. He specialises in testing heat pumps as well as providing technical consultancy and product assessment. He is a member of national and international standardisation committees, and he is also a member of an international committee of test laboratories.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brine-to-Water Heat Pump Testing

For comprehensive details on overarching accreditation scopes, multi-standard test packages, or certification routing, please refer to our main page: Accredited Heat Pump Testing for Certification and European Market Access. If you have specific inquiries regarding testing schedules, custom hydraulic boundary conditions, or safety preparations for flammable refrigerants, please contact Preben Eskerod using the contact form to the right.