Zehnder Interview Series: John Rockwell, Technical Sales Engineer

John Rockwell, Technical Sales Engineer 

Interviewer:  Could you introduce yourself, John?

John Rockwell:   My name is John Rockwell, I am a Technical Sales Engineer and have been with Zehnder since January of 2014.

Interviewer:  John, what do you like most about working with this type of product?

John Rockwell: As a former customer of Zehnder and therefore having evaluated many other products, I really am both personally and professionally invested in the quality, efficiency and far better performance of the Zehnder ComfoAir system.

Interviewer:  It sounds like you get excited about the product.  What green trends are you seeing in the HVAC industry?

John Rockwell: With the increased need for mechanical ventilation comes an increasing need for awareness of balanced ventilation.   People tend to confuse ventilation with parts of the heating system.  Often people mistakenly think heating and cooling are provided with our system.  That being said, there’s an increasing general awareness for mechanical ventilation, and at least in that forefront of the Passive House movement, high-performance home movement, net-zero homes movement, balanced ventilation as opposed to supply-only or exhaust-only.

Interviewer:  Promising and encouraging.  Where do you see the industry going in the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years?

John Rockwell:  I would expect the trend going towards more high-efficiency requirements. Because not only is it just that mechanical ventilation is required, but that efficiency of the core and therefore the supply air temperature is going to need to be improved.   Zehnder already did a great job with that and that’s why it’s kind of exciting to be with a company that’s right on the forefront of the expected trend.

Interviewer:  So moving on, how does an HRV ERV contribute to the energy efficiency of the home?

John Rockwell:  The higher the efficiency of an ERV/HRV, the less energy is required to offset the cooler fresh air. During the summer, cooling loads are reduced by transferring the heat of warm intake air to the outgoing exhaust air. That’s what high efficiency is all about, bringing supply air in as close to room temperature as possible.

Interviewer:  Lastly, what are your top 1 or 2 tips that you would give to consumers when they are choosing an HRV, ERV system.

John Rockwell:

1.  Understand the benefits of balanced HRV/ERV ventilation over “exhaust only” ventilation

2.  Look for companies that offer a complete HRV/ERV system design approach.  Zehnder provides the complete system: HRV, controls, distribution ductwork, registers, etc.  Proper components are just as important to the efficiency and performance of the system as the HRV/ERV unit itself.

Interviewer:  Alright, sounds good, I think we have some great stuff here, so thanks for the call John, appreciate it.

John Rockwell:  You bet; have a great day.