A Look Inside dPoint Technologies; Where What’s Inside Matters

In a recent visit to the dPoint Technologies headquarters we were given the opportunity to walk through the facilities and get a step by step explanation of how dPoint’s membrane technology and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) exchangers for building HVAC systems (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) are designed and manufactured. CEO, James Dean, provided us with insights and industry knowledge about the direction things are moving in for the HVAC industry as a whole and about how dPoint is prepared for the shift.

Due to changes in the way homes and commercial office buildings are being built to have more energy efficient exchange of air and better overall air quality, the HVAC industry has recently had to adjust key components of its systems. James and his team at dPoint are ready with technology to accommodate these new requirements. Historically condo buildings were built with a centralized ventilation system that brought fresh air into the hallway and under a gap at the bottom of the front door so air from the corridor could be sucked in and circulated through the unit. Today however with the growing emphasis on energy efficiency, better insulated units, healthier air, and the desire for each individual unit to be able to control its own energy usage, decentralized HVAC and energy recovery systems have been developed. dPoint’s membrane and ERVs are making these individual HVAC units even more desirable by recapturing the energy lost through ventilation.

In General, most buildings constructed in the 21st century, whether they be dwellings or commercial/industrial units, are being developed with a high degree of insulation. Although they are improving on a unit’s ability to retain hot or cold air, it makes it a less desirable environment from a “fresh air” prespective. Therefore ventilation technology has become very important to these new HVAC systems as well. The biggest problem with ventilation however is the unwanted loss or gain of heat in the air through the exchange process. DPoint’s energy recovery ventilator (ERV) technology called “cross flow ERV ” is the core value proposition to the customer. DPoint’s solution to this problem is in its membrane technology, which allows the fresh air coming in to extract some of the heat from the exiting air so that it requires less heating or cooling once in the unit. The membrane and ERV exchanger also transfers the humidity across the membrane, reducing the need for humidification or dehumidification, saving energy and improving overall comfort.  This is of course the most basic of all descriptions of the process and should you be interested in a more technological explanation you can visit the dPoint website for more detail or you can read our previous blog post on dPoint that describes the process in more detail.

Besides having such a great technology, the other reason dPoint’s clients work with them is because they have the ability to manufacture highly customized membranes and ERV exchanger for the HVAC systems their clients sell or maintain. Some clients in fact only want the special membrane material because it is better for them to make the ERV exchangers themselves then have them shipped from Vancouver. What they all need however is these special materials that only dPoint can produce.

dPoint has protected their technology with several pending patents relating to their membrane materials and exchanger manufacturing process.   They also have acquired the exclusive use of Microban which provides anti-microbial protection for the ERV exchanger ensuring mold and bacteria cannot grow on it.  The first pending patent is for the membrane materials discussed above which has a special combination of materials which transfer high amounts of heat and humidity while not allowing the contaminants from the stale air exhausted from the building to cross-over into the fresh air coming into the building. dPoint’s second patent is in the way they fold their membranes called pleating to make the ERV exchanger devices. With highly automated machines, dPoint has perfected the way they fold their membranes so there is minimal leakage and minimal labour to produce the exchangers.

Business will only continue to get better for dPoint as government regulations, building codes, and standards continue to pop up in support of technologies like dPoint’s. For example in Vancouver all new residential buildings must now have heat recovery technology built in from the onset. Furthermore, the growing demand from homeowners to reduce their monthly energy bills will also continue to drive increased demand for this technology.

Despite having a great product with a steady stream of business coming from several of the major HVAC companies in North America, Europe and Asia, dPoint is always looking for the next best thing. They have onsite testing facility with a full time R&D team working to constantly improve the existing dPoint technology, while seeking out all new technologies that could further enhance the energy recovery process. The dPoint team also consists of chemical, mechanical and manufacturing engineers, a seasoned management team, dedicated production staff and an energetic sales force. We look forward to seeing what dPoint comes up with next!