An ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) is a balanced ventilation device that simultaneously exhausts stale indoor air and brings in fresh outdoor air, while exchanging both heat and moisture between the two streams.
The "energy recovery" part means that in summer, incoming hot/humid air is pre-cooled and pre-dehumidified by the outgoing conditioned air before it enters the home. In winter, incoming cold/dry air is pre-warmed by outgoing warm air. The exchange recovers most of the energy you'd lose by simply opening a window.
ERVs are preferred over HRVs (Heat Recovery Ventilators) in humid climates because they exchange moisture as well as heat — incoming summer air doesn't dump as much humidity into the house. Recommended for tightly built modern homes that don't get enough natural air exchange.
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