Welcome to Oxxigen

In short: yes absolutely. 

And how does that work?
 

In summer, warm air from the outside is initially supplied and the ceramic core of the unit stores (recovers) a significant amount of energy (heat), meaning the fresh air supplied to the room is already quite a few degrees colder through simple passive means (heat caapcity). When the airflow direction switches, cool air from the room is pushed back out via the ceramic core, picks up the stored (previously recovered) energy and that way pre-cools the core ready for fresh air from the outside supplied in the next cycle. In each cycle the core “recovers” the energy from the warmer air direction and “expels” the energy again when the cooler air direction passes through.
In winter, the cold outside air supplied to the room is preheated by the energy that was stored (recovered) in the ceramic core when the warm indoor air previously passed through. Every 70 seconds, the ceramic core either recovers (stores) or expels (releases) energy (heat).
In between - what we love about these ventilation units is that they can also run in supply or exhaust mode only, which is very useful when outside temperatures are just right or indoor air needs to be exhausted quickly; however keeping a window open is either not safe or simply not convenient. 

Mechanical ventilation units with heat recovery never recycle air; they are very different to a reverse cycle split unit. In our view, the two make a good pair though. The split unit actively heats/cools the air already in the room by continuously conditioning recycled air. The ventilation unit however provides permanently fresh air to a room, just without the energy losses when compared to ventilation via an open window. In combination, you would be using your split unit (or any other active heating/cooling system) more efficiently, as less energy is wasted.

In the winter scenario, a ventilation unit in heat recovery mode recovers heat (energy) from the stale air volume that leaves a room, initially stored in the ceramic core, before passed on to the fresh air volume that enters a room. Heat recovery units do not actively generate any heat, they simply recover a significant portion (up to 90%) of the internal heat without compromising continuous fresh air supply.

I see where you are coming from; the fact that we are talking about a heat recovery unit suggests that these units' primary purpose is to recover heat and save energy.
And don’t get me wrong, they do recover energy, however only the energy that is associated with your energy losses due to ventilation, and not the energy losses due to a leaky and poorly insulated home – the only thing that helps here is retrofitting building envelope insulation and draught proofing .

Truth is though …. energy recovery is only one of the benefits these ventilation units offer.
The biggest benefit that we see is the ventilation aspect. 24/7 ventilation and fresh air in bedrooms where otherwise windows may be closed due to noise, security concerns, pollen, mozzies. Further, they offer 24/7 ventilation in bathrooms and small apartments where there is an increased tendency for moisture buildup, leading to condensation and mould growth over time.

In a residential context, air change rates are predominantly based on occupants, which means if a bedroom is 15 or 30m2 in size doesn’t really matter – what matters is the number of occupants. Typically, a 50m3/h unit comfortably provides fresh air for a bedroom, bathroom, or even living room and kitchen if desired.

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