Knowledge · air handling
Air handling unit with an integrated heat pump
An air handling unit, or AHU, supplies fresh, clean air at the right temperature. With an integrated heat pump, the same unit can also dehumidify and recover the heat from the exhaust air. This page explains how such a unit is built up, and where the X-Cross fits in.
Have your situation calculatedConfigure your X-Cross in the 3D world (in Dutch)
What does an air handling unit do?
An air handling unit is the heart of an HVAC installation: heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The unit draws in air, treats it and blows it into the space. At the same time it removes stale air.
- Refreshing: fresh outdoor air in, stale air out.
- Filtering: dust and dirt out of the air.
- Heating or cooling: bringing the air to the right temperature.
- Dehumidifying: keeping the humidity within the band.
- Recovering heat: reusing the heat from the exhaust air.
Which parts make up an air handling unit?
A unit is built from sections. Each section does one job. Which sections you need depends on the space.
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dampers | Control how much outdoor air, return air and exhaust air passes through the unit. |
| Filters | Stop dust and dirt, also to keep the unit itself clean. |
| Fans | Move the air. With speed control, the airflow adapts to the demand. |
| Heat recovery | A heat exchanger, for example a plate or counterflow heat exchanger, passes heat from the exhaust air to the supply air. |
| Heating and cooling | Coils that heat or cool the air. In a unit with a heat pump, these are the condenser and the evaporator. |
| Controls | Sensors and a controller that make everything work together. |
What does an integrated heat pump add?
An ordinary heat exchanger mainly transfers sensible heat. A heat pump goes a step further. Its cold side, the evaporator, cools the air below its dew point. The moisture condenses and the latent heat is released. The warm side, the condenser, releases that heat again to the supply air or to water.
So one unit does several things at once: dehumidifying, recovering heat and heating. The same unit can also cool.
A heat pump moves heat. That is why it delivers more heat than it uses in electricity. That ratio is called the COP. How high the COP is depends on the temperatures on both sides. That is why we calculate per project.
Where is such a unit used?
- Swimming pools: dehumidifying the hall and returning the heat to the pool water.
- Greenhouses and vertical farms: dehumidifying and keeping the heat inside.
- Industry: drying with air and sending waste heat back into the process.
Where does the X-Cross fit in?
The X-Cross is such a unit: one unit that dehumidifies, heats, cools and recovers heat. The Blue Line for swimming pools has two air decks with one counterflow heat exchanger. It is 100% electric, with no gas in the unit. Its own controller connects to your building management system through BACnet or Modbus, or works standalone.
Each unit works on its own. If one fails, the others keep running.
In the 3D world you can configure your own X-Cross at the unit. Or choose Build your own space and see what dehumidification with heat recovery does in your space. The 3D world is in Dutch for now.
What to look for when you choose
- The efficiency of the heat recovery, determined according to EN 13053.
- The performance of the heat pump, according to EN 14511.
- How much moisture the unit can remove per hour, at the conditions in your space.
- The latent and the sensible load shown separately in the calculation.
- Good access for maintenance.
- A connection to your building management system.
Questions we are often asked
What is the difference between an air handling unit and a heat recovery ventilation unit?
A heat recovery ventilation unit ventilates and recovers heat, usually without its own heating or cooling. An air handling unit can do more: also heat, cool, dehumidify and filter. With an integrated heat pump, it also recovers the latent heat.
Do I still need a gas boiler next to the unit?
Not always. The X-Cross is 100% electric, with no gas in the unit. Whether you need additional heating depends on your building and the weather. We calculate that.
Does an air handling unit with a heat pump qualify for the Dutch EIA?
For businesses taxed in the Netherlands: the RVO Energy List 2026 includes an air handling unit for swimming pools under code 210807. RVO sets requirements, such as a thermal efficiency of the heat recovery of at least 73%. We confirm per project whether a unit qualifies. Read more about Dutch tax incentives.
Can I connect the unit to my building management system?
Yes. The X-Cross has its own controller and connects to your building management system through BACnet or Modbus. It can also work standalone.
Further reading
Sources
- RVO, Luchtbehandelingskast voor zwembaden, code 210807 (air handling unit for swimming pools, in Dutch), Milieu- en Energielijst 2026, accessed 13 October 2026.
- EN 13053:2019, performance of air handling units and their sections. EN 14511, performance of heat pumps.
- ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (2021), chapter Psychrometrics: the physics of humid air.
Have your situation calculated
Send us a short description of your space, or give us a call. You can also submit a request in the 3D world (in Dutch), after the quick scan.
- info@debekkersolutions.nl
- Phone
- +31 6 22 42 49 58