Why not get some indoor sensors and DIY? I’m planning to install an ERV and a whole home dehumidifier to see if I can get that ideal indoor air quality.
I can't help but think HVAC is the perfect industry for the limited AI we have right now... it just need to hit a sweet spot of relative humidity and temperature, with constraints given by the assets you have and its' performance envelope given input from mixture of indoor/outdoor air..
but right now HVAC industry is treating relative humidity like some ultimate luxury tier item..
PID and other basics of control theory have been around for ages, they're just not used in residential HVAC. Perhaps the limiting factor has been the traditional split system with only on and off states. As we move towards variable speed compressors and fans, we may see more intelligent controls. Maybe an AI can help tune the control constants?
Maybe because relative humidity is more expensive to control? in an ideal case it's just moving and mixing different levels of air temperature and humidity, but in reality you need to de-humidify or add humidity
I found it inordinately difficult to get humidity to a stable point in Canadian winters, because practically no homes are designed with relative humidity in mind.
A lot of it is managing the air barriers (not vapor barriers!) and sealing the house to prevent air leaks.
But if you're concerned about air quality there are some major things you can attack first - water heater being electric or forced-vent, furnace being forced vent, etc.
The less "burning" inside the house the better off you'll be to start.
Instrument things and DIY to tune, but start from Passivhaus standards. There's a ton of great developments on ERVs and insulation that could use more attention in the US.
