Ceiling Fans
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Introduction
Ceiling fans can provide substantial savings on energy. Using about the same electricity as a 100-Watt light bulb, you can run one for just pennies a day. In mild weather, ceiling fans offer a low-cost alternative to air conditioning. Used in conjunction with air conditioning in hot weather, ceiling fans can help keep your family comfortable and your utility bills low.
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In normal operating mode, the blades of a turning ceiling fan push air downward, creating a wind chill effect that can make the room feel cooler by four degrees or more. That means if you're using air conditioning along with your fan, you can set the thermostat at a higher than normal setting to save on energy. The ceiling fan doesn't actually change the temperature of the air in the room, but you can use less energy for air-conditioning and maintain the same level of comfort by using a fan properly.
The same cooling effect caused by blowing air currents keeps many people from using their ceiling fans in winter. But most fans, and all high-efficiency models, have a switch on the motor housing that changes the direction of the blades. Instead of forcing air downward, the blades will push air up toward the ceiling, where hot air normally rises, and drive it back down around the edges of the room. This circulates warm air to occupied areas of the room, maintaining a comfortable temperature, even when the heat is turned down by several degrees to save on heating bills.
Ceiling fans can help solve other cold weather problems as well. For example, some two-story houses have open stairways. Since heat rises, the upstairs can get hot, while the downstairs where the thermostat normally is can stay cold. As a result, the furnace can run more often and heating is uneven. But, mounting a ceiling fan at the top of the stairway will mix the air more evenly, making the house much more comfortable and cutting down on heating costs.
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Increasing fan efficiency is based on four factors: lighting performance, blade pitch and design, motor design, and controls. 'ENERGY STAR' qualified fans address all of these factors. A typical ceiling fan with a lighting kit consumes approximately 300 kWh per year. In contrast, ENERGY STAR qualified fans, which have efficient lighting kits, consume approximately 120 kWh per year. The majority of these savings are from the lighting kit.
ENERGY STAR specification defines residential ceiling fan airflow efficiency on a performance basis: Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) of airflow per watt of power consumed by the motor and controls. Efficiency is measured on each of three speeds.
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Typical ceiling fans, through inefficient blade and motor design, convert only approximately 1% to 2% of the energy reaching the motor into beneficial air movement.
Taking fan design to the next level, the 'Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)', continues to research advanced ceiling fan designs to improve the efficiency of every aspect of the fan. The center has designed fans with aerodynamic "airfoil" blades that resemble the blades of propeller-driven aircraft. By twisting and tapering the blade they can achieve up to 40% more airflow than a conventional fan while using the same motor. These advanced blades also allow the use of a smaller fan motor. The combination of the blades and the smaller motors allow these fans to use approximately 50% less energy than a typical fan.
Adding to their increased efficiency, these fans come with advanced remote controls that turn the fans on and off and adjust their speed based on room temperature. They also come with optional motion sensors, which turn the fans on or off when someone walks into the room, eliminating wasted energy when fans are operated in empty rooms. These fans far exceed ENERGY STAR specifications and are sold as two models under the Hampton Bay label: Callaway II and Windward II.
Efficiency Benefits
Energy savings from efficient ceiling fans manifest in two ways. First, they dramatically reduce the energy used by the lighting system by using low wattage CFLs instead of conventional incandescent lighting. Second, they use less energy to move the air in the space being cooled than conventional ceiling fans thanks to more efficient motors and advanced blade design.
Ceiling fans that have earned the ENERGY STAR label are about 10% more efficient than standard ceiling fans. This can save you from $13 to $24 per year on utility bills, plus additional air conditioning or heating savings you may gain when your fan is operated properly.
About 80% of the fan's energy savings come from ENERGY STAR qualified lighting on the fan, either as integrated fan lighting or attached as a light kit. If your fan doesn't currently include lighting and you would like to use it as a light source as well, be sure to purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified light kit. These kits come with lighting that meets ENERGY STAR requirements for efficiency, long life, and quality. This lighting is compact, attractive, efficient and long lasting, so you won't have to make frequent bulb changes.
According to a study by the 'American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)', installation of an ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan with efficient lighting can save approximately 180 kWh per year over traditional ceiling fan/lighting combinations, resulting in a payback period of 2.8 years.
Manufacturers
For a complete list of ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan manufacturers visit ENERGY STAR's ceiling fan manufacturers database.
Purchasing Tips
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Emerging Technology
Currently in development are fans that utilize more efficient blade design as well as more efficient motors. These can cut energy costs even more by transferring more motor energy into air movement.