Energy Efficient Ceiling Fans Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
If you are someone that is mindful of your carbon footprint, one area that you might not have thought about is with the ceiling fans in your home. Ceiling fans not only provide you with ventilation in the summer, but can circulate warm air during the winter. In both seasons, fans can help you to reduce the amount of energy you use, especially if you spend most of your time in a specific room of your house. Rather than running your central air conditioner to cool off your entire house, you can turn on a ceiling fan in the room you spend your time in. But you can do even better; by utilizing an energy efficient ceiling fan, you will enjoy even more energy savings. What constitutes an energy efficient ceiling fan? Below, we will go over what to look for.
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Definitions
When looking for an energy efficient ceiling fan, there are a few definitions to understand. The first is CFM (cubic feet of air per minute). The CFM is the volume of air that a fan pushes. More efficient fans push or circulate more air. Look for a high CFM at high speed (above 3,000, but it depends on the diameter of the fan also). The most important thing to look at is the CFM/W (cubic feet of air per minute per Watt of energy used). This is a measure of the overall efficiency of a ceiling fan. The higher the number, the more energy efficient the fan is. A good number to look for is a fan above 75 CFM/ W.
Energy Star Rating
To help you find energy efficient home appliances, the EPA has created the Energy Star rating system. For ceiling fans, there are certain criteria that need to be met. The first is that the CFM needs to exceed a certain level at low, medium, and high speeds (1250, 3000, and 5000). Next, a fan needs to have a CFM/W that exceeds certain levels at those speeds as well (155, 100, 75). The light fixture also needs to meet the luminaires standard set forth by the EPA, and the fan needs to have a minimum warranty on the motor of at least 10 years, with a 1 year component warranty.
The Emerson Midway Eco is a great example of an Energy Star rated fan that is highly energy efficient. It cranks out the air, with a CFM at high speed of 6085 and a cfm/W of 336. The fan only uses a total of 18 Watts (excluding light) at high speed, which shows how efficient the fan really is.
Is an Energy Star Rating Necessary?
The EPA’s Energy Star rating is a helpful assessment tool when looking at appliances, and especially at ceiling fans. But is it totally necessary to purchase a fan with an Energy Star designation? No. There are plenty of energy efficient fans on the market that don’t carry that rating. What is important is to dig into the specifications of fans that you are interested in adding to your space.
Final Thoughts
There are many ceiling fans on the market today that not only save on your energy bills but provide a design statement in your living space. Hopefully, this article will help you to understand the criteria that define energy efficiency in the world of ceiling fans.
Nate K writes for eCeilingFanShop.com, which is an online resource for helping you to learn about and find the right energy efficient ceiling fan for you. Visit the site today to learn more, and thanks for reading!
