Fans, Blowers, and Fume Hoods

THE PRODUCTS:

Commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and fume hoods are under review by DOE. A fan is an electrically powered device which provides a continuous flow of a gas, typically air, for ventilation or circulation. Fans are usually classified as axial or centrifugal. A blower is a centrifugal fan having a higher ratio of discharge pressure to suction pressure than a fan. A fume hood is an enclosed workspace that uses a fan. They are typically used in commercial or industrial facilities to capture, contain, or exhaust fumes or vapors.

THE STANDARD:

No national standard currently exists for these products. DOE issued a proposed determination of coverage signaling their intent to begin a rulemaking. They have tentatively determined that fans, blowers and fume hoods qualify as covered products. The ASAP/ACEEE report, The Efficiency Boom, analyzed standards for fans and blowers with the assumption that cost-effective energy savings of 10% were possible for centrifugal fans, and 56% for axial fans. Efficient axial fans carry a much higher premium than efficient centrifugal fans, but the large savings makes them cost-effective. The incremental cost, on average, is $1,400, with a 2.2 year payback. Increased efficiency can be achieved through options like including improved blade orientation, reduced friction losses, and improved design. Estimated annual savings in 2035 are 8.5 TWh and net present value savings on purchases through 2035 are $2 billion.

KEY FACTS:

DOE estimates that commercial fans and blowers consume close to 140 billion kWh of electricity per year, industrial fans and blowers about 90 billion kWh, and fume hoods about 23 billion kWh. The total amounts to over 250 billion kWh per year. Technologies exist that may reduce the electricity use of fans and blowers by 20%. There may be technologies for fume hoods that could reduce energy by 50%.