Cool can be beautiful by Rebecca Steffanoni, Big Ass Fans Australia

Cool can be beautiful

By Rebecca Steffanoni, Territory Sales Manager (Western Australia & Northern Territory), Big Ass Fans Australia

With rising energy costs and the increased accountability to operate efficiently, business owners, facility managers, home owners, architects and designers are all looking for innovative ways to cut energy costs without cutting corners. And let’s face it: not everyone can afford air conditioning or tolerates its negative environmental impact.

One energy-conscious cooling alternative harkens back to the pre-air conditioning days — the ceiling fan. But this is not your grandmother’s version; the traditional ceiling fan has been reinvented for large industrial, commercial, and residential spaces. The latest technology in industrialgrade air movement has been custom-engineered for shopping malls, offices, churches, schools and other sound-sensitive environments. Moreover, it has been executed on a scale large enough to make it a significant component of a cost-effective, energy-efficient building design.

Large, low velocity ceiling fans, also known as high volume, low speed (HVLS) fans, operate on a different principle than their conventional ceiling fan counterpart. These fans are significantly larger and operate at slow speeds to minimise power usage. The fans use aerodynamic, extruded aluminium airfoils designed to provide the optimum airflow at the lowest possible operating cost. Because they move vast volumes of air, the fans can create a cooling effect over large areas. Today’s large, low velocity ceiling fans make the statement that it’s possible to create a beautiful environment utilising serious energy-saving products. With Big Ass Fans, architects and designers have the opportunity to implement sustainable products that are not just eco-friendly but also cost effective.

These large fans are used for cooling, heat recirculation, air distribution and as alternatives to air conditioning in large facilities. They are vastly more effective than high-speed fans, moving up to 36 times as much air. Also, due to their low operating speed, large, low velocity fans are very quiet.

Today, HVLS fans are recognised as a technology with wide application and proven results in reducing or eliminating the cost of mechanical cooling for large spaces. In a building with an HVAC system, the large, low velocity fan is part of the system, not the primary means of cooling. In many cases, large, low velocity fans can be used to help distribute the HVAC system air more evenly throughout the space, minimising the need for extensive distribution ductwork, which can save on the HVAC system’s initial cost and energy usage.

Heeding the current focus on sustainable, energy-efficient design, large, low velocity ceiling fans offer a number of cost-effective cooling options that can work well aesthetically in any environment. Visually striking fans that are silent and capable of moving air effectively in summer, winter and transitional seasons can form a viable part of any sustainable building design.

For a more detailed discussion of the principles outlined, Big Ass Fans are running a CPD presentation on Tuesday, 6 July at Home Base Subiaco. For more information, call 1300 BIG ASS or email rebecca.steffanoni@bigassfans.com.au or visit bigassfans.com.au