Want to be sustainable and cool? Choose fans more and aircon less

Electric fans are an effective and sustainable choice to circulate air indoors, without sacrificing comfort, according to a study.

By using indoor fans, the indoor temperature threshold before it becomes uncomfortable for humans can increase by 3 to 4 degrees.

The total benefit of using fans to reduce air conditioner use was greater than the switch from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs, according to a cost-benefit analysis conducted by researchers.

Increasing the amount of air movement by fans can reduce electricity consumption and the yearly cost of cooling indoor spaces in Australia by 70 percent, according to a modeling led by the University of Sydney.

The study found that using fans still maintained the same comfort levels as a lower indoor temperature with regular air conditioner use.

An international team of experts from the University of Australia, the University of Newcastle, and the University of the Netherlands conducted the research that was published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

The work shows how making the switch to widespread indoor fan use can potentially reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.

The way electric fans operate to cool the human body is the key. Electric fans generate higher air speeds across the skin surface to achieve a higher heat loss despite warmer temperatures, while air conditioners by themselves lower temperatures with little air movement.

The cycle of high electricity consumption that air conditioners feed is often delivered by fossil fuel power stations that contribute to further increases in emissions.

The latest report on climate change emphasizes the need for adoption of low-emission lifestyles, including cooling choices for thermal comfort, according to the lead author.

Our study shows that fans can contribute emission reductions for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The optimal conditions for comfort and sustainable living.

The researchers compared the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from different scenarios with different combinations of fan and air conditioner use. There were situations with fans operating at different speeds.

The number of hours above the thermal comfort limit was calculated to determine air conditioner usage and greenhouse gas emissions after logging data on the impact of the fans on human comfort levels.

We needed to process hourly temperature data for an entire year for the entire continent on a 150,000-cell grid. We were able to do this using the power of the computer.

The 76 percent reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from operating fans with air speeds of 12 m/s with occasional air conditioner use was found by them.

Professor Jay says that curbing greenhouse gas emissions is the only way to limit future global warming.

By increasing indoor air movement with fans, you can feel the same as if you use an air conditioning unit. This is a really easy thing that most people can do to help reduce the emissions associated with cooling homes and indoor spaces in Australia.

More information: Arunima Malik et al, The potential for indoor fans to change air conditioning use while maintaining human thermal comfort during hot weather: an analysis of energy demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions, The Lancet Planetary Health (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00042-0 Citation: Want to be sustainable and cool? Choose fans more and aircon less (2022, April 8) retrieved 8 April 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-sustainable-cool-fans-aircon.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.