Fans are widely used in industrial and commercial applications. From shop ventilation to material handling to boiler applications, fans are critical for process support and human health. In the manufacturing sector, fans use about 78.7 billion kilowatt-hours of energy each year. This consumption represents 15 percent of the electricity used by motors. Applying best energy management practices and purchasing energy-efficient equipment can lead to significant savings in fan systems.
Basic Learning Materials
If you are new to fan systems or are unsure of how efficient your system is, a great place to start is familiarizing yourself with fan system basics and checking if you have already implemented the most basic energy saving measures.
Where To Start
The Fan System Info Card contains a brief summary of the top energy saving measures you can implement in your plant.
The Improving Fan System Performance Sourcebook contains a more detailed explanation of fan systems.
Courses and Videos
For a more detailed learning experience, check out the eLearning and video courses available online.
Fan Systems II
Author: Schneider Electric
A course covering different fan types and their applications
Fan Systems III
Author: Schneider Electric
A course covering fan system efficiency improvements
Tools and Calculators
There are many resources available to help you calculate specific costs and savings for your plant. Some of these tools, calculators, and software are listed below.
Fan System Assessment Tool
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
Tool that identifies energy use and savings in industrial fan systems.
MEASUR Fan Achievable Efficiency Tool
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A calculator for finding the maximum possible fan efficiency
MEASUR Fan System Optimization Checklist
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
A list and priority calculator for fan system improvements
MEASUR Fan Traverse Analysis Tool
Author: U.S. Department of Energy
Calculate the power, flowrate, pressure, etc. with a pitot tube
These and other resources can be found on the Resource Library page.