Ceiling fans are typical in every home. To beat up the summer heat, its necessary to have ceiling fans installed in every room. Not many families in India have air conditioners, but every home in the country will at least have one ceiling fan. It’s a standard criterion that people will invest more time and energy in choosing the right lighting that is energy efficient and cheap. A lesser ratio of the population invests in selecting the best ceiling fans to minimize energy consumption. On average, a single bulb installed in a home consumes 50 watts of electricity, whereas an old ceiling fan has the potential to consume a lot more energy up to 80 to 90 watts. Ceiling fans are often neglected because the source of information on the power consumption is, in turn, obsolete, and people don’t care because of its occasional usage. But choosing an energy-efficient fan must be approached meticulously because the number of ceiling fans in a home is usually higher than two. Opting the best ceiling fan that will serve both the purpose of interior décor and energy savings is a challenge. Let us have a look at the energy-saving details of the regular ceiling fans used in India, the power range, and the factors affecting the energy value.
The power consumption of ceiling fans used in India
The power consumption rate of ceiling fans is precisely dependant on various factors like the efficiency of motor, size, and type. While going for a purchase, it’s always recommended to opt for an energy-saving type of fan rather than choosing an ordinary fan with no plus points. For instance, an average fan will cost you more on energy with the least investment. Still, a fan with premium investment having energy-efficient functioning will cost you much one time but will sufficiently decrease your average electricity billing amount.
Calculating the energy consumption
It is relatively simple to find the average consumption of electricity by your ceiling fan. For that, you require the knowledge about the power consumption of the ceiling fan that must be probably listed on the cover of the fan received upon purchase.
Let us say that your fan is of 70 watts, and you pay 5 rupees per kilowatt-hour. To convert the value to KW, you need to divide the power consumption by 1000.
Therefore, to see what it costs for 1 hour, we have 0.070 x 5 = 0.35 Rupees /hr. The value is very less. So the amount of money that your fan will cost you upon running is also dependent on the period your fan is under operation. In summer, the value can get elevated due to more functioning time. A 24 hour of usage will cost you nearly 8 Rupees. An individual must minimize usage by switching off the fan if there is no need. Another aspect is selecting the right fan with a minimum requirement of electricity. Let us have a detailed discussion about the factors influencing the power consumption of a ceiling fan.
General factors that affect the power consumption value
The power
A significant factor that determines the rate of energy consumption of the ceiling fan is the allowable consumption value mentioned by the brand. The usual ceiling fans of India possess the value in the range from 70 to 75 and are quite energy-efficient, offering an optimum speed of 300 RPM or more. The typical 36 to the 56-inch fan will have a power reading from 50 watts to 100, whereas a usual 46-inch fan will have a watt of 75. The power reading is a value relating to the efficiency of the motor. Other components that fix the power are the speed with which the device operates, or whether the motor is AC or DC. DC motors are always termed to be energy efficient .3-star ceiling fans come under these types.
The Duration
The time duration of your gadget is put for operation also determines the rate of power consumption. Usually, the excessive usage of fans is seen during the summer. As India is a tropical country, the temperature will be a little elevated. However, the usage of a fan is not very common during monsoon and winter. It is always recommended not to use fans for drying clothes as it is a mere wastage of energy and needs more time of operation that will increase your consumption rate.
Electricity charge
This is a factor that entirely rests on the hands of the authority. The variations, increase and decrease in electricity charge is another factor that contributes to the power consumption value differences.
Less than 30-watt fans
This category of fans works with DC motors or is certified to be energy-saving i.e., Three-star. These fans will have lesser energy consumption and hence will cost you very less on energy bills. So far, there have only been fewer brands that have made their way to such categories, such as Orient and Atomberg. The fans that fall under this category offer you an energy saving of 60 percent.
30 to 50 watts
The given group of ceiling fans cannot be called as energy-efficient but are termed to be the most common in the Indian market. The fans available in this range are superior performers and offer you good speed. They are built with excellent motors that have an outstanding durability
50 to 70 watts
Most fans that claim to be the best in the market comes under this category. They are optimum energy-efficient and gives you better outputs. They are also available in different varieties and have various design functions. The well-known fans in this category are Havells, Crompton, etc. These brands also offer excellent design features. However, the price range of such fans is a little high than the other fans mentioned below.
70 to 80 watts
The fans that belong to this category are the regular ceiling fans that are cheap and are readily available. Most of the people prefer these fans considering the lesser initial investment. But unlike the other fans, these fans though less in investment but consumes lot of energy. It is always advised to opt for 3-star fans when going for a purchase. Some brands that offer fans in the range of 70 to 80 watt are Usha, Khaitan, etc.
80 to 100 watts
This comes in the range of ceiling fans that have large sweep size above 1200 mm because of their large motors and the superior speed, they offer. Such fans have a lot of energy consumption.
100 to 110 watts
The given category includes the old models that consume double energy in comparison with the other market leaders. Before going to choose it, always have a second thought because these fans will scavenge your money. If you are willing to switch to energy-efficient lighting, then you may also devote your time to making efforts to choose the best fan rather than jumping into conclusions and getting trapped in brands that are cost-ineffective and high power consumers.
Other factors that affect power consumption
Not only power consumption range affects the money you spend. Apart from the factors mentioned above, there are other reasons why you end up having a higher spend on your ceiling fan monthly. If the ceiling fans are with light fixtures, it will add up the value of energy consumption. However, you may mitigate it by using an energy-efficient light bulb or an LED bulb. Still choosing a fan with no lighting features are always termed to be best when it comes to energy saving. Adding more luxury can sometimes cause harm than giving the expected results.
How fans are energy efficient when compared to Air conditioners
The average consumption of air conditioners is found to be double or triple times larger than that of ceiling fans. Air conditioners use 1000 to 3500 watts of electricity whereas a regular fan will cost you only 70 watts or more. For an hour, an air conditioner of 1000 watt will cost you 5 rupees, which is a pretty high amount when compared to the value we have obtained for a normal ceiling fan. So it is worth making sure that you are not switching on your AC unless there a need for it. If you are a person obsessed with saving energy, it is best to use the ceiling fan for your comfort.
Conclusion
Ceiling fans are also one such determining factor that fixes the average electricity consumption of your home along with other gadgets. So it is mandatory to choose the best range of power that is available in the market . A better view of optimum consumption is another determining factor that helps you fix the range of electricity consumed. The average consumption of an Indian family can be estimated as 2 Rupees if the fan is being operated at a minimum of 6 hrs and the fan used is of 70 watts.
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