Product Profile on Small Fan Units
Ian McNicol, Sustainability Victoria
On behalf of the E3 Committee
A joint initiative of Australian, State and Territory and New Zealand Governments.
What we’ll cover
1. Overview of Product Profile
•
Discussion Points
2. Where to From Here
2
1. Overview of Small Fan Product Profile
• Scope of Product Profile
• Market characteristics
• Energy consumption, energy efficiency
improvement and GHG emissions
• Policy options
• Standards
• Regulatory considerations
3
Scope of the Product Profile
• Scope of Product Profile is motor-driven
fan units with input power 5 to <125 W
• ‘Fan unit’ = fan and motor combination
• also includes integral fan-motor assemblies
which are constructed such that it is not
possible to separate the fan blade from the
motor without losing the function of the fan
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Applications of Small Fans
• Some small fan units are a stand-alone product:
 fans for human comfort cooling
 extractor and extractor/heater combination fans
• Some small fan units are embedded in appliances:
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computers
refrigerators
freezers
room heaters with a fan
clothes dryers
hair dryers
dishwashers
room air conditioners
ovens
microwaves
rangehoods
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Discussion Points – Scope of Small Fans
1 Input power range 5 to <125W – is this appropriate?
2 Input power versus output power for defining the scope for
small fan units?
3 Efficiency of fan-motor assembly (fan unit) versus efficiency
of fan as a stand-alone item. What should we focus on?
4 Should the scope cover all fan units in this size range or
should it exclude some types of fan units?
5 Additional applications of small fan units not listed in the
Profile?
6 Feedback on terminology used when discussing small fan unit
6
Types of Motors Driving Small Fans
Motor Type
Motor Characteristics
Shaded-pole,
single-phase
Common motor, cheap to purchase and reliable but very inefficient
– 5 to 70 Watt output. Are type of AC single-phase induction motor.
Has a low starting torque so best used for fans that are easy to
start.
External rotor
fan assembly:
single & three
phase
Another common type of motor used with small fans. Version of AC
induction motor where rotor rotates around the stator. Rotor is
integrated into the fan blade. Has improved efficiency.
Permanent split
capacitor
Mainly used in residential aircons and household appliances.
Usually more efficient than same size shaded pole motors, but
often operate below full load.
Electronically
commutated
Synchronous electric motor which uses permanent magnets which
rotate around a static armature. Require speed controllers and
these are often integrated into small units. High efficiency, low
noise and long life.
Universal
Commonly used in hand tools, hair dryers, and vacuum cleaners.
High starting torque, generally run at high speed and are noisy.
Have short life and best suited to intermittent uses.
Discussion points – Types of Motors
8 Proportions of small fan units driven by each type of
motor?
9 Market for small fan motors, broken down by
application?
10 Cost differences between types of small fan motors?
8
Fan Power and Efficiency
Table 1: Typical shaft efficiency ranges for fan motor types, single phase power
Output Capacity Range
(Watts)
Efficiency (%)*
Shaded-pole (SP)
5 to 70
20% to 30%
Electronically commutated (EC): small
5 to 70
60% to 70%
Permanent split capacitor (PSC)
3 to 100
40% to 60%
Electronically commutated (EC): medium
70 to 770
90% to 95%
External rotor (ER)
70 to 770
40% to 60%
Universal motor
5 to 2000
60% to 70%
Fan Motor Type
*Shaft power efficiency rating without blade
Discussion point:
11 Typical energy efficiency and expected life-time of small fan units driven by
particular motors?
9
Market Characteristics – Est. Sales (Table 2)
Appliance
Est.
Annual
Sales
Motor Type
Typical Motor
Input Power
(W)
No of
Fans
Est Fan
Sales
Clothes dryer
51,640
Split Phase
Induction
313
1
May be out of
scope
Res. Fan Heater
85,000
Shaded Pole
30
1
85,000
184,075
Shaded Pole
6
1
184,075
10,540
Shaded Pole /
PSC
30
2
21,080
Res. Fridge / Freezer
Commercial Refrigerated Disp.
Cabinet
Room Refrig. A/C - cond
5,000
Split phase /
PSC / EC
84
1
5,000
Room Refrig. A/C - evap
5,000
Split phase /
PSC / EC
40
1
5,000
197
1
Some may be
out of scope
Cooling fans
100,412
Dishwasher
75,235
Computer
500,000
Total*
* Where we have data. Excludes gas room heaters, extractor fans, rangehoods, oven, microwave, hair dryers
300,155
Estimated Stock of Motors – Non-Domestic
Refrigeration Fans (Aust 2008)
Motor Type
Estimate from MEA,
2009
Estimate from
AREMA, 2009
Installed
stock
Installed
stock
% of Total
% of Total
Shaded-pole, single phase
2,446,200
37%
2,500,000
82%
External rotor, single phase
2,002,300
30%
350,000
11%
External rotor, three-phase*
2,190,880
33%
200,000
7%
Total
6,639,380
100%
3,050,000
100%
* External rotor, 3-phase likely to be larger than 125 W input, so would be outside the
scope of small fans. Around 67% of non-domestic refrigeration fan-units are likely to have
an input power < 125 W.
Discussion points – Market Profile
12 New Zealand market characteristics and trends for small fan
units
– existing stock
– annual sales
– industry sector breakdowns
13 Estimated sales and stock numbers for:
– Small fan units imported for integration into products, or as replacement
parts
– Small fan units imported as components already integrated into appliances
– Small fan units manufactured within New Zealand
14 Main countries for importing small fan units
12
Barriers to Energy Efficiency Improvement
• Split incentives - the fan unit is often chosen by the appliance
designer/manufacturer yet the energy bill is paid by the end-
user.
• Information failures - the end-consumer is unlikely to take
account of the energy efficiency of small fan units.
•
Bounded rationality - incomplete consideration of the costs
and benefits of efficient small fan unit technologies
Discussion point:
15 Market failures affecting uptake of high efficiency small fan units?
Estimated Energy Use of Small Fans
Appliance
Est. Annual
Sales
Est. Annual
Operation
(Hrs/Yr)
Est. Unit
Energy Use
(kWh/Yr)
Est Total
Energy Use
(MWh/Yr)
Clothes dryer
51,640
156
48.8
May be out of
scope
Res. Fan Heater
85,000
1,120
33.6
2,856
184,075
8,736
52.9
9,738
10,540
8,736
529.5
5,581
Room Refrig. A/C - cond
5,000
1,400
117.6
588
Room Refrig. A/C - evap
5,000
1,400
56.0
280
Cooling fans
100,412
1,400
275.8
Some may be out
of scope
Dishwasher
75,235
Res. Fridge / Freezer
Refrigerated Disp. Cabinet
Computer
500,000
Total*
* Where we have data. Excludes gas room heaters, extractor fans, rangehoods, oven, microwave, hair dryers
Note that this is est. energy use of new stock sold each year.
19,043
Est. Energy Use of Motors – Non-Domestic
Refrigeration Fans (Aust 2008)
Fan Motor Type
Est. Installed
Stock
Est. Energy
Use (GWh/Yr)
% of Energy
Use
Shaded-pole, single phase
2,446,200
385
9%
External rotor, single phase
2,002,300
2,185
50%
External rotor, three-phase
2,190,880
1,790
41%
Total
6,639,380
4,360
100%
* External rotor, 3-phase likely to be larger than 125 W input, so would be outside the
scope of small fans. Around 67% of non-domestic refrigeration fan-units are likely to have
an input power < 125 W.
Discussion points – Energy Consumption
Greenhouse Emissions
16 Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from existing
stock of small fan units, including:
- typical power consumption and annual operating hours of small fan
units
16
Opportunities to Improve Efficiency
• Efficiency improvements for small fan units from improvements to:
– Fan motor
– Motor – fan coupling
– Fan
• The different types of motors used to drive small fans have different
efficiency characteristics
Existing
Motor Type
Output (W)
Efficiency
New Motor
Type (1-ph)
Efficiency
Av. Energy
Saving
Shaded-pole
5 – 70
20 – 30%
Elec
commutated
60 – 70%
58%
70 - 770
40 – 60%
Elec
commutated
90 – 95%
44%
External
Rotor
Discussion Points – Efficiency Opportunity
17 What opportunities for improving energy efficiency of small fan
units?
18
International Situation
• US Energy Star certification
– Ventilating fans (2001)
– Ceiling fans (2002)
• European Union
– EuP Lot 30 study which includes small motors
has just started
– Have been considering regulating ventilation
hoods
Possible Policy Options
• Mandatory minimum energy performance
standards (MEPS)
• High efficiency performance standards (HEPS)
• Ban the least efficient types of motors that
drive small fan units
• Labelling or certification schemes
• Training and education
• Codes of best practice, benchmarking
programs
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Discussion Points – Policy Options
19 Suitability of different policy measures to achieve
improvements in energy efficiency of small fan units:
- potential for savings in economic costs, energy, and greenhouse
gas emissions
21
Standards – Test Method
• ISO 5801 sets out methods for determining
performance of industrial fans of all sizes and types,
except those designed for air circulation (ceiling and
table fans).
– It may be possible to apply this method to products in the 5
to <125 W size range.
– There is an Energy Star specification for ceiling fans - this
suggests a test method exists for these products.
22
Standards – Efficiency Levels
• ISO 12759 sets out Fan Motor Efficiency Grade
curves, which specify minimum required efficiency
at “best efficiency point” and can be used as the
basis for setting MEPS levels for fan units of input
power 125 W to 500 kW.
• Introducing MEPS for small fan units in NZ and Aus
would require developing efficiency level
classifications for products below 125 W input
power.
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Discussion Points - Standards
20
Appropriate efficiency levels for small fan units?
21
Testing facilities capable of ISO 5801, and
appropriateness of this standard for small fans?
22
Other standards issues?
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Regulatory Considerations
• If regulatory action was deemed appropriate - a
consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for
small fan units would be released for consultation.
• MEPS regulations in the EU will be applied to the
fan+motor combination. While this approach has some
drawbacks, it would allow NZ and Aust. to align - and
EU is a major source of fan imports.
• It may be practical to introduce regulations for certain
sectors (such as fan units used in non-domestic
refrigeration)
– although MEPS normally apply to generic equipment categories.
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Regulatory Considerations
Key challenges for regulating small fan units:
1. Most enter New Zealand as a part integrated into another
product:
- Potentially difficult to identify products which are subject to
regulation, and to enforce compliance.
2. Many small fan units are components within a product that
is already regulated for energy efficiency:
- Regulatory options include regulating the small fan unit
separately, or increasing the MEPS levels for the whole
appliance to drive improvements in fan efficiency.
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Discussion points – Regulatory Considerations
23 Regulations targeting the fan only vs regulating the fan-motor
combination?
24 Voluntary/non-regulatory approaches to improve small fan unit
efficiency, complimentary to, or in absence of, MEPS/HEPS
25 MEPS for small fan embedded inside larger appliances that
already have MEPS?
26 Situations where the lower efficiency produces a useful byproduct such as heat?
27 Certain appliances incorporating small fans where regulations
would not be effective at improving efficiency
28 Possibly consider domestic and industrial small fan units
separately?
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Discussion Points – Regulatory Considerations
29 Extra costs for manufacturers and users to measure the
efficiencies of small fan blades and motors
30 Impact of regulations on different suppliers e.g. appliance
manufacturer, fan blade manufacturer?
31 Impact of requiring more efficient small fan blades and
motors on the appliance cost? Effect on product competition?
32 Compliance and enforcement issues of MEPS for small fan
units
33 Categories of small fan unit applications that offer more
potential for MEPS
2. Where to From Here?
• Written submissions on Product Profile
close Friday 6 July, 2012
– Feedback from industry stakeholders welcome
– Feedback will be compiled and presented to E3
Committee
– E3 Committee will decide whether or not to proceed
to prepare a Regulatory Impact Statement to test
feasibility, cost effectiveness, and benefit to society of
implementing proposed policy options
– May require some standards development work
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Information We Need to Take Further
• Better understanding of installed stock and sales
– by main applications and type of fan-unit
• Better understanding of the energy and efficiency
characteristics of small fan-units
– Av elec input and annual operating hourse
– Av efficiency and spread of efficiencies
– Typical lifetime of products
• Whether there are market barriers and failures which
lead to a less than optimal outcome
• Opinions on the feasibility of regulating small fan units
• Typical cost differential for installing more efficient fanunits in key applications
Submissions
• Please email submissions on the Product Profile
with the subject line ‘Product Profile: Small Fan
Units’ to:
regs@eeca.govt.nz
• Submissions close Friday 6 July, 2012.
• Call to discuss
– Bonn Maguire, DCCEE, Ph +61 2 6159-6875
– Ian McNicol, Sustainability Victoria, Ph +61 3 86268772
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