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The Natural Builder P.O. Box 855 Montrose, CO 81402 Phone/Fax: 970-249-8821 The Natural Builder offers on-site construction help, consulting and workshops related to natural plasters, earthen floors, monolithic adobe (cob), straw-bale and other green building projects. We also authored The Natural Builder book series on Earthen Construction, Monolithic Adobe, and Earth and Mineral Plasters. These books are available at our web site: www.naturalbuilder.com. |
In the heating season, ceiling fans can help bring the warmer air that stratifies near the ceiling down to where the occupants are located. A low speed that does not create significant breeze is best for this heating season application. The most useful ceiling fans will have variable speed settings.
A whole house fan offers energy savings and comfort when operated in conjunction with or without mechanical cooling. The performance of a whole house fan in hot/humid climates is optimized when used in homes with high mass interiors and reduced moisture adsorbing materials (i.e. carpeting).
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Ceiling fans permit raising the thermostat setting on an air conditioning system 4 to 6 degrees.
A good warranty indicates better durability.
Fans with metal motor housings may require annual oiling while plastic motor housings will not, but may have better warrantees and be worth the added maintenance.
Blade material will not affect performance.
Use ceiling fans in heavily used rooms.
Match the fan size to the room size.
2.0 Whole House Fan
A high mass interior and minimal moisture-adsorbing materials (fabric furnishings, draperies, and carpets) increase benefits. (A high mass interior will stabilize temperature swings in any home; see section on Passive Solar Design)
In the heating season, it is important to insulate the whole house fan opening to prevent heat loss.
Minimizing the carpeting in a home is an excellent strategy in reducing the latent cooling load. (Energy savings from a whole house fan can still occur in light frame, conventionally furnished homes.)
Windows should be opened in all the rooms that are to be cooled and the air path to the whole house fan not obstructed by tightly closed doors or other means.
Windows may be opened by controlled mechanical means in conjunction with the fan turning on at certain outdoor temperatures; this can reduce manual operation. In either case, a security concern may necessitate the use of barred window guards. These extra expenses can significantly delay a payback on energy savings.
When the outdoor temperatures are below 82 degrees and the relative humidity is less than 75 percent, a whole house fan can cool a house by itself.
The fan should be sized to accomplish a minimum of one-half air change per minute.
Use a fan with variable air flow.
Larger fans are generally quieter than smaller fans, particularly at lower speeds.
Employ a fire safety feature that will deactivate the fan during a fire.
See "Building Materials - Retail" in Yellow Pages
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Table of Contents
Sustainable Building Sourcebook web version copyright Sustainable
Sources 1994-1999.
GENERAL ASSISTANCE
Texas Energy Extension Service
Center for Energy and Mineral Resources
Texas A & M University
College Station, TX 77843-1243
(800) 643-SAVE
This document was adapted to HTML by Bill
Christensen, sysop and environmental editor of Texas InfiNet, an online
community for progressive information.