Advancing Energy-Efficient Ceiling Fans in India
GreenTree Global and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in collaboration with the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, organized a Kick-off meeting on "Advancing Energy-Efficient Ceiling Fans in India" on September 26, 2024, in the office of Department of Science & Technology (DST) in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of the Climate, Energy, and Sustainable Technology Division at DST. Ms. Pravatalanlini Samal, Director, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) delivered the special address during the event.
Other key dignitaries who attended the event:
- Dr. BVV Reddy – Professor, IISC Bangalore
- Dr. Sukumar Devotta – Professor, Anna University
- Dr. S.C. Mullick – Professor Emeritus, IIT Delhi
- Dr. Satish Kumar – President and Executive Director, AEEE
"Advancing Energy-Efficient Ceiling Fans in India" Factsheet
GreenTree published a fact sheet highlighting key advancements in energy efficiency for ceiling fans in India, offering valuable insights for all stakeholders.
Ceiling fans account for nearly 20% of household energy usage in India and are important non- refrigerant cooling equipment essential for providing heat relief and ensuring access to cooling in India. Over 90% of Indian households own ceiling fans with annual sales exceeding 60 million units. However, the adoption of energy-efficient 5-star-rated fans remains low, below 20%. This low adoption rate presents a major opportunity for energy conservation and advancing India's clean energy goals. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) projects that fan stock in the country will reach 950 million units by 2038. GreenTree's analysis suggests that transitioning to super-efficient ceiling fans could save 40 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy annually, reduce CO2 emissions by 33 million tonnes, and cut peak power demand by 14 gigawatts-about 7% of India's all-time peaks.
The focus of the event was to enable market transformation for ceiling fans in India by identifying solutions that support the development of affordable, super-efficient and domestically manufactured ceiling fans. The event brought together 60+ participants, including key stakeholders from major fan manufacturers, component suppliers, representatives from Indian Fan Manufacturers Association (IFMA), DST, BEE, and eminent experts from esteemed institutions including IISC Bangalore, IIT Delhi, Anna University and AEEE.
The discussion also aimed to identify:
- Sector needs and solutions that would help drive innovation in technology, financing and market for ceiling fans
- Priority issues that would help further the designing of specific solutions
- Jointly identified solutions with the industry that could inform government departments, financial institutions and other concerned stakeholders
GreenTree Global and NRDC played instrumental roles in moderating two key roundtable sessions during the event. Mr. Gerry George, Specialist, Cooling and Energy Efficiency, NRDC India, set the context for the event. Mr. Chinmaya Acharya, Director of Programs, NRDC India, moderated the roundtable on "Challenges to the wide scale adoption of high efficiency ceiling fans."
Mr. Anurag Bajpai and Mr. Dhruv Jain, Directors at GreenTree Global, led the discussions on "Priority Actions to Support Market Transformation and Promote Innovation." The primary focus of their session was to explore newer technologies for ceiling fans which can significantly improve the energy efficiency of ceiling fans. The discussion delved into the challenges faced by fan manufacturers for producing super-efficient ceiling fans in India at affordable prices. The representatives from fan manufacturers also highlighted the key issues in supply chain for producing fans in India including import of rare earth minerals and electronic components.
The discussions mark the beginning of preparation of the roadmap for transforming the ceiling fan market toward greater energy efficiency, aligning with the project’s CF30 vision—an ambitious initiative aimed at achieving widespread market transformation by 2030. This session marked the beginning of the series of round table discussions planned with various stakeholders over the next 3 months across India.
In the concluding remarks, Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Advisor at GreenTree Global, reflected on the way forward, reiterating the necessity of collective action from all stakeholders to achieve the CF30 vision. The event ended with a consensus on the need for continued collaboration and concrete action plans for market transformation.
In addition to the interactive discussions, GreenTree Global also released a fact sheet detailing the key advancements in energy efficiency for ceiling fans in India, providing valuable insights for all stakeholders involved in this transformative journey.
By championing sustainable solutions and facilitating constructive dialogues among key stakeholders, GreenTree continues to drive initiatives that aim to create a more energy-efficient and sustainable future for the country. The team’s active participation in shaping the future of high-efficiency ceiling fans reinforces the company's leadership in advancing energy conservation efforts and promoting innovation in energy-efficient technologies. As the company continues to support initiatives aligned with India's energy conservation objectives, GreenTree Global remains committed to driving this vision forward.
By: Shrayoshi Choudhary, Dhruv Jain
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