Ceiling fan
Meanwhile, electric ceiling fans became very popular in other countries, particularly those with hot climates, such as India and the Middle East, where a lack of infrastructure and/or financial resources made energy-hungry and complex freon-based air conditioning equipment impractical. In 1973, Texas entrepreneur H. W. (Hub) Markwardt began importing highly efficient ceiling fans to the United States that were manufactured in India by Crompton Greaves, Ltd. Crompton Greaves had been manufacturing ceiling fans since 1937 through a joint venture formed by Greaves Cotton of India and Crompton Parkinson of England, and had perfected the world's most energy efficient ceiling fans thanks to its patented 20 pole induction motor with a highly efficient heat-dissipating cast aluminum rotor. These Indian manufactured ceiling fans caught on slowly at first, but Markwardt's Encon Industries branded ceiling fans (which stood for ENergy CONservation) eventually found great success during the energy crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, since they consumed far less energy (under 70 watts of electricity) than the antiquated shaded pole motors used in most other American made fans. The fans became very effective energy saving appliances for residential and commercial use by supplementing expensive air conditioning with a cooling wind-chill effect. Fans used for comfort create a wind chill by increasing the heat transfer coefficient, but do not lower temperatures directly.
Due to this renewed commercial success using ceiling fans effectively as an energy conservation application, many American manufacturers also started to produce, or significantly increase production of, ceiling fans. In addition to the imported Encon ceiling fans, the Casablanca Fan Company was founded in 1974. Other American manufacturers of the time included the Hunter Fan Co. (which was then a division of Robbins & Myers, Inc), FASCO (F. A. Smith Co.), and Emerson Electric; which was often branded as Sears-Roebuck.
Chilled beam
The primary advantage of the chilled beam system is its lower operating cost. For example, because the temperature of cooled water is higher than the temperature of cooled air, but it delivers the same cooling ability, the costs of the cooled water system are lower. Because cooling and heating of air are no longer linked to the delivery of air, buildings also save money by being able to run fewer air circulation fans and at lower speeds. One estimate places the amount of air handled at 25 to 50 percent less using chilled beam systems. By being able to target the delivery of clean outdoor air where it is needed (rather than injecting it into the entire system and heating or cooling it), there is a reduced need to treat large amounts of outdoor air (also saving money). In one case, the Genomic Science Building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill lowered its HVAC costs by 20 percent with an active chilled beam system. This is a typical energy cost savings. Chilled beam systems also have some advantages in that they are almost noiseless, require little maintenance, and are highly efficient. Traditional fan-driven HVAC systems create somewhat higher air velocities, which some people find uncomfortable. Chilled beam HVAC systems also require less ceiling space than forced-air HVAC systems, which can lead to lower building heights and higher ceilings. Since they do not require high forced air flows, chilled beam systems also require reduced air distribution duct networks (which also helps to lower cost).