Quantitatively compare traditional VS BLDC fan in South Asia to evaluate energy, cost, and emission savings

Quantitatively compare traditional VS BLDC fan in South Asia to evaluate energy, cost, and emission savings | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Quantitatively compare traditional VS BLDC fan in South Asia to evaluate energy, cost, and emission savings Atanu Chowdhury, Athai Chowdhury This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract With the expeditious rise in global population, one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is the rushing need of electricity. While industrial, transport, agricultural, and commercial sectors dominate total energy use, the residential sector remains an underestimated yet critical space for improvement. A micro-level assessment discloses that ceiling fans—often dismissed as low-consumption devices—account for a considerable share of household energy demand across the world. This paper focuses on South Asia, where high average temperatures make their use indispensable. The study investigates the potential of replacing conventional induction-based ceiling fans with Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) fans as a climbable pathway toward sustainability. Despite the growing literature on energy transitions in developing economies, the role of ceiling fans as a major efficiency lever has been largely overlooked—this paper explicitly addresses that gap. BLDC motors, unlike conventional induction motors, operate with higher efficiency due to reduced frictional and copper losses, advanced electronic commutation, and optimized torque control. These characteristics convert into 55% lower energy consumption on average, with households saving up to 147 kWh annually per household. Beyond energy savings, widespread adoption would significantly reduce electricity costs for middle-class families and cut carbon emissions at a rate of nearly 5% in scale, aligning with both economic and environmental goals. Our comparative analysis displays the superiority of BLDC fans in cost-effectiveness, performance efficiency, sustainability metrics, and emission reductions. Moreover, this paper explores the policy and market dynamics influencing adoption. India, for instance, has witnessed a faster uptake of BLDC technology due to favorable subsidies, consumer awareness campaigns, and planned market incentives, whereas neighboring countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan lag behind due to policy inertia, lack of consumer education, and absence of structured adoption frameworks. This policy gap illustrates that the challenge is not solely technological but also regulatory and institutional. By combining technical insights with socio-economic and policy perspectives, this study highlights why accelerating BLDC fan adoption in South Asia is both urgent and feasible. The findings underline how a seemingly small technological shift—if implemented effectively—can yield transformative outcomes in energy conservation, carbon reduction, and household affordability. Methodologically, the study integrates secondary datasets, manufacturer specifications, comparative cost modeling, and country-level policy documents to provide a holistic analysis. This work not only provides a technical evaluation but also debates for policy reforms, aiming to bridge adoption gaps and position BLDC fans as a practical, impactful, and sustainable intervention for developing economies. The findings suggest that large-scale adoption of BLDC fans could substantially lower household electricity bills while simultaneously reducing national CO₂ emissions, offering an immediate and practical pathway toward sustainable energy use in South Asia. Mechanical Engineering BLDC fans South Asia Cost saving Carbon emission Payback period Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7546414","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":510931692,"identity":"e13ef850-d0ca-43d9-b5b4-4d24b008b416","order_by":0,"name":"Atanu Chowdhury","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPCCAwzyzMwHHwBZPHwEFbNBtRi2syUbgLSwEa2F4TyPmQRCAA/gn9/87DFPzZ3ExmYGs8qvOXYybAzMDx/dwKNF4hibuTHPsWeJ7cwMabdltyUDHcZmbJyDz5pjDGbSvA2HQbYcuy25jRmohYdNGp8W+WPs38BaGg4zthVLbqsnrMXgGI8ZVAszG+PHbYcJazE8llMmOefYYeONzWzM0ozbjvOwMRPwi9zh49sk3tQclp3Pf/7jx5/bqu352ZsfPsbrfShwbAASzDwgJjMRykHAHkQw/iBS9SgYBaNgFIwsAAAay0Z9hRD0/wAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0027-089X","institution":"Independent Researcher","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Atanu","middleName":"","lastName":"Chowdhury","suffix":""},{"id":510931693,"identity":"c31656b2-b95f-42dc-9801-4894ed27bc45","order_by":1,"name":"Athai Chowdhury","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHgaGBBDib2w48AHIZ2MnpIMNpkXicOPBGSABZmK0MIB1pTcfBrMJaeGf33vww8M2uzyDAwcbDtv82ibPx8zA+OFjDm4tEsf4kiUS25KLDQ43NhzO7btt2MbMwCw5cxsea47xGAC1HEjcALIlt+c2I1ALGzMvHi3yx3iMf0C0JDYctuy5bU9Qi8ExHjMJuBaGH7cTCWoxPJZjZpFwLjlx5o2DDQd7G24ntzEzNuP1i9zhM8Y3f5TZJfadb3/84cef27bz25sPfviIz/swoHAASDC2gZiMDUSoBwJ5sLo/xCkeBaNgFIyCkQUAyCBdrxSfAzYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6317-2440","institution":"Independent Researcher","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Athai","middleName":"","lastName":"Chowdhury","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-05 17:56:21","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":90851579,"identity":"2f610a25-eb4d-4a95-9acd-216e4d78cbbf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-09 03:23:28","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":714872,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ATHAIATANU2025BLDCFANENERGYSAVINGS.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7546414/v1_covered_0d8e21c2-e496-4e8c-bdfa-6f571e6ee398.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuantitatively compare traditional VS BLDC fan in South Asia to evaluate energy, cost, and emission savings\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Independent Researchers","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"BLDC fans, South Asia, Cost saving, Carbon emission, Payback period ","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eWith the expeditious rise in global population, one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is the rushing need of electricity. While industrial, transport, agricultural, and commercial sectors dominate total energy use, the residential sector remains an underestimated yet critical space for improvement. A micro-level assessment discloses that ceiling fans—often dismissed as low-consumption devices—account for a considerable share of household energy demand across the world. This paper focuses on South Asia, where high average temperatures make their use indispensable. The study investigates the potential of replacing conventional induction-based ceiling fans with Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) fans as a climbable pathway toward sustainability. Despite the growing literature on energy transitions in developing economies, the role of ceiling fans as a major efficiency lever has been largely overlooked—this paper explicitly addresses that gap.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBLDC motors, unlike conventional induction motors, operate with higher efficiency due to reduced frictional and copper losses, advanced electronic commutation, and optimized torque control. These characteristics convert into 55% lower energy consumption on average, with households saving up to 147 kWh annually per household. Beyond energy savings, widespread adoption would significantly reduce electricity costs for middle-class families and cut carbon emissions at a rate of nearly 5% in scale, aligning with both economic and environmental goals.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur comparative analysis displays the superiority of BLDC fans in cost-effectiveness, performance efficiency, sustainability metrics, and emission reductions. Moreover, this paper explores the policy and market dynamics influencing adoption. India, for instance, has witnessed a faster uptake of BLDC technology due to favorable subsidies, consumer awareness campaigns, and planned market incentives, whereas neighboring countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan lag behind due to policy inertia, lack of consumer education, and absence of structured adoption frameworks. This policy gap illustrates that the challenge is not solely technological but also regulatory and institutional.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy combining technical insights with socio-economic and policy perspectives, this study highlights why accelerating BLDC fan adoption in South Asia is both urgent and feasible. The findings underline how a seemingly small technological shift—if implemented effectively—can yield transformative outcomes in energy conservation, carbon reduction, and household affordability. 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The findings suggest that large-scale adoption of BLDC fans could substantially lower household electricity bills while simultaneously reducing national CO₂ emissions, offering an immediate and practical pathway toward sustainable energy use in South Asia.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Quantitatively compare traditional VS BLDC fan in South Asia to evaluate energy, cost, and emission savings","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-09 03:15:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7546414/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f1891000-896e-4136-b3f9-72b43f18bbf6","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 9th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":54402801,"name":"Mechanical Engineering"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-09-09T03:15:20+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-09 03:15:20","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7546414","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7546414","identity":"rs-7546414","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}