BLDC Fans in India- Quite a Success or a Failure?
Updated: Jul 29
Do you know a ceiling fan takes up to 25% of your total electricity bill? Thanks to technology, a recent invention in DC motors has scaled down this amount to just 3%.
India has almost 1/6th of the world's total number of fans as a tropical country. However, only 2% of the total fans in India are energy efficient. People are still unaware of the fact that they can save energy just by upgrading their traditional ceiling fans to BLDC fans.
This could be due to the gap existing in the current business models and the country's low equilibrium in demand and supply.
A few years back, BLDC fans made their entry into the big Indian appliance industry. But is India really ready for this technological revolution yet? Let's see!
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The underlying technology in BLDC fans:
The BLDC ceiling fans are based on Brushless DC motors. Instead of a carbon brush, an electronic sensor is used to run the motor. These motors convert Alternative current to Direct Current with the help of permanent magnets, which is the main reason behind their energy efficiency.
BLDC ceiling fans are smarter, more powerful, and more reliable they consume less electricity and can deliver better airflow even at low voltage. These fans can work on voltages as low as 80, while conventional fans need at least 200-230 volts to operate properly.
Moreover, it produces very little sound and works smoothly with almost no noise. It also spreads air evenly in the room, making it quite an efficient device.
Also, these fans are eco-friendly as they don't generate carbon like traditional fans.
The current scenario- BLDC fans in India now:
Nearly 40 million ceiling fans are sold in India annually, out of which only 2 to 3% of fans are BLDC. This sale is mostly concentrated in the urban areas, and primarily in the metro cities. This implies:
Lack of awareness
Lack of Business models and logistic plans
Lack of customer support
Lack of financial stability for consumers
In order to encourage energy-efficient consumer appliances, the Indian Government's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has started to grade appliances based on their energy consumption parameters.
They launched the Super-Efficient Equipment Program (SEEP) in February 2012 to promote energy-efficient ceiling fans. These fans typically have a 5-star rating and are extremely energy-efficient.
One BLDC fan can save up to 60% of electricity and save around Rs. 3000 per year for a consumer who pays a tariff of Rs. 12 kWh per unit of electricity. According to surveys, this payback amount needs to be more attractive for consumers to replace or invest in an expensive fan. This happens more so in rural areas where the reach of customer support is doubtful.
What benefits can India get out of BLDC fans?
These fans consume 50% less energy than conventional fans. Replacing one BLDC fan in the home can save Rs. 1800 on the annual electricity bill for consumers who are paying 8 to Rs. 10 electricity tariffs per unit.
Transforming the entire stock of only residential fans in the country can save 15% of India's annual residential power consumption.
Brands that make this revolution possible
BLDC fan was first introduced in India by Versa Drives Pvt. Ltd. Since then, many other start-ups and reputable Fan manufacturing companies have started investing in these variants.
Some most successful BLDC fan brands of today are- Crompton, Havells, Superfan, Atomberg, and Orient. Orient's Aeroquite series, Crompton's Energion, Havell's Efficiency, and Panasonic Anchor BLDC fans are the bestsellers.
These modernized remote-controlled fans are comparatively expensive because of the UI-based technology, high-quality copper winding, and contemporary designs for better performance. Perhaps their cost (which is genuinely legitimate) is a barrier to their extensive sales in India.
LED lights, or 5G, the Indian market has always been adaptive to cutting-edge technologies and this gives us hope that BLDC fans can have a better future in India. Considering the current generation’s broader approach and consciousness of sustainability, this transformation in ceiling fans may escalate sooner than we expect.