Energy Conservation Standards Rulemaking Framework for 

Commercial and Industrial Fans and Blowers

United States Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program

January 28, 2013
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1

1.1 EPCA Coverage of Commercial and Industrial Fans...........................................1

1.2 Overview of the Rulemaking Process and Interested Parties Participation...........2

1.2.1 Preliminary Analysis ....................................................................................3

1.2.2 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking....................................................................5

1.2.3 Final Rule.....................................................................................................5

1.2.4 Labeling .......................................................................................................6

2. OVERVIEW OF THE RULEMAKING SCOPE .................................................................7

2.1 Current Coverage ...............................................................................................7

2.1.1 Equipment Definitions..................................................................................7

2.2 Preliminary Discussion of Fans For Which DOE is Considering Standards.......10

2.2.1 Fan Types...................................................................................................10

2.2.2 Motor Considerations .................................................................................13

2.2.3 Transmission Type Considerations .............................................................14

2.2.4 Variable-Speed Drive Considerations .........................................................15

2.2.5 Consideration of Standards for Fans in Fume Hoods...................................15

3. TEST PROCEDURES.......................................................................................................16

3.1 Preliminary Discussion of Test Procedure Approaches for the Energy 

Performance of Fans..............................................................................................................16

3.2 Discussion of Efficiency Metric Approaches for the Energy Performance of Fans

18

3.2.1 Data Sources for Efficiency Metric Development .......................................18

3.2.2 Efficiency Metric Approaches - Bare Shaft Fans.........................................19

3.2.3 Efficiency Metric Approaches - Fans defined as inclusive of motor/controls

20

3.2.4 Efficiency Metric Implications for Defining Fans Inclusive of 

Motor/Controls..................................................................................................................21

4. OVERVIEW OF ANALYSES FOR RULEMAKING .......................................................25

5. MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT ...........................................................28

5.1 Market Assessment...........................................................................................28

5.2 Equipment Classes ...........................................................................................29

5.2.1 Fan Equipment Classes...............................................................................29

5.3 Technology Assessment ...................................................................................33

6. SCREENING ANALYSIS ................................................................................................36

7. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS............................................................................................37

7.1 Engineering Analysis Overview .......................................................................37

7.2 Engineering Analysis Methodology..................................................................39

7.2.1 Representative Unit Selection Methodology ...............................................41

7.3 Baseline Models...............................................................................................42

7.4 Proprietary Designs..........................................................................................43

7.5 Efficiency Levels..............................................................................................44

7.6 Outside Regulatory Changes Affecting the Engineering Analysis.....................44

8. MARKUPS ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................44
ii

8.1 Market Participants and Distribution Channels .................................................45

8.1.1 OEM Market Segments (OEM Channel A).................................................46

8.1.2 Distributor Channel—Market Segments (Distributor Channels B and C) ....46

8.1.3 Distribution Channel Shares .......................................................................47

8.2 Estimating Markups .........................................................................................47

9. ENERGY USE AND END-USE LOAD PROFILE CHARACTERIZATION ...................48

9.1 Overview..........................................................................................................49

9.2 Analytical Approach.........................................................................................50

10. LIFE-CYCLE COST AND PAYBACK PERIOD ANALYSIS..........................................51

10.1 Approach for Conducting the Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period Analysis 51

10.2 Installation Costs ..........................................................................................52

10.3 Energy Prices................................................................................................53

10.4 Maintenance and Repair Costs......................................................................53

10.5 Equipment Lifetime ......................................................................................54

10.6 Discount Rates..............................................................................................54

10.7 Base Case Efficiency ....................................................................................55

11. SHIPMENTS ANALYSIS ................................................................................................55

11.1 Standards Impacts on Shipments...................................................................55

12. NATIONAL IMPACT ANALYSIS ..................................................................................56

12.2 National Energy Savings...............................................................................56

12.3 Net Present Value of User Benefits...............................................................57

13. CUSTOMER SUBGROUP ANALYSIS ...........................................................................57

14. MANUFACTURER IMPACT ANALYSIS ......................................................................58

14.1 Sources of Information for the Manufacturer Impact Analysis ......................58

14.2 Industry Cash Flow Analysis ........................................................................59

14.3 Manufacturer Subgroup Analysis..................................................................59

14.4 Competitive Impacts Assessment..................................................................60

14.5 Cumulative Regulatory Burden.....................................................................60

15. UTILITY IMPACT ANALYSIS .......................................................................................60

16. EMPLOYMENT IMPACT ANALYSIS............................................................................61

17. EMISSIONS ANALYSIS .................................................................................................62

18. MONETIZING CARBON DIOXIDE AND OTHER EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS..........64

19. REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS ............................................................................65

APPENDIX A – LIST OF ITEMS FOR COMMENT ...............................................................66

References.................................................................................................................................73
iii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Flow Diagram of Analyses for the Fans and Standards Rulemaking Process...27

Figure 2. Commercial and Industrial Fan Distribution Channels ....................................46

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Installation Category/ Test Configurations Descriptions...................................18

Table 2. Regulation Options and Efficiency Metric Alignment Options for Respective 

Equipment Class Sets................................................................................................................25

Table 3. Considered Commercial and Industrial Fan Equipment Classes........................30
iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AC alternating current

ACH air changes per hour

AEC annual energy consumption

AEO Annual Energy Outlook

AHAM Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

AHRI Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute

AIHA American Industrial Hygiene Association

AMCA Air Movement and Control Association International, Inc. 

ANSI American National Standard Institute

ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning 

Engineers

BT Building Technologies Program

CAV constant air volume

CFM cubic feet per minute

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

CSL candidate standard level

DC direct current

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

DOJ U.S. Department of Justice

EERE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EIA Energy Information Administration

EISA Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPACT Energy Policy Act of 1992

EPCA Energy Policy and Conservation Act

EU European Union

FPM feet per minute

FR Federal Register

GDP gross domestic product

GRIM government regulatory impact model

HVAC heating, ventilating, and air conditioning

LCC life-cycle cost

NAICS North American Industry Classification System 

NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NEMS National Energy Modeling System

NES national energy savings

NOPR notice of proposed rulemaking

NPV net present value

OMB U.S. Office of Management and Budget

R&D research and development
v

RPM revolutions per minute

SBA Small Business Administration

TSD technical support document

TSL trial standard level

U.S.C. United States Code

VAV variable air volume

VSD variable speed drive

WSU Washington State University
1

1. INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Appliances and Equipment Standards Program, 

within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Building Technologies Program 

(BT), establishes test procedures and energy conservation standards for certain consumer 

appliances and commercial and industrial equipment. The process for considering whether to 

establish standards involves analysis, public notice and comment, and consultation with 

interested parties. Interested parties include manufacturers, consumers, energy conservation and 

environmental advocates, State and Federal agencies, and any other groups or individuals with 

an interest in these standards and test procedures.

The purpose of this document is to describe the procedural and analytical approaches

DOE anticipates using to evaluate potential new energy conservation standards or energy use 

standards for fans and blowers. DOE considers blowers to be a type of fan (discussed in section 

2.1.1); therefore, blowers will hereinafter be referred to as "fans". This framework document is 

intended to inform interested parties of the process DOE will follow for this standards 

rulemaking and to encourage and facilitate the input of interested parties during the rulemaking. 

This document is merely the starting point for evaluating energy conservation standards or 

energy use standards and is not a definitive statement on any issue to be determined in the 

rulemaking.

Section 1 of this report includes an overview of DOE’s appliances and commercial and 

industrial equipment standards program, the statutory authority for this rulemaking, and the 

rulemaking process. Fan scope of coverage and test procedures are described in sections 2 and 3, 

respectively. Sections 4 through 19 discuss the analyses DOE intends to conduct to fulfill the 

statutory requirements and guidance for this energy conservation standards rulemaking. DOE’s 

analysis will determine whether new energy conservation standards or energy use standards are 

technologically feasible, economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. 

DOE will maintain information about this rulemaking on its website at: 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/65. 

While DOE invites comment on all aspects of the material presented in this document, 

several specific issues on which DOE seeks comment are set out in comment boxes like this 

one. DOE uses these comment boxes to highlight issues and ask specific questions on the 

approaches DOE plans to follow to conduct the analyses required for the energy conservation 

standards rulemaking. Such requests for feedback are numbered sequentially throughout the 

document and are repeated in Appendix A.

1.1 EPCA Coverage of Commercial and Industrial Fans 

Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended (42 

U.S.C. 6291 et seq.), sets forth various provisions designed to improve energy efficiency. Part C 

of Title III of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6311-6317)(re-designated as part A-1 upon codification in the 

U.S. Code), establishes the "Energy Conservation Program for Certain Industrial Equipment," 
2

which covers certain commercial and industrial equipment (hereafter referred to as "covered 

equipment").

EPCA specifies a list of equipment that constitutes covered equipment. (42 U.S.C. 

6311(1)(A)-(L). The list includes 11 types of equipment and a catch-all provision for certain 

other types of industrial equipment classified as covered by the Secretary of Energy (Secretary). 

EPCA also specifies the types of equipment that can be classified as covered in addition to the 

listed equipment, and the criteria that must be met. This equipment includes fans and blowers. 

(42 U.S.C. 6311(2)(A) and (B)). To be considered covered industrial equipment the equipment 

must also be of a type that:

(1) Consumes, or is designed to consume, energy in operation;

(2) To any significant extent, is distributed in commerce for industrial or commercial use;

(3) Is not a covered product as defined in 42 U.S.C. 6291(a)(2) of EPCA, other than a 

component of a covered product with respect to which there is in effect a 

determination under 42 U.S.C. 6312(c).

To classify equipment as covered commercial or industrial equipment, the Secretary must 

determine that classifying the equipment as covered equipment is necessary for the purposes of 

Part A-1 of EPCA. The purpose of Part A-1 is to improve the efficiency of electric motors, 

pumps and certain other industrial equipment to conserve the energy resources of the nation. (42 

U.S.C. 6312(b)). Notice of DOE’s proposed determination of coverage was published on June 

28, 2011. (76 FR 37678). DOE is not considering standards for fans that are a component in 

regulated commercial products in this rulemaking.

1.2 Overview of the Rulemaking Process and Interested Parties Participation

Under EPCA, any new or amended standards must achieve the maximum level of energy 

efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. In setting any new or 

amended standards, DOE must consider: (1) the economic impact of the standard on the 

manufacturers and consumers of the affected products; (2) the savings in operating costs 

throughout the estimated average life of the product compared to any increases in the initial cost 

or maintenance expense; (3) the total projected amount of energy savings likely to result directly 

from the imposition of the standard; (4) any lessening of the utility or the performance of the 

products likely to result from the imposition of the standard; (5) the impact of any lessening of 

competition, as determined in writing by the Attorney General, that is likely to result from the 

imposition of the standard; (6) the need for national energy conservation; and (7) other factors 

the Secretary considers relevant. (42 U.S.C. § 6295(o)(2)(B)(i) and 42 U.S.C. § 6316(a))

As discussed in further detail below, the standards rulemaking process typically involves 

four steps for a given consumer product or commercial and/or industrial equipment type: (1) the 

publication of a framework document in which DOE describes the overall approach it is 

considering in developing potential energy conservation standards for a particular product or 
3

equipment; (2) the publication of a preliminary analysis that focuses on the analytical 

methodology DOE is considering in setting potential standards; (3) the issuance of a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NOPR); and (4) the issuance of a final rule. At each of the first three 

steps, DOE holds a public meeting and solicits comments from the public on a variety of relevant 

issues under consideration in developing potential standards. 

A brief description of the next steps in DOE’s process follows:

Preliminary Analysis (section 1.2.1). The preliminary analysis presents a discussion of 

comments received on the framework document and is designed to publicly vet the 

models and tools that DOE intends to use in the rulemaking. Using these models and 

tools, DOE performs preliminary analyses to assess candidate standard levels (CSLs), 

which span the range of efficiencies from baseline equipment to the most efficient 

technology. 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) (section 1.2.2). The NOPR presents a discussion 

of comments received in response to the preliminary analysis, DOE’s analysis of the 

impacts of potential standards on consumers, manufacturers, and the nation, DOE’s 

weighting of these impacts, and any proposed standard levels for public comment. 

Final Rule (section 1.2.3). The final rule presents a discussion of comments received in 

response to the NOPR, revised analysis, as appropriate, of the impacts of any standards, 

DOE’s weighting of those impacts, and the standard levels, if any, that DOE is adopting. 

The final rule also establishes the date by which manufacturers must comply with any 

standards. 

DOE encourages interested parties to develop and submit joint recommendations and will 

carefully consider such recommendations in its decision making. 

1.2.1 Preliminary Analysis

As part of its energy conservation standards rulemaking activity, DOE typically identifies 

equipment technology options and makes a preliminary determination as to whether to retain 

each option for detailed analysis or to eliminate it from further consideration. This process 

includes a market and technology assessment (section 5) and a screening analysis (section 6). 

DOE applies four screening criteria in the screening analysis to determine which technology 

options to eliminate from further consideration: (1) technological feasibility; (2) practicability to 

manufacture, install, and service; (3) adverse impacts on equipment utility or availability; and 

(4) adverse impacts on health or safety. Technologies that pass through the screening analysis are 

evaluated, and referred to as design options, in the engineering analysis (section 7).

DOE consults with interested parties and researches industry literature to identify the 

design options or efficiency levels that DOE will consider in the rulemaking. DOE considers 

design options or efficiency levels for each equipment class. DOE uses these design options or 

efficiency levels to collect manufacturer cost data, historical shipment data, shipment-weighted 

average efficiency data, and preliminary manufacturer impact data (e.g., capital conversion 

expenditures, marketing costs, and research and development (R&D) costs). As part of the 
4

preliminary analysis, DOE also conducts other principal analyses, many of which are described 

in this document, including:

1. engineering analysis (section 7);

2. markups analysis (section 8);

3. energy use analysis (section 9);

4. consumer life-cycle cost (LCC) and payback period (PBP) analysis (section 10); 

5. shipments analysis(section 11);

6. national impact analysis (NIA), which considers national energy savings (NES) and 

consumer net present value (NPV) (section 12); and 

7. preliminary manufacturer impact analysis (MIA) (section 14).

DOE will present the results of these analyses in the preliminary analysis technical 

support document (TSD).

Based on the preliminary results of these analyses, DOE selects CSLs from the energy 

efficiency levels considered in the preliminary analysis. In addition to the efficiency level 

corresponding to the maximum technologically feasible ("max-tech") efficiency level, DOE 

generally considers efficiency levels that span the full range of technologically achievable 

efficiencies. The range of efficiency levels DOE typically analyzes includes:

The baseline efficiency level, which typically represents equipment with the lowest 

energy efficiency on the market. For equipment where minimum energy conservation 

standards already exist, the baseline efficiency level is typically defined by the existing 

energy conservation standard.

The highest energy efficiency level or lowest energy consumption level that is 

technologically feasible (i.e., max-tech). 

Levels that incorporate noteworthy technologies or fill large gaps between other 

efficiency levels being considered.

DOE uses analytical models and tools to assess the different equipment classes at each 

efficiency or energy use level analyzed. Many of these analytical models and tools are in the 

form of spreadsheets, used to conduct the LCC and PBP analysis and to determine the NES and 

NPV of prospective standards. Discussion of various CSLs in the preliminary analysis helps 

interested parties review the spreadsheet models that underpin the analyses. DOE uses comments 

from interested parties to refine the models for the next stage of the rulemaking analyses.

DOE makes the spreadsheet tools and results of the preliminary analysis available on its 

website for review.1 When it publishes the preliminary analysis, DOE also makes a preliminary 

TSD available, which contains the details of all the analyses performed to date. After publication 

 

1 All materials associated with the test procedure and energy conservation standards rulemakings for this 

equipment are available on DOE’s website at:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/65 
5

of the preliminary analysis, DOE provides a public comment period and holds a public meeting 

to discuss these analyses. 

1.2.2 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

In developing any NOPR, DOE considers the comments received during the comment 

period on the preliminary analysis. This process can result in revisions to the analyses conducted 

during the preliminary analysis stage; DOE conducts additional economic and environmental 

impact analyses for the NOPR. These analyses generally include:

1. customer subgroup analysis (section 13); 

2. complete MIA (section 14);

3. utility impact analysis (section 15); 

4. employment impact analysis (section 16); 

5. emissions analysis (section 17); 

6. monetization of emissions (section 18); and 

7. regulatory impact analysis (RIA) (section 19).

DOE describes the methodology used and makes the results of all the analyses available 

on its website for review. This analytical process results in the selection of proposed standard 

levels, if any, that DOE presents in the NOPR. DOE selects the proposed standard levels from 

the trial standard levels (TSLs) analyzed during the NOPR phase of the rulemaking2. The NOPR

is published in the Federal Register and describes the evaluation and selection of any proposed 

standards levels, along with a discussion of other TSLs considered but not selected and the 

reasons DOE did not select them. For each equipment class, DOE identifies the max-tech 

efficiency level. If DOE proposes a lower level, DOE explains the reasons for eliminating higher 

levels, beginning with the highest level considered. DOE presents the analytical results in the 

NOPR and provides the details of the analysis in an accompanying TSD. 

DOE considers many factors in selecting proposed standards. These factors are 

prescribed by EPCA and take into consideration the benefits and costs of energy conservation 

standards. 

When DOE publishes the NOPR, it provides the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with 

copies of the NOPR and TSD to solicit feedback on the impact of any proposed standard levels 

on competition in the market of the equipment that is the subject of the rulemaking. DOJ reviews 

standard levels to assess the impacts from any lessening of competition likely to result from the 

imposition of such standards. (42 U.S.C. § 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(V) and (B)(ii)) Publication of the 

NOPR is followed by a public comment period that includes a public meeting.

1.2.3 Final Rule

After publication of any NOPR, DOE considers public comments received on the 

proposal and accompanying analyses. DOE reviews the engineering and economic impact 

 

2 TSLs are assembled from the candidate standard levels (CSLs) analyzed for the individual equipment 

classes based on a set of criteria from the analysis results.
6

analyses and any proposed standards based on these comments and considers modifications 

where necessary. DOE also considers DOJ’s comments on the NOPR relating to the impacts of 

any proposed standard levels on competition to determine whether changes to these standard 

levels are needed. DOE publishes the DOJ comments and DOE’s response as part of any final 

rule.

In any final rule, DOE sets final standard levels and the compliance date and would also 

explain the basis for the selection of such standard levels. The final rule would be accompanied 

by a final TSD.

1.2.4 Labeling

Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended (42 

U.S.C. 6291 et seq.), includes provisions for labeling (42 U.S.C. 6315). If DOE prescribes a test 

procedure for fans, DOE must determine that the following criteria are met before prescribing a 

labeling rule: (1) labeling in accordance with this section is technologically and economically 

feasible with respect to such class; (2) significant energy savings will likely result from such 

labeling; and (3) labeling in accordance with this section is likely to assist consumers in making 

purchasing decisions (42 U.S.C. 6315(h)). 

Section 6315 of EPCA specifies certain aspects of equipment labeling that DOE must 

consider in any rulemaking establishing labeling requirements for covered equipment. At a 

minimum, such labels must include the energy efficiency of the equipment to which the 

rulemaking applies, as tested under the prescribed DOE test procedure. In addition, the labeling 

rulemaking may consider the addition of other specifications for equipment labels, including: 

directions for the display of the label; a requirement to display on the label additional 

information related to energy efficiency or energy consumption, which may include instructions 

for maintenance and repair of the covered equipment, as necessary to provide adequate 

information to purchasers; and requirements that printed matter displayed or distributed with the 

equipment at the point of sale also include the information required by the labeling rule to be 

displayed on the label. 42 U.S.C. 6315(b) and 42 U.S.C. 6315(c). For more information, see 

DOE’s Request for Information on labeling for commercial and industrial equipment. 77 FR 

75400 (December 20, 2012).

DOE could consider the appropriateness of prescribing a labeling rule for commercial 

and industrial fans in conjunction with the analyses for standards described in the remainder of 

this document.

Item 1-1 DOE seeks comment on whether a labeling rule would be technologically or 

economically feasible, result in a significant conservation of energy, or assist 

consumers in making purchasing decisions. 

Item 1-2 DOE seeks comment on information that it should consider requiring for 

display on any prospective label, as well as factors DOE should consider regarding 

the size, format, and placement of any such label.
7

2. OVERVIEW OF THE RULEMAKING SCOPE 

2.1 Current Coverage

Currently, there are no energy conservation standards for fans. DOE has published a 

proposed coverage determination for this equipment. 76 FR 37678 (June 28, 2011). DOE has 

developed this framework document in further consideration of that determination and any 

associated energy conservation standards for this equipment.

2.1.1 Equipment Definitions

Taking into consideration comments from interested parties during the Notice of 

Proposed Determination of Coverage comment period, DOE is considering the following 

definition of fans to provide clarity for interested parties as it continues its analyses:

Commercial/Industrial Fan: A device used in commercial or industrial systems to 

provide a continuous flow of a gas, typically air, by an impeller fit to a shaft and bearing(s). A 

fan may be manufactured with or without a housing component. 

Item 2-1 DOE requests data on how fans are sold. Specifically DOE requests data on 

market share of fans 1) sold by themselves, 2) sold attached to or integrated with 

motors only, 3) sold attached to or integrated with both motors and VSDs, 4) sold 

physically separate from but priced together with a motor only, or 5) sold physically 

separate from but priced together with both a motor and VSD. DOE would appreciate 

these data by size, equipment category (see section 5.2.1), and application.

Fan Manufacturer: Entity responsible for assembling a fan into the first testable configuration 

such that the fan impeller is fit to a shaft, bearings, and, for housed fans, fit within a housing 

component.

Impeller: The part of the fan that imparts energy into the gas flow, also known as the fan wheel 

for centrifugal fans.

Bare Shaft Fan: A term used to describe fans without drives, attachments, or accessories.

Drive: A device used to power the fan, including the motor, mechanical transmission, and 

motor/control system.

Driven Fan: A term used to describe a fan fitted to or connected to a motor, mechanical 

transmission, and a motor/control system.

Direct-Driven Fan: A driven fan sold with a motor where the fan impeller is coupled directly to 

the shaft of an electric motor. 

Belt-Driven Fan: A driven fan sold with a motor where the fan impeller is coupled to the electric 

motor through a set of belts and pulleys mounted on the motor shaft and fan shaft. 
8

Gear-Driven Fan: A driven fan sold with a motor where the fan impeller is coupled to the 

electric motor through a gearbox. 

Axial Fan: A fan in which airflow enters and exits the impeller parallel to the shaft axis. The 

axial fan may or may not be equipped with a cylindrical housing, inlet or outlet guide vanes, an 

orifice panel, or orifice ring.

Centrifugal Fan: A fan in which airflow enters the impeller parallel to the shaft axis but changes 

direction due to the impeller blades and exits perpendicular to the shaft in a radial direction at the 

impeller discharge. The impeller may have one or two inlets and may or may not have a housing 

component.

Cross Flow Fan: A type of centrifugal fan in which the fluid path though the impeller is in a 

direction that is substantially at right angles to its axis with air both entering and leaving radially 

at its periphery.

Item 2-2 DOE requests comment on the suggested definition for cross flow fan, 

specifically regarding whether this fan is a type of centrifugal fan. 

Mixed Flow Fan: A fan in which the direction of airflow through the impeller takes on 

characteristics that are intermediate between centrifugal and axial fans in that the air exits the fan 

in a direction which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the shaft.

Variable Speed Drive (VSD): A device that controls the speed of equipment.

Specific Ratio: Total pressure at the fan outlet divided by the total pressure at the fan inlet, 

measured at peak fan total efficiency[1].

Fan Total Pressure: The difference between the total pressure at the fan outlet and the total 

pressure at the fan inlet. Total pressure at a specific location is the sum of velocity pressure and 

static pressure at that location.

Fan Velocity Pressure: The velocity pressure corresponding to the average velocity at the fan 

outlet.

Fan Static Pressure: The difference between the fan total pressure and the fan velocity pressure; 

the difference between static pressure at the fan outlet and total pressure at the fan inlet.

Fan Total Efficiency: The ratio of fan air power output to fan shaft power input.

Fan Static Efficiency: The fan total efficiency multiplied by the ratio of fan static pressure to fan 

total pressure.
9

Peak Fan Efficiency: The highest point on the efficiency curve; also referred to as the best 

efficiency point (BEP). Peak fan total efficiency is the highest point on the fan total efficiency 

curve, peak fan static efficiency is the highest point on the fan static efficiency curve.

Blower: An axial or centrifugal fan with a specific ratio between 1.11 and 1.20. 

The terms "fan" and "blower" are used interchangeably by the industry. Some manufacturers 

refer to a centrifugal fan as a blower when designed for high pressure, low air volume 

applications[2]. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) uses a similar concept, 

specific ratio, to separate fans (specific ratio up to 1.11), blowers (specific ratio 1.11-1.20), and 

compressors (specific ratio above 1.20)[3]. The European Union (EU) uses specific ratio in 

considering what operating range to exclude from the ecodesign requirements for non-domestic 

fans[1]. In response to the Coverage Determination document published by DOE on June 28, 

2011, however, the Air Movement and Control Association International (AMCA) commented

that proposing definitions of fans and blowers based on the ASME specific ratio approach is not 

consistent with the established fan industry definitions, and that it would be confusing to create a 

second set of fan definitions. AMCA recommended that DOE adopt the ANSI/AMCA/ASHRAE 

standards. (AMCA, No.7 at p. 3) ANSI/AMCA 99 defines Blower as "a fan that operates against 

air system resistance downstream of the fan; a Forced Draft Fan". ANSI/AMCA 99 further defines 

Forced Draft Fan as "a high pressure/high volume fan used to supply primary and secondary 

combustion air to a furnace/boiler and its exhaust system." The ANSI/AMCA 99 definition

appears to emphasize only one of the possible blower applications: the use of blowers in 

combustion processes.

Item 2-3 DOE requests comment on the suggested definition for blowers.

Safety Fan: An axial or centrifugal fan designed for use in applications requiring extra safety 

measures, such as: 

a) those designed to operate in potentially explosive atmospheres;

b) those designed for emergency use only, at short-time duty, with regard to fire 

safety requirements;

c) those designed specifically to operate where the temperature of gases being 

moved exceed 500oF; and

d) those designed in toxic, highly corrosive, or flammable environments with 

abrasive substances.

These safety fan applications were adopted from the European Union’s non-domestic fan 

commission legislation[1].

Item 2-4 DOE requests comment on the suggested definitions for safety fans. 

Specifically, are other safety features not included in the above definition that should 

be included.
10

Item 2-5 DOE requests comment on the suggested definitions for fans and other terms 

listed in section 2.1.1.

2.2 Preliminary Discussion of Fans For Which DOE is Considering Standards

In response to the Coverage Determination document published by DOE on June 28, 

2011, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), American Council for an Energy 

Efficient Economy (ACEEE), National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), and Natural Resources 

Defense Council (NRDC) submitted a joint comment (hereinafter referred to as the Joint 

Commenters) that the scope of coverage should not be finalized before initiating the rulemaking 

(Joint Commenters, No. 04 at p. 1), and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), 

Southern California Gas Company (SCGC), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), and 

Southern California Edison (SCE) submitted a joint comment (hereinafter referred to as CA 

IOUs) suggest that DOE follow either a market-based or performance-specification based 

approach (CA IOUs, No. 06 at p. 4). DOE understood the performance-specification based 

approach as assessing fan coverage based on fan performance characteristics rather than actual 

fan application. DOE plans to use this approach when determining the scope of the standards

rulemaking based on the information available in the manufacturers’ literature in which fans are 

catalogued according to their performance characteristics.

2.2.1 Fan Types

In the European Union, where most of the fans are sold with a motor, the commercial fans 

regulation [1] sets minimum efficiency requirements for fans sold as an integrated fan-motortransmission product only. This allows efficiency gains to be realized by improving the motor instead 

of only the fan itself. In the United States, the majority of fans are sold bare shaft. [4]. Additionally, 

DOE determined that the number of direct-driven fan units shipped in the United States greatly 

outnumbers belt-driven fan units in the axial fan market[5]; a trend DOE expects to be reflected in the 

markets for most if not all of the other commercial and industrial fan types. 

Item 2-6 DOE requests comment and information on the following trends: 1) increasing 

shipments of fan-motor-transmission packages and 2) increasing shipments of directdriven fans in the U.S. market. Are there any other trends in the commercial and 

industrial fans market that might influence the scope of this rulemaking that DOE 

should be aware of and are not listed here?

Item 2-7 DOE requests comment on the consideration of standards for axial fans, 

centrifugal fans, mixed flow fans, safety fans, and blowers as defined in section 2.1.1.

Item 2-8 DOE is aware of another type of fan, the contra-rotating fan, popular in the 

European Union, and requests information on this fan type; specifically, are they sold 

in the U.S. market and should be considered in the scope of coverage for the 

rulemaking?
11

2.2.1.1 Fan System

There may be greater potential for energy savings if the energy conservation standards 

addressed all components of the fan system. Fan systems are subject to a variety of inefficiencies, and 

those inherent in the fan itself are often among the smallest. As a result, addressing other system 

inefficiencies3in any DOE regulations could significantly increase energy savings. DOE may 

consider defining "fan" as:

"a device used in commercial or industrial systems to provide a continuous flow of a gas, 

typically air, by an impeller for ventilation, circulation, or industrial process needs. A fan may be 

manufactured with a housing component, motor, drive, and/or a VSD".

The main goal of this approach is to capture the benefits of variable speed drives (VSDs). 

VSDs are control devices that can be used to improve equipment performance under variable loads. 

The savings potential is highly dependent on (a) how much time the system requires operation at partload; and (b) the means, if any, used to adjust fan system operation during these times. If DOE’s 

regulations were to require variable load fan systems to be installed with VSDs and appropriate 

control algorithms to take advantage of the device, the energy savings potential of the regulations 

could be significantly increased. It is important to note, however, that VSDs used under constant load 

operation conditions may degrade efficiency, because the electric losses in the VSD during full-load 

operation may outweigh any savings achieved during part-load operation for such systems.

DOE is considering the following 3 options for regulation depending on how fans are 

defined and sold:

1. Defining and establishing standards for the fan exclusive of the motor and/or controls. 

2. Defining and establishing standards for the fan inclusive of the motor and controls, if the fan is 

sold with them. Most electric motors are already regulated by DOE, and preliminary data 

gathered by DOE show that the majority of fans (approximately 90%, see discussion in 

section 2.2.2) are driven by motors covered by motor standards in EPCA. As a result, 

each fan equipment class (as discussed in section 5.2.1 for bare shaft fans) would be subdivided into two categories: (1) without VSD (bare shaft fan sold with or without motor) 

and (2) with VSD (fan would only fall under this category if it is sold with motor).

3. Defining and establishing standards for fans inclusive of motors (if the fan is sold with a 

motor) and considering a VSD as a design option to improve efficiency for those fans sold 

with the motor. To accommodate this option, each fan equipment class (as proposed in section 

5.2.1 for bare shaft fans) would be sub-divided into two categories: (1) without motor (or 

VSD) and (2) with motor (with or without VSD).

Based on DOE’s preliminary research, option 1 would be the simplest approach. Option 2 has 

potential to capture additional energy savings because it directly addresses the use of more efficient 

VSD and motor pairs than might be sold in the absence of a standard. Option 3 may increase the 

 

3 These other inefficiencies include mismatch of fan to system requirements, use of dampers to control flow, 

running at constant load all the time when load is or could be variable, inefficient motors, and inefficient motor 

drives.
12

potential to capture savings associated with system inefficiencies as an efficiency metric could be 

developed to demonstrate energy savings associated with reducing airflow using a VSD to adjust 

operation when full-load is not required, rather than by less efficient means, such as using dampers to 

reduce airflow. Because DOE regulates the manufacturer, options 2 and 3 would capture any 

additional energy savings only where the fan manufacturer also supplies the motor and VSD. 

Given that fan manufacturers cannot control if or how a VSD is used in the field, a 

standard that requires or encourages the use of VSD could result in the presence of VSDs in 

applications for which they are not suited, such as constant loads with correctly sized fans. To 

determine whether selling more fans with VSDs (the possible result of option 3) or selling more 

efficient VSD/motor pairs (option 2) would actually save energy in the field, DOE would

conduct analyses of fan and VSD usage across the spectrum of fan applications and baseline 

conditions (including using dampers and constant speed operation).

Item 2-9 DOE requests comment on whether establishing standards for fans defined 

inclusive of the motor transmission, and controls could increase the beneficial use of 

VSDs in the field and whether interested parties believe the benefits of such a standard 

would outweigh any negatives, such as the potential use of VSDs in applications for 

which it is not suited.DOE seeks comment on the market share of fans (by type) that 

would be used in applications that would benefit from VSDs, as well as those where 

use of a VSD could result in increased energy use. In particular, whether there are 

specific fan types that are almost always used, or alternatively, very rarely used, in 

applications that would benefit from a VSD.

Item 2-10 DOE requests data and information on whether fans are more often combined 

with motors, VSDs, or both by the fan manufacturer or by distributors/contractors. 

Item 2-11 DOE requests information on how often and in what circumstances the 

intended application is known when the fan is sold.

Fan Size (Impeller Diameter) Limit

Geometrically similar fans that differ by size (impeller diameter) are manufactured in 

‘series’. A review of fan manufacturer catalogues suggests that series produced fans have a 

maximum impeller diameter of 98 inches for all fans. It is expected that fans larger than 98 

inches are typically custom-built and DOE believes that these fans are already built to the highest 

efficiency possible because of the users’ demand to reduce the large amount of energy consumed 

by them.

Item 2-12 DOE requests comment on whether standards should be considered only for 

fans with an impeller diameter less than 98 or equal to inches and whether that 

impeller diameter distinction is appropriate for all fans equipment classes being 

considered in this rulemaking. 
13

Item 2-13 DOE requests comment on whether to similarly consider a minimum fan 

diameter in this rulemaking.

Fan Power Limit

In the European Union’s (EU) fan efficiency standard, coverage of fans is limited to 

those requiring 125 W to 500 kW power. A preparatory EU study showed that the majority of 

commercial and industrial fans are driven by motors in this power range [6]. DOE is considering 

energy conservation standards for fans that require 125W to 500kW of power.

Item 2-14 DOE requests comment on considering standards for fans with power 

requirements between 125 W and 500 kW for this rulemaking.

Applicability of European Union Scope Fan Exclusions to U.S. Fan Standard

The EU excludes from its regulatory requirements fans used in applications that operate 

in a defined set of conditions, such as:

a) those with an optimum energy efficiency at 8,000 rotations per minute or more;

b) those in applications in which the ‘specific ratio’ is over 1.11 (this limitation 

excludes blowers from coverage as the blower is defined in this document); and

c) those used as conveying fans for the transport of non-gaseous substances in 

industrial process applications (this limitation excludes material handling fans as 

described in section 5.2).

Item 2-15 DOE requests comment on these exclusions, specifically regarding whether 

they should be applied to this rulemaking. Why or why not? Are there any other fan 

characteristics that DOE should consider as criteria for exclusion?

2.2.2 Motor Considerations

In this rulemaking, DOE will consider the efficiency requirements already imposed by the 

small and medium electric motors rulemakings. DOE has found that commercial and industrial fans 

are primarily powered by the following types of electric motors:

Single-phase AC motors: These motor types are used almost exclusively in commercial 

fan applications that require less than one horsepower [7]. Only the capacitor-start 

motors are currently covered by the small motors regulation4. 

Polyphase AC motors: Polyphase (three-phase) AC motors are the most commonly used 

motors in fan applications requiring more than 1 HP [3]. These motors are usually NEMA 

Design B, and almost all of these types are already covered by the motors regulations. 

 

4

75 FR 17036
14

DC Motors: DC motors are not covered by the current motors regulations; however, they 

are used in only a small fraction of fan applications.

To assess the use of these three motor types with fans, DOE reviewed a data set of motor 

nameplate and field measurements collected by the Washington State University Extension Energy 

Program (WSU)5. This data set compiles data from 123 industrial plants and reports information for 

3,900 motors (> 1HP) used to drive industrial fans. The survey showed that over 90% of fans are 

driven by motors currently subject to DOE energy conservation standards. The remaining 10 % are 

single-phase motors, including: DC motors (~1%), specialized motors (multi-speed) (~0.1%), totallyenclosed air-over motors (~0.3%), medium voltage induction motors (2300/4160V) (~1.8%), and 

synchronous motors (~6%).

Item 2-16 DOE requests comment on the percentage of fan motors estimated to be 

covered by the small and medium electric motor standards. Specifically, does the 

industrial plant motor study performed by WSU represent the commercial and 

industrial fan industry as a whole? Why or why not?

DOE notes that not all fans are driven by electric motors; some fans may be driven by natural 

gas or diesel engines or steam turbines. These fans may represent small percent of the fans proposed 

for coverage. Because some fans can be used with both motors and engines, DOE is considering in 

this framework document covering fans without regard to how they are driven. Any fan sold with an 

engine or for use with an engine (as opposed to an electric motor) would likely be considered bare 

shaft fans under regulatory options 2 and 3 as described in section2.2.1.1. 

Item 2-17 DOE seeks comment on the market share (by fan type) and applications of fans 

that are driven by equipment other than electric motors. 

2.2.3 Transmission Type Considerations 

For fans, there are two principal types of drive systems: direct-drive and belt-drive. Gear 

drives are also used but are less common. Direct-drive and belt-drive transmissions are defined and 

described in section 2.1.1. DOE is aware that gear-drive systems are used when there is a need for 

very high or very low speeds that would otherwise result in excessive belt slip and belt losses, if a 

simple belt-drive system were used. 

In this rulemaking, DOE plans to consider fans with direct-drive, belt-drive, and gear-drive 

transmission. 

Item 2-18 DOE requests comment on the transmission types to be considered in this 

rulemaking.

 

5 WSU developed this database in conjunction with Applied Proactive Technologies (APT) under contract 

with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). 2011.
15

2.2.4 Variable-Speed Drive Considerations 

Variable-speed drives (VSDs) are devices that control the rotational speed of a motor by 

varying the voltage to the motor. In variable-load applications, varying the speed of the motor 

may save energy compared with other techniques for flow control, such as the use of dampers. 

Under regulatory options 2 and 3 as described in section 2.2.1.1, DOE would determine 

what types of VSDs are used in commercial and industrial fan applications and the efficiency 

range for those VSD devices. 

Item 2-19 DOE requests comment on the types of VSDs sold with fans and whether there 

is efficiency variability (and if so, to what extent) among VSDs. 

2.2.5 Consideration of Standards for Fans in Fume Hoods

DOE received comments regarding the coverage of fume hoods in response to the 

Coverage Determination document published on June 28, 2011. The Air-Conditioning, Heating 

& Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) stated that after review of the proposed determination of 

coverage they believe that DOE should not include commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and 

fume hoods as covered equipment because subjecting them to regulation will not result in any 

energy savings (AHRI, No. 03 at p. 1). AHRI also stated that they believe that the DOE analysis 

is based on outdated data that does not reflect current design practices for commercial and 

industrial fans, blowers, and fume hoods. AHRI commented that all commercial building energy 

codes and commercial equipment energy conservation standards currently used in the U.S. 

regulate the energy consumption of commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and fume hoods 

(AHRI, No. 03 at p. 3). The Joint Commenters stated that fans, blowers, and fume hoods 

represent a significant potential for energy savings and that they encourage DOE to initiate test 

procedure and standards rulemakings for this equipment (Joint Commenters, No. 04 at p. 1). The 

CA IOUs stated that they support the Department’s efforts to examine the potential benefits of 

energy efficiency standards for commercial and industrial fans, blowers, and fume hoods (CA 

IOUs, No. 06 at p. 1). The CA IOUs stated that for fume hoods there is a wide range of efficient 

designs, which suggests a significant savings opportunity (CA IOUs, No. 06 at p. 2). The CA 

IOUs also stated that there is economic growth in the chemical, biotech and pharmaceutical 

industries which may be an indicator of market growth for fume hoods (CA IOUs, No. 06 at p. 

3). 

DOE has determined that it lacks authority to establish energy conservation standards for 

fume hoods because fume hoods are not listed as a type of industrial equipment for which DOE 

could establish standards. DOE acknowledges, however, that the fan that provides ventilation 

for the fume hood consumes the largest portion of energy within the fume hood system. As 

discussed in section 2.2.1, DOE plans to cover all commercial and industrial fan types, which

includes fans used to ventilate fume hoods.
16

3. TEST PROCEDURES

DOE is considering development of a test procedure to determine the energy efficiency 

of commercial and industrial fans. DOE intends for the test procedure to include an efficiency

descriptor and the methods necessary to adequately measure the performance of the covered 

equipment for the purposes of determining compliance with energy conservation standards (this 

is referred to as the efficiency metric). 

When establishing or amending test procedures, DOE reviews existing industry test 

procedures or testing methods to measure the energy use or energy efficiency of the covered 

equipment, such as ANSI/AMCA Standard 210-07 – ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 516, a U.S. 

commercial and industrial fans test procedure (AMCA 210) [8]. DOE discusses its preliminary 

review of test procedure approaches in section 3.1, along with the issues for public comment.

3.1 Preliminary Discussion of Test Procedure Approaches for the Energy Performance 

of Fans 

In the test procedure rulemaking, DOE will consider methods for measuring the energy 

efficiency, energy use, or average annual operating cost of fans during a representative averageuse cycle or period of use that is not unduly burdensome to conduct. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(2)) In 

prescribing new test procedures, DOE takes into account relevant information including 

technological developments relating to energy use or energy efficiency of fans. The test 

procedure will address the efficiency metrics discussed in section 3.2.

The AMCA 210 test procedure defines uniform methods for conducting laboratory tests 

on fans to determine airflow rate, pressure, and power at a given speed of rotation. The test 

procedure applies to a fan or other air-moving device when air is used as the test gas with the 

following exceptions: air-circulating fans (ceiling fans, desk fans), positive pressure ventilators, 

and compressors with inter-stage cooling, positive displacement machines. Additional 

commercial and industrial fan test procedures include: GB/T 1236 Industrial fans - Performance 

testing using standardized airways (China) and ISO 5801 Industrial fans — Performance testing 

using standardized airways (European Union). DOE may consider AMCA 210 as a basis for a 

potential DOE test procedure.

Item 3-1 DOE requests comment on the use of the AMCA 210-07 test procedure as a 

base for the development of a DOE test procedure.

Because the main application of a cross flow fan is air curtain applications, DOE expects 

that these fans could be tested for performance under AMCA 210 using the AMCA Standard 220 

Laboratory Methods of Testing Air Curtain Units for Aerodynamic Performance Rating test setups. Research into cross flow fan and air curtain performance, however, has resulted in very 

little publicly available data. DOE notes that in AMCA 220 motor power must be recorded and 

used in the calculation for air curtain unit efficiency.

 

6ANSI/AMCA Standard 210-07 – ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 51 Laboratory Methods of Testing Fans for 

Aerodynamic Performance Rating for fans.
17

Item 3-2 DOE requests comment on for what other applications cross flow fans are 

used and the breakdown of cross flow fan use across the fans market in those 

applications.

Item 3-3 DOE requests comment on the applicability of AMCA Standard 210-07 in 

coordination with AMCA Standard 220-05 for measuring performance of cross flow 

fans.

Item 3-4 DOE requests comment on whether air curtains must be tested for 

performance in use with a motor, or whether fan performance as recorded through 

AMCA 210 test methods would provide accurate performance estimates.

Item 3-5 DOE requests performance data for cross flow fans. 

DOE is also aware that performance (and thus efficiency) of industrial process fans is 

affected by the level of particulates found in the air stream and would like input as to whether 

testing these fans in clean air would allow for comparison of performance between fans within 

each equipment class. Initial research has shown that material handling fans are currently tested 

by AMCA 210 under clean air conditions. DOE is aware that, even if it is determined that the 

equipment classes allow for comparison of performance, material handling fans have 

characteristics (such as shorter lifetimes due to the wear on the impeller from the materials) that 

may impact DOE’s consideration of economic justification for efficiency standards.

Item 3-6 DOE requests comment on the ability of using a clean air only test procedure 

to determine the efficiency of fans designed for dust air or material handling 

applications that could be compared to fans not designed for handling such materials 

that are in the same equipment classes (see section 5.2 for equipment class 

discussion).

The AMCA 210 test procedure allows fans to be tested for air performance under a 

number of test configurations. The performance results may vary for a single fan tested at 

different installation categories due to the different fluid dynamic characteristics of each 

installation. The category distinguishes arrangement of ducting to the inlet and outlet of the fan. 

Free inlet or outlet signifies that the air enters or leaves the fan directly from or into the 

unobstructed free atmosphere. Ducted inlet or outlet signifies that the air enters or leaves the fan 

through a duct directly connected to that fan inlet or outlet, respectively. The test configurations 

can be categorized into one of four test installation categories; Category A, B, C, or D (see Table 

1).
18

Table 1. Installation Category/ Test Configurations Descriptions

Installation Category/ 

Test Configurations Location of Ducting for Testing

A Free inlet, free outlet

B Free inlet, ducted outlet

C Ducted inlet, free outlet

D Ducted inlet, ducted outlet

ISO 5801 states that because “the connection of a duct to a fan outlet and/or inlet 

modifies its performance, it has been agreed that four standard installation categories should be 

recognized. A fan adaptable to more than one installation category will have more than one 

standardized performance characteristic. Users should select the installation category closest to 

their application." AMCA's Certified Ratings Program requires the manufacturer explicitly state 

the installation category for fans with a certified air performance label; however if a fan is tested 

under more than one installation category, AMCA allows the performance of the installation 

category that provides the highest efficiency be submitted for the FEG label.

DOE is considering a single test configuration per equipment class so that fan 

performance within each class can be compared. DOE notes that ISO 5801 test procedure is very 

similar to AMCA 210, except that in ISO 5801, axial fans tested under installation category B or 

D (ducting on the outlet) where the outlet swirl is more than 15° are required to use a straightener 

to produce reproducible performance data. Within the development of a DOE fan test procedure 

DOE would determine if fans with outlet swirl greater than 15° will require a straightener during 

testing to produce consistent performance data.

Item 3-7 DOE requests comment on which test configuration should be considered for 

each of the considered equipment classes.

Item 3-8 DOE requests comment on requiring an air straightener at the outlet for axial 

fans tested in configuration B or D.

3.2 Discussion of Efficiency Metric Approaches for the Energy Performance of Fans 

To establish a fan efficiency metric for this rulemaking, DOE reviewed metrics and 

implementation methods used in local and international regulatory or voluntary programs.

3.2.1 Data Sources for Efficiency Metric Development

For the development of the efficiency metric, DOE intends to gather performance data 

using publicly available information from manufacturer websites and catalogs. DOE's 

understanding is that fan performance available in catalogs are typically presented in data tables 

which include pressure, airflow, rotational speed, and power values; however, the availability of 

data is not consistent across manufacturers or fan types. To calculate peak total efficiency in a 

consistent manner, DOE requests the following types of performance data:
19

Operating conditions under total pressure, or other data that allow for the 

calculation of total pressure.

Fan power (i.e., a fan's break horsepower (BHP)) at all operating conditions, 

instead of a maximum BHP value.

Test data as measured instead of performance data that has been generated using 

the fan laws.

Fan performance that does not include losses due to the motor, transmission, 

and/or accessories (i.e., filters).

Item 3-9 DOE requests comment on the use of publicly available performance data in 

lieu of original test data. 

Item 3-10 DOE requests fan performance data generated from AMCA 210 tests.

3.2.2 Efficiency Metric Approaches - Bare Shaft Fans

1. In the U.S., AMCA has developed an efficiency metric that utilizes Fan Efficiency 

Grades (FEG), as described in AMCA Standard 205-10 (Rev. 2012) Energy 

Efficiency Classification for Fans. The FEG is a numerical rating that reflects fan 

efficiency. It is established by expressing peak total efficiency as a function of a fan's 

impeller diameter. For fans without the shaft and bearings, the peak total efficiency 

used for FEG is the impeller efficiency. The fan efficiency grades are defined as the 

area between two adjacent efficiency limits shaped to follow the increasing efficiency 

of a single fan design as it increases in diameter[8]. FEG represents a range of 

efficiency values and not a single efficiency point. Efficiency limits were not 

established separately for each fan category (e.g., centrifugal fans with airfoil blades, 

vaneaxial fans, plenum fans, etc.) but include all fan types.[9] For fan sizes that are 

greater than or equal to 40 inches the FEG rating will be the same as for 40 inch 

diameter fans.

On July 13, 2012, ASHRAE published a proposal (Addendum u) to append ASHRAE 

90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings to include 

minimum FEG limits on fans. The addendum proposes that fans have a FEG of 67 or 

higher based on manufacturers’ certified data, as defined by AMCA 2057. The total 

efficiency of the fan at the design point of operation must be within 15 percentage 

points of the maximum total efficiency of the fan[11].

2. The Chinese standard GB 19761-2009 Minimum Allowable Values of Energy 

Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Grades for Fan describes the minimum efficiency 

 

7 Although there are fan power limits in the existing ASHRAE 90.1, the limits only restrict the design of 

fan systems and the amount of fan energy used by the system, which does not reflect the efficiency of the fan10.

ASHRAE, Standard 90.1 Energy Standards for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, 2010: 

Atlanta, GA. p. 36..
20

requirements for axial and centrifugal fans for general use, and centrifugal fans for 

air-conditioning applications. While the metric defines fan total efficiency 

requirements as a function of impeller diameter, each fan type within the scope of 

coverage presents different efficiency requirements based on: 1) pressure coefficient, 

specific speed, and blade profile for centrifugal fans and 2) hub-tip ratio8for axials.

For the preliminary analysis, DOE plans to evaluate different efficiency metric 

approaches for describing fans efficiency performance:

1. Evaluating fan efficiency as a function of size similar to the method described in 

AMCA 205 using available data (from catalogs or other sources). To better represent 

differences in performance across fan types, DOE would derive FEG limits separately 

for each fan equipment class (see section 5.2 for equipment class discussion). 

2. In addition to fan size, exploring other parameters that show a correlation to 

efficiency. DOE may consider expanding the FEG approach to incorporate 

operational conditions of a fan. The approach to expand FEG would include 

evaluating combinations9of size and operational parameters such as flow, pressure, 

flow coefficient, pressure coefficient, and specific speed10 as well as any other 

suitable parameters. Different combinations of parameters may be considered for 

each equipment class (i.e., hub-tip ratio parameter for axial fans).

For each equipment class, the available data would be plotted in a three-dimensional 

space that includes efficiency and the other two considered parameters. A 3-D plane 

would be generated from the data to represent the fan average efficiency over the 

range of operating conditions.

Item 3-11 DOE requests comment on the considered efficiency metric approaches.

3.2.3 Efficiency Metric Approaches - Fans defined as inclusive of motor/controls

Under regulatory options 2 and 3 as defined in section 2.2.1.1, DOE is considering 

development of an alternative efficiency metric. DOE has reviewed several existing efficiency 

metrics for fans, none of which take into consideration fan operation under variable loads.

In the EU clean water pumps regulation, a variable load efficiency metric has been 

proposed which sets minimum efficiency requirements at three different points along the pump 

pressure/flow curve when operating at the pump’s rated speed: full-load (i.e., at Best Efficiency 

Point (BEP)), part-load (i.e., at 75 percent of flow at BEP), and over-load (i.e., at 110 percent of 

flow at BEP). The EU standard would set a required efficiency for BEP, and the minimum pump 

efficiency at part-load, and over-load would be set at the required BEP efficiency multiplied by 

an appropriate factor. A failure at one or more points would mean the pump did not meet the 

standard. DOE is considering a similar approach for fans that would incorporate variable load 

 

8 Hub-tip ratio is the hub radius divided by the length from the center of the fan hub to the tip of the blade.

9 Combinations are limited to including only two parameters.

10 Flow coefficient, pressure coefficient, and specific speed are all based from the fan law relationships [7].
21

profiles appropriate for fans and could have the potential to increase fan efficiency over a wider 

range of operating conditions.

Item 3-12 DOE requests data and/or sources of information for developing the 

representative load profiles for each fan equipment class (see section 5.2.1 for 

equipment class discussion).

Item 3-13 DOE specifically requests comment on the part-load airflow test points that 

would represent a typical variable load for a fan as well as how many part-load test 

points it should consider.

Item 3-14 DOE is interested in what test points, in addition to conditions at peak total 

efficiency, are appropriate for a variable load metric and how many test points should 

be included to address the complete operating range of fans with or without VSDs. 

3.2.4 Efficiency Metric Implications for Defining Fans Inclusive of Motor/Controls

3.2.4.1 Efficiency Calculation Approaches

Equipment efficiency under regulatory options 2 and 3 as described in section 2.2.1.1 

may need to be based on motor input power because VSDs create two main energy-related 

benefits compared to using dampers to change operating conditions. First, VSDs have the ability 

to reduce power when operating at flows away from the peak efficiency operation point11. This 

phenomenon is described as the "cube law"; for example, fans running at a reduced speed of 25% 

require approximately 42% less power to operate, depending on a variety of parameters 

including the system in which the fan operates. Second, when reducing flow by shifting the fan 

performance curve using speed control, fan efficiency is maintained relative to the peak 

efficiency point instead of being subject to an efficiency decrease due to higher pressure losses 

which occurs when reducing airflow by fan system dampers (which shift the system curve). 

Because use of a VSD introduces losses to the fan system, fans fit with a VSD will have 

lower efficiency at all duties than a fan without a VSD. Furthermore, while motor efficiency 

does not degrade significantly with speed reductions of 1-50%, the efficiency of a VSD may

degrade significantly. DOE may need to determine if the benefit of a VSD at reduced airflows 

that have higher efficiency losses but reduced power requirements outweighs the higher power 

draw but potentially lower efficiency losses for a fan system that uses a damper. DOE has 

identified two methods for determining equipment efficiency if fans are defined to include the

motor and controls: 

1. Overall peak efficiency: This approach would measure an overall set efficiency 

(also known as wire-to-air efficiency) similar to the calculation for bare shaft fan 

 

11 This benefit may be realized in variable load systems when flows less than flow at maximum speed are 

required. It may also be realized in constant load systems with oversized fans, when a VSD is used to reduce speed 

and flow to the system requirements; however it would use more power in constant load systems with correctly 

sized fans.
22

peak total efficiency. The AMCA 210-07 test procedure provides a method in 

which overall set efficiency is calculated for the fan, motor, transmission, and 

controls (i.e., variable speed drives, etc.). A variable-load metric using overall 

peak efficiency would capture some benefits of speed control using a VSD 

because efficiency would be higher at part-load conditions; however, this option 

would not necessarily capture the VSD-related power savings described by the 

"cube law".

2. Input power based efficiency: To capture the power savings of a VSD, efficiency 

could be calculated as a function of input power to the motor per unit airflow, 

such as watts per airflow volume per minute (W/CFM). 

DOE would consider a variety of metrics to capture the energy efficiency impacts of 

VSDs for fans sold with motors. These metrics may need to be based on motor/control input 

power, such as the input power requirement per unit flow or the ratio of input power at part-load 

to input power at full-load measured or calculated without VSD, rather than efficiency metrics 

for the fan, fan/motor, or fan/motor/VSD combination only. Such metrics show both the powersaving benefits of VSDs and the losses associated with the presence of a VSD. DOE is interested 

in suggestions for metrics that would achieve the stated goals for the alternate regulatory 

approaches described in section 2.2.1.1.

One metric that could be used for fans defined inclusive of the motor and controls is 

currently being used in the European Union (EU) for non-domestic fans. This metric was 

developed because a large proportion of fans are supplied with integral and built-in motors. This 

metric is referred to as Fan-Motor Efficiency Grades (FMEG). The standard12 describes 

minimum efficiency requirements that incorporate efficiency of both the fan and motor. The 

FMEG, referred to as the 'set' efficiency, reflects the ability to convert electrical power to air 

power for a specific fan and drive combination[12]. The drive system includes not only the 

motor, but also any devices between the motor and the power supply so each fan and motor 

combination has a unique efficiency value. A fan belongs to a given FMEG grade (e.g. 

FMEG55) if its best efficiency at full speed is equal to or greater than the value calculated for the 

nominal efficiency grade level, e.g. FMEG55, and relevant input power. Although FEG is a 

function only of fan size and peak total efficiency, FMEG is a function of fan type, input power, 

and peak set efficiency. FMEG includes a compensation factor, which has the effect of 

increasing the optimum efficiency of fans with variable speed drives.

Item 3-15 DOE requests comment on an appropriate efficiency calculation to capture the 

energy efficiency impacts of VSDs. Specifically, DOE requests comment on the use of 

an input power based efficiency versus an overall peak efficiency when comparing 

efficiencies.

Item 3-16 DOE requests comment on the FMEG efficiency metric.

 

12 Commission regulation (EU) No. 327/2011 of 30 March 2011, implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of 

the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for fans driven by motors with 

an electric input power between 0.125 W and 500 kW, including those integrated in other energy-related products
23

If DOE defines and regulates fans inclusive of the motor and VSD if sold together 

(option 2 in section 2.2.1.1), DOE would follow the same metric approach discussed for 

regulation option 1 for equipment classes for fans sold without VSDs. For equipment classes 

with fans sold with VSDs, DOE would identify a metric that can be used to consider efficiency 

levels that require the use of more efficient VSDs; such a metric does not need to compare fans 

with VSDs to fans without VSDs, because fans without VSDs (with or without motors) would be 

in a separate set of equipment classes. For equipment including both motors and VSDs if sold 

together, DOE is considering a metric of overall efficiency (as discussed in section 3.2.4.1, this 

approach to calculating efficiency can be thought of as the product of fan efficiency, motor 

efficiency, and VSD efficiency). The fan, motor, and VSD must be tested together because VSDs 

are not regulated separately (and thus there is no verified source of VSD efficiencies), motors are 

regulated only at full-load, and VSDs and motors in combination do not necessarily operate with 

the efficiency that would be calculated by multiplying their individual tested efficiencies 

together.

Item 3-17 DOE requests comment on the use overall efficiency for fans sold with both 

motors and VSDs. 

If DOE defines and regulates fans inclusive of the motor if sold together and include 

VSD as a design option (option 3 in section 2.2.1.1), DOE would follow the same metric 

approach discussed for regulation option 1 for equipment classes for fans sold without motors. 

For equipment classes sold with motors, DOE would identify a metric that can capture the 

impacts on energy efficiency associated with the use of a VSD in comparison to a fan with a 

motor but without a VSD. DOE could then consider efficiency levels that require VSDs and 

high-efficiency VSDs. 

Item 3-18 DOE requests comment on the use input power based efficiency for fans sold 

with motors where VSDs are a design option to improve efficiency.

3.2.4.2 Alignment of Efficiency Metrics Under Considered Approaches

If DOE pursues regulatory option 2 or 3, the equipment classes discussed in section 5.2

may need to be expanded to accommodate the different (and usually limited) operating 

conditions these products can achieve. In addition to the equipment classes determined for bare 

shaft fans, DOE suggests a parallel set of equipment classes be developed for fans defined inclusive of 

the motor and controls. The parallel sets of equipment classes may have different efficiency metrics, 

which would allow DOE to capture energy savings from fan peak total efficiency gains for bareshaft 

fans while allowing for potentially greater energy savings to be realized from power reductions 

associated with use of VSDs. 

DOE is considering the following three options to align efficiency metrics between the 

potential two equipment class sets: 

1. Separate metrics: DOE would use different metrics for the two equipment class sets. For 

example, bare shaft fans would utilize a fan peak total efficiency based metric that considers 
24

only fan losses while an overall set efficiency metric would be used for fans sold with motors 

and/or VSDs to capture the losses associated with motor and control inefficiencies. Although 

efficiencies would not be comparable across equipment class sets (i.e. fan efficiency would 

generally be higher than overall set efficiency because it only includes fan losses), this would 

allow an appropriate metric to be used to evaluate energy saving potential for the different 

equipment.

2. Same metrics: DOE would use the same efficiency metric for all equipment classes. For bare 

shaft fans, the test procedure would specify the motor and VSD characteristics to be used in 

the performance test. Because the motor and VSD would be standardized, the test procedure 

would effectively measure only fan peak total efficiency for bare shaft fans. This option could

enable the test results for all fans to be directly comparable regardless of how they are sold. 

However, the motor or VSD used in the field may have different efficiency characteristics 

than those selected for testing.

3. Multiple metrics for equipment sold with a VSD (or with the motor where a VSD is technology 

option to improve efficiency). DOE is also analyzing whether the equipment class set that 

addresses VSDs could have two metrics. Alternatively, DOE is analyzing whether a fan peak 

total efficiency metric could be used for all equipment class sets but the equipment classes that 

address VSDs would also be subject to a labeling requirement using an overall set efficiency 

or motor input power based efficiency metric. This approach would allow comparison across 

all fans, no matter how the fan is sold, and allow for a comparison between the equipment 

class sets.

DOE notes that the options for metric alignment may impact manufacturer burden. For 

fans sold both with and without motors or with and without VSDs, the same fan may be included 

in two different equipment classes, one for the fan alone and one for the fan with the motor or 

motor and VSD. Each of these equipment classes would be subject to a different standard. In

such cases some metrics may require additional measurements or calculations.

Item 3-19 DOE requests comment on the metrics discussed above, including whether a 

weighted average metric should be developed under the third metric option.

Item 3-20 DOE recognizes that the same fan may in some cases be sold bare shaft or in 

conjunction with a motor or motor/control package. DOE seeks comment on any 

issues that may result from having different metrics for fans sold alone and fans sold 

with motors or VSDs.

Table 2 shows a summary of each regulatory option and respective metric alignment options for the 

proposed equipment class sets.
25

Table 2. Regulation Options and Efficiency Metric Alignment Options for Respective Equipment 

Class Sets

Regulatory Option Equipment Class Set

Metric Alignment Options*

Separate Same Multiple

1 Bare Shaft fans 

Only one set of 

equipment classes will 

be developed

N/A N/A N/A

2

Fans inclusive 

of the motor 

and VSD

Fans Without VSD 

(with or without motor) 

Fan Peak Total 

Efficiency

Overall Efficiency 

(standardized 

motor and VSD)

Fan Peak 

Total 

Efficiency

Fans With VSD Overall 

Efficiency Overall Efficiency

Fan Peak 

Total 

Efficiency and 

Overall 

Efficiency

3

Fans inclusive 

of motor, with 

VSD a design 

option for all 

fans sold with 

motors

Bare Shaft Fans Fan Peak Total 

Efficiency

Motor/VSD Input 

Power Based 

(standardized 

motor)

Fan Peak 

Total 

Efficiency

Fans With Motor (with 

or without VSD)

Motor/VSD 

Input Power 

Based

Motor/VSD Input 

Power Based

Fan Peak 

Total 

Efficiency and 

Motor/VSD 

Input Power 

Based Metric

*Note that "fan peak total efficiency" here reflects bare shaft fan efficiency measured using total pressure values 

(see section 2.1.1 for this and other "efficiency" definitions, see section 3.2.1 for description of "fan peak total 

efficiency" metrics considered.)

4. OVERVIEW OF ANALYSES FOR RULEMAKING 

The purpose of the analyses is to support DOE’s determination on whether to establish 

energy conservation standards for fans. The analyses ensure that if standards are established, 

DOE selects standards that achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is 

technologically feasible and economically justified and will result in significant energy savings, 

as required by EPCA. Economic justification includes the consideration of the factors set forth in 

EPCA (see section 1.1 of this framework document), which encompass the economic impacts on 

domestic manufacturers and users and such national benefits as environmental impacts, issues of 

consumer utility, and impacts from any lessening of competition. 
26

Figure 1 summarizes the analytical components of the DOE standards-setting process. 

The analyses are presented in the center column. Each analysis has a set of key inputs, which are 

data and information required for the analysis. "Approaches" are the methods that DOE will use 

to obtain key inputs. The results of each analysis are key outputs, which feed directly into the 

rulemaking. Arrows indicate the flow of information between the various analyses. DOE ensures 

a consistent approach to its analyses throughout the rulemaking by considering each analysis as a 

part of the overall standard-setting framework. 
27

Figure 1. Flow Diagram of Analyses for the Fans and Standards Rulemaking Process
28

5. MARKET AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

The market and technology assessment provides information about the commercial and 

industrial fan industry and the performance attributes of this equipment. DOE uses this

assessment to determine equipment classes and identify potential design options or efficiency 

levels for each equipment class.

5.1 Market Assessment

DOE’s market assessment identifies and characterizes the manufacturers of fans, 

estimates market shares and trends, and addresses regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives 

intended to improve the energy efficiency or reduce the energy consumption of fans covered by 

this rulemaking. 

The market assessment phase allows DOE to gather data that can help identify important 

issues (e.g., potential small business impacts, competitive disruptions, and other factors that may 

arise from enacting standards). For example, market structure data can be used to assess 

competitive impacts as part of the manufacturer impact analysis. 

DOE is considers manufacturers, industry organizations, and other interested parties as 

potential sources of such information. In addition, DOE is considering examining national 

market reports or data collected in national energy use surveys, or extrapolating historical fan 

sales data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Census Bureau publishes limited information on the 

quantity and dollar-value of equipment shipments. The Census Bureau data does not, however, 

disaggregate fans according to design or the equipment classes DOE is considering for this 

rulemaking.

DOE encourages interested parties to submit data on national shipments, manufacturing 

costs, channels of distribution, and manufacturer market shares of fans that will improve DOE’s 

understanding of the fan market.

Item 5-1 DOE requests information that would contribute to the market assessment for 

fans that would be covered in this rulemaking, especially for those equipment classes 

designated in section 5.2. Examples of information sought include current equipment 

features and efficiencies, equipment feature and efficiency trends, and historical 

equipment shipments and prices.

AMCA represents many fan manufacturers based in the United States and other 

countries[13]. There are approximately 140 establishments in the commercial and industrial fan 

industry[14]. As defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA)13, the North American 

Industry Classification System (NAICS) lists 123 businesses in Industrial and Commercial Fan 

and Blower Manufacturing (NAICS: 333412) as small[15]. 

 

13The SBA defines small businesses as manufacturing enterprises having 500 employees or fewer.
29

Item 5-2 DOE requests comment on the estimates of the number of U.S. fan 

manufacturers and the number of small businesses in the industry.

5.2 Equipment Classes

DOE may divide covered equipment into equipment classes by: (a) the type of energy 

used; (b) the capacity of the equipment; and/or (c) any other performance-related feature that 

justifies different standard levels. In determining whether such feature justifies a different 

standard level, DOE considers the utility of the feature to the consumer and other factors DOE 

considers appropriate. (42 U.S.C. 6295(q)) DOE uses the market assessment to determine the 

appropriate equipment classes and their respective operating ranges. DOE will conduct its 

analysis to establish separate standard levels for each equipment class.

In this framework document, DOE is not differentiating equipment classes for fans based 

on the type of energy used because the majority of fans are powered by electric motors. For fans 

driven by engines, DOE is considering an efficiency metric based only on fan efficiency. In 

addition, DOE does not plan to use fan capacity as a factor in defining equipment classes as the 

capacity will be accounted for in the efficiency metric as applicable for each equipment class.

DOE is considering establishing equipment classes using the following design 

characteristics, which DOE considers to be performance-related features:

the aerodynamic characteristic of the fan

a fan manufactured with or without housing

a fan’s ability to operate in certain environments (clean versus dust versus material-filled 

air or under high temperatures, etc.)

a fan sold with or without motor and transmission (if DOE includes the motor and 

transmission in the definition of a fan)

a fan sold with or without a VSD (if DOE includes the VSD in the definition of a fan)

safety features that impact performance

Item 5-3 DOE welcomes comments on whether there are other design characteristics 

that should be considered when establishing equipment classes.

Further explanation of how DOE intends to use these performance-related features to 

define equipment classes for fans is provided in the following sections.

5.2.1 Fan Equipment Classes

The considered equipment classes for bare shaft fans are shown in Table 3. The equipment 

classes were developed using the industry’s practice of distinguishing fan types by their 

aerodynamic characteristics. Further distinctions were made based on: 1) sold by manufacturer 

with a housing component (housed, unhoused fans), 2) performance capabilities (clean air only 

vs. material handling), and 3) inclusion of additional features specific to safety applications that 

would require those fans be subject to different efficiency standards or exclusion (safety fans).
30

DOE understands that fans are sold as standalone units (bareshaft) or as combined 

packages that include the motor (and transmission) and in some cases a VSD. The proposed 

equipment classes for bareshaft fans are shown in Table 3. As discussed in section 2.2.1, DOE 

may develop two parallel sets of equipment classes to accommodate potential differences in 

performance characteristics of fans sold with VSD and fans sold bare shaft. DOE expects that 

this series of equipment classes would be duplicated, one set of standards (in these categories) 

for bareshaft fans and another set of standards for fans sold with motors and VSDs.

Table 3. Considered Commercial and Industrial Fan Equipment Classes

Fan Type Equipment Class

Axial

Housed

Unhoused

Safety Fans

Centrifugal

Clean Air Housed

Clean Air Unhoused

Dust Air Housed

Material Handling Housed

Cross Flow Housed

Safety Fans

Mixed Flow All

Blowers

Axial

Centrifugal

The following sections describe the further breakdown of the equipment classes for axial,

centrifugal, and mixed flow fans. 

Item 5-4 DOE requests comment on whether the development of separate equipment 

classes, and thus separate efficiency standards, is necessary to accommodate different 

performance characteristics of fans sold bare shaft versus fans sold with the motor, 

transmission, and/or controls.

5.2.1.1 Axial Fans

DOE is considering separate equipment classes for axial fans. DOE understands that the 

presence and design of a housing component plays a significant role in dictating the performance of 

the axial fan and thus fan application. Therefore, DOE is considering splitting the axial fan types into 

equipment classes according to whether the fans are manufactured with or without a housing 

component, distinguished by the terms "housed" or "unhoused". 
31

Housed axial fans are those in which an impeller is fitted within a cylindrical housing; 

example fan types that fall into the housed axial fan equipment class includes tube axial and vane axial 

fans. Unhoused axial fans are those manufactured with the impeller mounted in a panel or ring instead 

of in a housing component; an example of unhoused axial fans are traditional propeller fans. A third 

equipment class – safety fans – includes axial fan designs that have special characteristics that are 

required for use in safety applications, as defined in section 2.1.1.

The European Union’s non-domestic fan legislation 327/201114 sets efficiency requirements 

for the fan and motor combination, and it does not create separate equipment classes for axial fans. 

However, DOE feels that the housed/unhoused design feature plays a significant role in dictating the 

performance of the axial fan and thus necessitates separate standards, and that safety features may also 

necessitate separate standards. 

Item 5-5 DOE requests comment on splitting axial fan types into housed and unhoused 

equipment classes or whether a single equipment class would sufficiently represent 

axial fan applications. 

Item 5-6 DOE requests comment on what types of axial fan designs or characteristics 

are unique to axial-type safety fans.

5.2.1.2 Centrifugal Fans

The presence and design of a housing component plays a significant role in dictating the 

operating conditions (flow and pressure) a centrifugal fan is capable of achieving. The design of the 

impeller (blades and hub) plays a significant role in dictating in what kind of environmental conditions 

(particulate level in the air) a centrifugal fan is capable of performing. DOE is considering centrifugal 

fan equipment classes split according to whether the fan is equipped with a housing component, and 

then to further refine the equipment classes based on the environmental capability of the fan as

dictated by the geometry of the impeller. Typical centrifugal fans applications are fused or ventilation 

and industrial processes. However, some fans are used in specialized applications, such as air curtains.

Item 5-7 DOE requests comment on whether there are any other commercial or 

industrial applications (beyond clean air, dust air and material handling) that should 

be considered while defining equipment classes for centrifugal fans.

DOE developed housed centrifugal fan type equipment classes based on the degree to which 

the impeller blades can self-clean as based on an evaluation of the geometry of the impeller (the 

impeller design) where:

"Clean Air" describes environments where the fan blades have curvature or the blade 

meets the impeller at a large angle of incidence such that dust materials build-up on 

the blade surface during operation; examples of impeller designs that fall within this

 

14 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:090:0008:0021:en:PDF
32

category are airfoil, backward-curved, backward-inclined, and forward-curved bladed 

impellers.

"Dust Air" describes environments where the blade meets the hub at a small or at no 

angle of incidence; examples of fans types that fall within this category include radialtipped bladed impellers, shrouded radial bladed impellers, and open paddle fans.

"Material Handling" describes environments where the fan has the ability to move 

stringy materials such as wool, wood chips, paper shavings, etc.; these are centrifugal 

fans with a radial impeller design fit with a backplate so that the materials in the air 

stream will not interfere with the rotation of the fan shaft.

Item 5-8 DOE requests comment on the considered groupings of housed centrifugal 

fans. Specifically, DOE requests comment on the use of air quality (Clean Air, Dust 

Air, Material Handling) and geometrical design descriptors for classification 

purposes.

There are two Clean Air equipment classes for centrifugal fans, housed and unhoused. These 

fans typically operate in ventilation applications (both commercial and industrial buildings) in which 

there is a zero (or near-zero) tolerance for dust-laden air. The impeller design of Clean Air fans are 

subject to significant damage, increased maintenance, and premature replacement if used in 

applications that handle dust-laden air. 

The Dust Air and Material Handling equipment classes include fans that are typically used in 

industrial process applications and are designed to handle a range of dust levels and materials in the 

airstream. Fan manufacturer literature has thus far shown that these fans are sold fit in a housing. 

Separate standards for these fans from those used in clean air applications may be warranted because 

they have a special utility achievable only by the specific geometry of the impellers.

DOE has also included two additional equipment classes to reflect fans for special 

applications: cross flow fans and safety fans.

Cross flow fans are a housed centrifugal fan design used in air curtain applications. Cross flow 

fans are forward-curve bladed centrifugal fans that have a small wheel diameter but have elongated 

blades. Because these fans perform a specific utility for which other fan types are not suited, DOE is 

placing this fan design into its own equipment class. 

Item 5-9 DOE requests comment on whether the Dust Air, Material Handling, and 

Cross Flow fan equipment classes should be split into housed and unhoused 

categories.

Item 5-10 DOE requests comment on setting cross flow fans as a separate equipment 

class within the centrifugal fans category.
33

Item 5-11 DOE requests information about the specific design characteristics of cross 

flow fans.

As with axial fans, some centrifugal fan designs have special characteristics that have 

been implemented so that they can be used in safety applications (see definition of "safety fan" in 

section 2.1.1). Since these additional features may decrease efficiency of the fan, a separate 

equipment class has been designated for them.

Item 5-12 DOE requests comment on what types of centrifugal fan designs or 

characteristics are unique to centrifugal-type safety fans.

5.2.1.3 Blowers

Blowers are a type of fan, either centrifugal or axial in design, modified to perform over a high 

pressure range. A "high pressure" fan is determined through the fan's specific ratio as calculated based 

on operating conditions at peak efficiency. Specific ratios of 1.11-1.20 are considered blowers where 

as specific ratios above 1.20 are considered compressors, which are not a subject of this document.

Item 5-13 DOE requests comment on setting a separate equipment class for blowers. 

Item 5-14 DOE requests comment on whether there is a need of more than one blower 

equipment class to account for the differences between centrifugal and axial blowers.

5.2.1.4 Mixed Flow Fans

Mixed flow fans combine characteristics of centrifugal and axial fans and are designed to 

perform under operating conditions in which axial fans are not capable of achieving the required 

pressure and centrifugal fans would perform very inefficiently. Mixed flow fans fulfill this particular 

market niche. DOE determined that these defining characteristics warrant a separate equipment class.

Item 5-15 DOE requests comment on setting a separate equipment class for mixed flow 

fans.

Item 5-16 DOE requests comment on whether there are differences among mixed flow 

fans that might warrant more than one equipment class for this fan type.

5.3 Technology Assessment

The technology assessment focuses on understanding how energy is used by fans and 

what potential technology changes to the design and construction of these fans would improve 

their energy efficiency. Measures that improve the energy efficiency of the equipment are called 

"technology options." These measures are based on commercially available technologies, as well 
34

as working prototypes. In consultation with interested parties, DOE will develop a list of 

technology options to consider in this rulemaking. Initially, this list will include all those options 

that may improve energy efficiency, including a max-tech design. Then, DOE will consider each 

of these technology options against four screening criteria, discussed in section 6. Technology 

options that pass all the screening criteria are called "design options," and analyzed in the 

engineering analysis (section 7).

To develop a list of technology options that could improve the efficiency of fans covered 

in this rulemaking, DOE is reviewing manufacturer catalogs, recent trade publications, and 

technical journals. DOE also intends to consult with interested parties to gather information on 

fan designs and applications. 

Fan efficiency can be increased by improving the technology used in the design and 

manufacturing process. Based on its preliminary review, DOE identified the following 

technology options as having potential to improve the efficiency of fans:

1. improving aerodynamic design 

2. blade shape 

3. material selection

4. guide vanes

5. optimization of housing design

6. variable speed drives 

7. variable pitch blades

Fan efficiency can be increased by improving the technology used in the design of a fan 

and its components. The aerodynamic characteristics of the individual components used in the 

manufacture of a fan play an important role in the performance and efficiency of the fan. If DOE 

defines fans inclusive of the motor and controls, DOE would consider technology options for 

reduction of standby and off mode power for those fans sold with motors and VSDs.

Blade Shape

The shape of the blades used in the manufacture of a fan plays a significant role in how 

the air moves through the fan. Most fans are manufactured with single-thickness steel blades. 

Airfoil blades are an alternative to the single-thickness blade. An airfoil blade is a hollow steel 

blade shaped like that of an airplane wing. The airfoil shape reduces the pressure losses from the 

impeller[16]. For single-thickness blades, efficiency improvements can be achieved by changing 

the amount of curvature, as well as the direction of curvature in the blade.

Material Selection

This technology option may serve to improve efficiency of a fan. DOE anticipates that 

the impact of the material selection may be different depending on the fan type and application. 

DOE is aware of fan impellers being constructed with aluminum, steel, fiberglass, and plastics.

Item 5-17 DOE requests comment and/or information on the effect of different materials 

on efficiency.
35

Item 5-18 DOE requests comment on whether there are other fan blade materials that 

should be included in the list above.

Guide Vanes

Guide vanes direct and straighten the airflow, resulting in less pressure loss through the 

impeller. The fan housing serves to gather airflow and direct it in the desired direction. Some 

axial and centrifugal fans are used in air handling units without housing or are manufactured 

without housing but are installed within a wall or other equipment that takes on the 

characteristics of a housing. For axial fans manufactured with a housing, guide vanes can be 

added upstream, downstream, or both. For centrifugal fans, guide vanes may be used at the inlet 

(upstream) of the housing. 

Optimization of Housing Design

Centrifugal fan housing serves to gather airflow and direct it in the desired direction. The 

housing is shaped so that the flow area increases in the direction of rotation from the cutoff to the 

outlet. Matching the width of the housing to the width of the impeller could improve efficiency, 

as a housing that is too wide allows recirculation, and housing that is too narrow may interfere 

with the inlet. 

For axial fans, the radial clearance between the blade tip and the housing can impact fan 

performance and efficiency. Optimization of the axial fan housing means ensuring that the region 

of housing enclosing the impeller is kept round so that the tip clearance will be small and 

uniform around the circumference. Axial fan capacity is a function of the tip clearance and the 

thickness of the blade. 

Variable Speed Drives 

Variable speed drives (VSDs) are control devices that can be used as a means to improve 

efficiency for fans sold with the motor that operate under variable loads. VSDs used under 

constant-load operation conditions may degrade in efficiency compared to optimally designed 

systems.

Item 5-19 DOE requests comment on whether there are compatibility issues with certain 

fans and VSDs DOE should be aware of when considering a VSD as a means to 

improve fan efficiency.

Variable Pitch Blades (Axial Fans only)

The angle at which the fan blade is fit to the impeller hub affects the way the air flows 

through the impeller. A variable pitch for axial fans allows for changes in operating conditions 

by changing the blade angle instead of using a throttling device[17]. The pressure losses from the 

impeller are believed to be much less than the losses from a throttling device; thus, the energy 

requirements to power the fan are lessened. Variable-pitch blades can be adjusted manually or 

through an automatic variable-pitch control.
36

Item 5-20 DOE welcomes comments on the preliminary technology options identified in 

this section and whether there are other technology options it should consider. In 

commenting on technology options, please discuss their impacts, if any, on safety, 

performance, and user utility.

6. SCREENING ANALYSIS

The purpose of the screening analysis is to screen out technology options that DOE will 

not consider in its potential energy conservation standard rulemaking for commercial and 

industrial fans. At the outset, DOE develops a list of technology options for consideration 

through its own research and in consultation with interested parties. Development of the list is 

based on the technologies described in section 5.3. The identified candidate technology options 

encompass all those technologies that may improve energy efficiency. 

DOE then reviews each technology option considering the following four criteria, as 

provided in sections 4(a)(4) and 5(b) of Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for 

Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products (see 

10 CFR Part 430, Subpart C, Appendix A):

1. Technological feasibility. DOE does not further consider technologies that are not 

incorporated in commercially available equipment or in working prototypes.

2. Practicability to manufacture, install, and service. If DOE determines that mass 

production of a technology in commercial equipment and reliable installation and 

servicing of the technology could not be achieved on the scale necessary to serve the 

relevant market by the time of the effective date of the standard, then it does not 

consider that technology further.

3. Adverse impacts on product or equipment utility or availability. If DOE determines 

that a technology will have a significant adverse impact on the utility of the 

equipment to significant subgroups of consumers, or result in the unavailability of 

any covered equipment type with performance characteristics (including reliability), 

features, size, capacities, and volumes that are substantially the same as equipment 

generally available in the United States at the time, it does not consider that 

technology further.

4. Adverse impacts on health or safety. If DOE determines that a technology will have 

significant adverse impacts on health or safety, it does not consider that technology 

further.

DOE will fully document the reasons for eliminating any technology options during the 

screening analysis and solicit interested parties’ comment. The remaining options, called design 

options, are considered further in the engineering analysis (section 7.)
37

Item 6-1 Are there any technologies, including those listed in section 5.3, that DOE 

should not consider because of any of the four screening criteria? If so, which 

screening criteria apply to the cited technology or technologies? 

7. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS 

After conducting the screening analysis, DOE performs an engineering analysis based on 

the remaining design options that would improve fan efficiency. This section provides an 

overview of the engineering analysis, and discusses baseline models, DOE’s proposed approach 

for determining the cost-efficiency relationship, efficiency levels, proprietary designs, and 

cumulative regulatory burdens that might affect the engineering analysis. 

7.1 Engineering Analysis Overview

The purpose of the engineering analysis is to determine the relationship between 

manufacturer selling price (MSP) and fan efficiency. In determining the cost-efficiency 

relationship, DOE estimates the increase in MSP (includes manufacturing cost and manufacturer 

markups) associated with design changes that increase fan efficiency relative to the baseline 

models. 

As a preliminary step in this analysis, DOE may determine an appropriate subset of 

representative equipment classes to analyze. DOE would extrapolate the results of this analysis 

to the remaining equipment classes. Typically, each representative equipment class would 

represent the majority of the shipments in its category. The number of representative equipment 

classes would depend on the availability of data that would allow for developing appropriate 

relationships between the engineering analysis results of the representative equipment class and 

the other equipment classes not directly analyzed. 

For each representative equipment class, DOE may analyze a subset of representative 

units. The representative units would be selected based on fan size (impeller diameter) and 

potentially a second parameter such as specific speed. Multiple representative units may be 

chosen for each equipment class, or, a single fan size would be selected and scaling factors 

derived to extrapolate the results from the selected size(s) to other sizes not directly analyzed. 

DOE may develop scaling relationships for fans by creating a model that describes efficiency as 

a function of certain parameters such as a fan’s impeller diameter and specific speed at peak 

efficiency. 
38

Item 7-1 Once DOE establishes any representative equipment classes and 

representative units, it selects a baseline model as a reference point for each 

representative unit from which to measure changes resulting from the design options. 

DOE develops separate engineering analyses for each baseline model analyzed. DOE 

intends to use fan teardowns and fan efficiency (determined from fan performance 

tests) to develop cost-efficiency relationships for the fans analyzed. DOE intends to 

develop the necessary test procedures through a test procedure rulemaking, as 

discussed in section 3.DOE welcomes inputs from interested parties on a methodology 

that would be appropriate for determining the max-tech models for each fan analyzed.

Item 7-2 DOE seeks input on the methods and approaches used by manufacturers to 

improve the efficiency of fans.

Item 7-3 DOE welcomes comment from interested parties on the best methodology for 

scaling the representative units to other fan sized within the equipment class.

For the engineering analysis, DOE examines incremental increases in the manufacturer 

selling price associated with increases in fan efficiency. For the preliminary analysis phase of the 

rulemaking, DOE intends to utilize publicly available data from manufacturer websites and 

catalogs for fans in the market to categorize relationships between efficiency and technological 

options. DOE encourages interested parties to submit test data that will improve DOE’s 

understanding of fan performance. DOE also uses this information to select representative units 

in each equipment class. DOE focuses its analyses on these representative units.

Item 7-4 DOE seeks fan test data to improve DOE’s understanding of fan performance 

to select appropriate representative units for the respective equipment classes.

DOE has two options for conducting the engineering analysis:

Option 1: Design-option approach. Report the incremental costs of adding design 

options or combinations of design options to a baseline model15. This cost 

includes but is not limited to incremental cost of changes in material, labor,

shipping, and overhead from the baseline

Option 2: Efficiency level approach. Report relative costs of achieving 

improvements in energy efficiency at incremental efficiency levels over baseline 

including those efficiency levels that include the maximum efficiency 

improvements that are technologically feasible ("max-tech"). All models of 

varying efficiency for a given representative unit should be as similar as possible 

to be comparable and ideally differ only in efficiency. 

 

15 Typically represents equipment with the lowest efficiency on the market.
39

For each representative unit, DOE identifies and evaluates commercially available fans 

that incorporate design options that improve efficiency. The engineering analysis will also 

identify the highest efficiency that is technologically feasible (i.e., the max-tech model). DOE 

may determine the max-tech model by investigating the existence of any working fan prototypes 

with higher efficiency than those commercially available. 

7.2 Engineering Analysis Methodology

DOE plans to purchase, test, and reverse engineer the representative units within each 

representative equipment class. DOE would conduct testing according to the appropriate DOE 

test procedure which is concurrently being developed (see section 3). The reverse engineering 

will include a physical teardown of the representative unit in which DOE will: disassemble and 

inventory the fan, identify the design options and technology changes used in each fan, and 

construct a bill of materials (BOM) and labor cost estimate for each fan. 

DOE may supplement the findings from its tests and teardowns through: (1) a review of 

data collected from manufacturers about prices, efficiencies, and other features of various fan 

models, and (2) interviews with manufacturers about the techniques and associated costs used to 

improve efficiency. In addition, DOE will use the cost data generated by the engineering analysis 

in the manufacturer impact analysis (see section 14). If possible, DOE will then aggregate the 

cost numbers by weighing individual data points by company-level sales volumes for each 

equipment class.

A cost model will be developed as part of the engineering analysis. The cost model will 

use the BOM generated from either a design-option or an efficiency level approach to estimate 

the equipment costs (i.e. MSP) for each representative unit at each efficiency level considered. 

The cost model would also assess the conversion costs (e.g., tooling, research and development, 

machinery) that a manufacturer would need to invest for producing a more efficient product. 

DOE typically only considers equipment costs in the engineering analysis and all 

conversion costs are accounted for in the manufacturer impact analysis (see section 14). 

However, DOE understands that many efficiency improvements are the result of re-design to 

improve a fan’s aerodynamic characteristics and therefore may not be apparent in a BOM and 

reflected in the equipment costs. Therefore, DOE may consider adding some of the conversion 

costs to the equipment costs when developing cost efficiency curves in the engineering analysis.

The structure/classification of the manufacturing cost/price follows the traditional 

manufacturing process and includes:

1) Equipment Costs (i.e. MSP): Recurring costs associated with manufacturing.

a. Full production cost (i.e. MPC), i.e., direct labor, direct material, overhead 

(Indirect labor, indirect material, maintenance, depreciation, taxes, insurance 

related to assets).

b. Non-production cost (used to generate MSP), i.e., selling (market research, 

advertizing, point-of-sale (POS) promotion, sales person compensation and travel, 

logistics such as warehousing, delivery, record keeping), general and 

administration (costs for service and staff units, general corporate costs such as 
40

compensation, etc.), research and development (R&D) (costs associated with 

efforts to find new or improved products or production processes) and interest 

(costs of borrowing funds). DOE typically uses manufacturer markups calculated

from publicly available financial information (e.g., Securities and Exchange 

Commission 10-K reports) to account for non-production costs.

2) Conversion Costs: Investments used to bring production facilities and equipment 

designs in compliance with the new regulation.

a. Equipment conversion costs, i.e., investments in research, development, testing, 

and marketing focused on making equipment designs comply with the new 

standard.

b. Capital conversion costs, i.e., investments in property, plant, and equipment to 

adapt or change existing production facilities so that the new equipment designs 

can be fabricated and assembled.

c. Stranded assets, i.e., equipment or tooling that become obsolete as a result of new 

regulation.

DOE intends to consider three production scenarios when developing manufacturing 

production cost estimates: (1) an average volume to represent the average sized manufacturer 

with levels of production that are average for the industry; (2) a high volume to represent those 

manufacturers with high levels of production, resulting in large purchasing power and lower 

MPC; and (3) a low volume to represent those manufacturers with low levels of production, 

resulting in limited purchasing power and higher MPC. For the analysis, DOE plans to utilize 

these scenarios to develop a single "weighted average scenario" which would be representative 

of the typical volume of sales.

Manufacturer cost information should reflect the variability in baseline models, design 

strategies, and cost structures that exist among manufacturers. If necessary, DOE will qualify any 

aggregated cost-efficiency data using information obtained through follow-ups with 

manufacturers. These interviews will provide a deeper understanding of the various 

combinations of technologies used to increase fan efficiency, as well as their associated 

manufacturing costs.

DOE will estimate the contribution of the depreciation of conversion capital expenditures 

to the incremental overhead. During the interviews with manufacturers, DOE will gather 

information about the capital expenditures needed to increase the efficiency of baseline models 

to various efficiency levels (i.e., conversion expenditures by efficiency). DOE will also gather 

information about the depreciation method(s) used to expense the conversion expenditures.

The proposed approach will enable DOE to characterize the cost-efficiency relationship 

for fans across the entire efficiency range for all equipment classes. DOE will maintain the 

confidentiality of proprietary data while allowing the public to examine the cost and design 

assumptions that underlie the cost-efficiency estimates.
41

Item 7-5 For each equipment class, DOE welcomes comment on methods and 

approaches that DOE intends to employ to determine potential fan efficiency 

improvements. Detailed information on fan performance and the incremental 

manufacturing costs (e.g., material costs,16 labor costs,17 overhead costs18, building 

conversion capital expenditures, tooling/equipment conversion capital expenditures 

associated with more efficient designs, research and development (R&D) expenses, 

and marketing expenses) would be useful. 

Item 7-6 DOE welcomes comment on the markup approach proposed for developing 

estimates of manufacturer selling prices. 

Item 7-7 DOE welcomes comment on the proposed approach to determine the 

relationship between manufacturer selling prices and fan efficiency.

Item 7-8 DOE welcomes comment on the conversion costs required to improve the 

efficiency of the fans to various levels, as well as what portion of these costs would be 

passed on to the consumer.

7.2.1 Representative Unit Selection Methodology

The proposed fan equipment classes cover a range of fan designs and allow for a wide 

range of fan sizes. To evaluate the efficiency and design of a variety of fans within an equipment 

class, specific speed at a single fan size, or over a small range of sizes, would be used in the 

selection process. The specific speed parameter would be used to confirm that the selected fans 

are of a similar design. 

A fan’s peak efficiency has a non-linear relationship with fan size[9, 18]. This 

phenomenon is due to the Reynolds number effect. Reynolds number is a value used to describe 

different flow regimes (low Reynolds numbers represent a laminar (smooth) flow, large 

Reynolds numbers represent turbulent flow). Small fans have greater losses due to the Reynolds 

number effect causing them to be less efficient than geometrically identical, larger diameter, 

fans.

 

16 Direct material costs are the costs of raw materials such as steel, and also include scrap metal that can be 

traced to final or end equipment. Direct material costs do not include indirect material costs, which are attributed to 

supplies that may be used in the production process, but are not assigned to final pieces of equipment (e.g., 

lubricating oil for production machinery).

17 Labor costs are the earnings of workers who assemble parts into a finished good or operate machines in 

the production process. Direct labor costs include the fringe benefits of direct laborers such as group health care, as 

well as overtime pay. Direct labor costs do not include indirect labor, which is defined as the earnings of employees 

who do not work directly in assembling a piece of equipment—such as supervisors, janitors, stockroom personnel, 

inspectors, and forklift operators.

18 Factory overhead excludes depreciation, but includes indirect labor, downtime, set-up costs, indirect 

material, expendable tools, maintenance, property taxes, insurance on assets, and utility costs. Factory overhead 

does not include selling, general, and administrative costs (SG&A), R&D, interest, or profit (which DOE accounts 

for separately).
42

Data gathered from manufacturer literature indicates that above a certain fan size 

(approximately 30 inches), peak total efficiency is generally constant. Therefore, Reynolds 

number is no longer a sensitive efficiency parameter. DOE plans to narrow representative unit 

selections for each equipment class by identifying the fan size (or size range) with the greatest 

frequency of fan models.19 DOE will then evaluate the range of specific speeds within the data 

set and select fans near the same specific speed. Additionally, for several equipment classes, 

DOE is considering testing fans from one of the selected fan series at both larger and smaller 

sizes to develop a size-efficiency scaling relationship.

Item 7-9 DOE requests comment on limiting representative unit selection to fan size(s) 

that include the most available units.

Item 7-10 DOE requests comment on the selection of additional fans at both larger and 

smaller sizes to determine a fan size-efficiency scaling relationship. DOE requests 

comment on the number of additional fans to test to develop the size-efficiency scaling 

relationship.

After a size (or size range) is established, the entire set of fan models will be assessed to 

determine bottom-of-market, average-of-market, and top-of-market efficiency levels. Since there 

are no current efficiency standards for commercial and industrial fans, DOE plans to determine 

the bottom-of-market efficiency level by selecting the lowest efficiency model in the data set. A 

similar process would be performed to select the top-of-market efficiency level. An average-ofmarket efficiency level may be determined by averaging the efficiencies for the sample set and 

choosing a unit of that efficiency.

Item 7-11 DOE requests comment on the method of using fan unit efficiencies as the 

basis for determining efficiency levels.

7.3 Baseline Models

Once DOE establishes the representative units for the equipment classes, it selects a 

baseline model as a reference point from which to measure changes resulting from the design 

options. The baseline efficiency level may be higher than the bottom-of-market efficiency as it is 

representative of the lowest efficiency level at which the majority of fans are being purchased in 

the market.

To analyze technology options for energy efficiency improvements, DOE will define a 

representative baseline model for each representative unit. The baseline model should represent 

the characteristics of fans in a given equipment class used in common commercial or industrial 

applications. Typically, the baseline model would be a model that just meets current energy 

 

19 Data source for fan information used in representative model selection and efficiency level 

determination(s) is publicly available performance data from manufacturer catalogs and fan selection software.
43

conservation standards; however, energy conservation standards for fans do not exist. As a result, 

DOE will evaluate selection of the baseline model at the bottom-of-market efficiency level or 

[can we describe what this is rather than just saying “higher”?]. Selection of the baseline model 

for each representative unit will encompass consideration of fan features and performance 

characteristics, such as a fan’s impeller type. Should DOE determine that additional 

representative units are warranted, DOE would develop baseline efficiency levels for these 

representative units.

Item 7-12 DOE seeks comment on the selection, appropriate features, and performance 

characteristics of baseline models for each equipment class. Specifically, DOE 

requests comment on choosing the least efficient fan design as the baseline model for 

the equipment class. DOE will define the characteristics of the proposed baseline 

models based on comments from interested parties in addition to DOE's analysis.

7.4 Proprietary Designs

DOE will consider in its engineering and economic analyses all design options that are 

commercially available or present in a working prototype, including proprietary designs and 

technologies. However, DOE will consider a proprietary design in the subsequent analyses only 

if the achieved efficiency level can also be reached using other non-proprietary design options. 

If the proprietary design is the only approach available to achieve a given efficiency level, then 

DOE will reject that efficiency level, as the analytical results would appear to favor one 

manufacturer over others.

DOE is sensitive to manufacturer concerns regarding proprietary designs and will make 

provisions to maintain the confidentiality of proprietary data submitted by manufacturers or 

discussed during manufacturer interviews. Materials provided to Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory (LBNL) or Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NCI), DOE contractors for this rulemaking, 

are generally subject to the terms of the applicable agreement under which those materials are 

submitted. In the case of materials provided to LBNL or NCI in the context of a DOE 

rulemaking and subject to a non-disclosure agreement, those materials are generally not shared 

with DOE, apart from aggregated data that do not identify particular submitters. These materials 

may also be subject to a variety of laws and regulations governing the disclosure of Federal 

agency information. Information submitted to DOE will be protected in accordance with all 

applicable federal laws, rules, or regulations, including but not limited to the Trade Secrets Act, 

18 U.S.C. §1905, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. §552, and DOE's 

implementing regulations at 10 CFR 1004.

Item 7-13 DOE welcomes comment on whether there are proprietary designs it should 

consider for any of the fan designs under consideration in this rulemaking and, if so, 

how DOE should acquire the cost data necessary for evaluating these designs.
44

7.5 Efficiency Levels 

For each of the representative units, DOE will undertake analyses to determine potential 

efficiency levels and seek to develop incremental cost data at each of these levels. 

To establish the efficiency levels DOE intends to consider, DOE will analyze the design 

changes and costs associated with improving fan efficiency from the baseline through the maxtech model. This will include considering the design options identified in the screening analysis. 

DOE also intends to collect fan efficiency data from various manufacturer catalogs to establish 

the range of efficiencies currently available on the market. DOE will also use these data to 

categorize relationships between efficiency and technological options where the technological 

options used can be identified.

DOE notes that some of the design options that have met the screening criteria (i.e., 

passed the screening analysis) may be working prototypes that are not yet commercially 

available and, therefore, would not be found in today’s available maximum efficiency 

equipment. DOE seeks input from interested parties to determine appropriate max-tech 

efficiency levels. (42 U.S.C. § 6295(p)(2)) 

Item 7-14 DOE seeks input from interested parties regarding the range of efficiency 

levels that should be examined as part of its analysis.

Item 7-15 DOE requests comment on whether manufacturers generally do not offer fans 

of varying efficiencies that meet the same duty requirement.

7.6 Outside Regulatory Changes Affecting the Engineering Analysis

In conducting an engineering analysis, DOE takes into consideration the effects of other 

DOE energy conservation standards and regulatory changes outside DOE’s statutory energy 

conservation standards rulemaking process that can impact the manufacturers of the covered 

equipment. Some regulatory changes can also affect the efficiency or energy consumption of the 

fans covered in this rulemaking. DOE will attempt to identify all such outside engineering issues 

that could impact the engineering analysis. The consideration of these issues is closely related to 

the cumulative regulatory burden assessment that DOE will carry out as part of the manufacturer 

impact analysis (see section 14).

Item 7-16 DOE welcomes comment on whether there are outside regulatory changes that 

DOE should consider in its engineering analysis of fans.

8. MARKUPS ANALYSIS

DOE uses manufacturer-to-user markups to convert the manufacturer selling price 

estimates from the engineering analysis to user prices, which are then used in the LCC and PBP. 

End-user prices are needed for the baseline efficiency level and all other efficiency levels under 
45

consideration to estimate user costs and benefits as a result of energy conservation standards. 

DOE will obtain these end-user prices by applying manufacturer-to-user markups (consisting of 

distribution channel markups and sales tax) to the manufacturer selling price estimates. 

To develop markups, DOE must identify distribution channels (i.e., how the equipment is 

distributed from the manufacturer to the user). Once it establishes proper distribution channels 

for each of the equipment classes, DOE will rely primarily on economic census data from the 

U.S. Census Bureau and input from the industry to estimate how equipment is marked up in the 

distribution chain from the manufacturer to the user. DOE may also consider examining whether 

end-user price data can be used to characterize overall manufacturer-to-user markups. 

The following subsections summarize DOE’s approach for developing markups for the 

preliminary analysis of commercial and industrial fans.

8.1 Market Participants and Distribution Channels

DOE’s review of information for commercial and industrial fan distribution channels 

indicates that fan manufacturers sell most fans through: OEMs and specialized distributors or 

dealers representing the manufacturer. It is likely that fan manufacturers also sell directly to large 

end-users and, possibly to a lesser degree, to large mechanical contractors. However, DOE 

believes that shares of direct end-user sales through the National Accounts and large mechanical 

contractor channels are low compared to the OEM and distributor channel shares. 

Figure 2 shows the likely distribution channels for commercial and industrial fans. In the 

OEM channel (labeled A in the figure), fans purchased by OEMs from the manufacturer may be 

included in air-handling unit20 or shipped within the scope of project supplies for industrial 

projects. In the Distributor channels (labeled B and C), equipment inventory for sale is either 

maintained at the distributor’s premises or the ordered items are procured by the distributor on 

user orders. The distributors may sell equipment through a mechanical contractor (distributor 

channel-B), or directly to the user (distributor channel-C). For the direct end-user (labeled 

channel-D), the distributing companies are identified as manufacturer representatives in 

manufacturer websites. If these companies do not actually sell equipment, but provide only user 

support and technical assistance, then they earn commissions paid by the manufacturers, and 

there may not be any markup from the manufacturer representatives. In Figure 2, any distribution 

channel that is different from the channels described above (channels A through D) is labeled as 

channel E. 

 

20 DOE is only considering fans that are not a component of other equipment for which DOE has already 

established standards.
46

Item 8-1 DOE requests information regarding the functioning of the manufacturer 

representatives/distributors for different equipment classes and market segments.

8.1.1 OEM Market Segments (OEM Channel A)

Based on the comments received from interested parties during the Notice of Proposed 

Determination of Coverage and preliminary market assessment, DOE has identified the 

following OEM market segments where commercial and industrial fans are components 

integrated in the systems manufactured by OEM manufacturers:

commercial air-handler units

cooling tower manufacturers 

pneumatic conveying equipment manufacturers (coal, grain, pharmaceuticals, cement, 

insulation and others)

industrial boiler manufacturers

The above is a preliminary list of identified OEM market segments where the fans are 

first sold to the OEMs, who add their mark-ups, and then sell either directly to the user or 

through distributor channels. 

Item 8-2 DOE requests information on other OEM market segments, and the 

downstream distributor channel, if any. 

8.1.2 Distributor Channel—Market Segments (Distributor Channels B and C)

During the Notice of Proposed Determination of Coverage, the Joint Commenters

pointed out the following major application segments for fans:

Fans for HVAC systems in commercial buildings: These include the main fans of the airhandling units, return air fans, and exhaust fans. The distribution channel for this market 

Manufacturer  OEM  OEM Product Distributor  User (OEM Channel-A)

Manufacturer  Distributor  Contractor  User (Distributor Channel -B)

Manufacturer  Distributor  User (Distributor Channel-C) 

Manufacturer   User (Direct End-User Channel-D)

Manufacturer  Other  User (Channel-E)

Manufacturer 

Representatives

Figure 2. Commercial and Industrial Fan Distribution Channels
47

segment is through the air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment distributors who are 

usually members of Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors 

International (HARDI).

Fans for ventilation and evaporative cooling in the poultry and livestock industry: These 

are distributed by poultry and livestock equipment dealers.

Commercial kitchen exhaust fan hoods: These are distributed by food service equipment 

dealers. DOE has identified the Food Equipment Dealers Association (FEDA) and the 

National Association of Food Equipment Dealers (NAFED) as the representative trade 

associations representing their interests. 

In a related comment, the CA IOUs also identified the above as "commodity" products. 

The above is a preliminary list of identified market segments where the equipment is sold 

through different distributor channels. DOE is independently attempting to identify the highvolume market segments for fans and the associated distribution channels. DOE is also seeking 

to confirm the segments already identified by interested parties. 

Item 8-3 DOE requests comments on the applications and market segments identified by 

interested parties and information on other market segments, including their 

corresponding distributor channel(s) and the trade association(s) representing the 

distributors. 

8.1.3 Distribution Channel Shares

DOE requests comments and additional information on the appropriate way to establish 

distribution channel percentages across equipment classes and application (market) segments for 

the current rulemaking. 

In particular, DOE seeks information on the percentage, by equipment category (i.e., 

axial housed fans, axial unhoused fans, centrifugal clean air unhoused fans, centrifugal clean air 

housed fans, centrifugal dust air housed fans, centrifugal material handling housed fans, housed 

cross flow fans, blowers, safety fans, and mixed flow fans) and application segment (i.e., 

ventilation, agriculture, exhaust, and any other applications), of OEM sales, distributor sales, 

direct sales, and other sales. DOE seeks this information over the total market. 

Item 8-4 DOE requests information on the proposed distribution channels and the share 

of industry shipments expected for each distribution channel for the commercial and 

industrial fans covered under this rulemaking in terms of either each specific 

equipment class in 5.2 or the broader equipment categories described above.

8.2 Estimating Markups

DOE intends to develop baseline and incremental markups for commercial and industrial 

fans. Baseline markups are cost multipliers applied to the manufacturer sales price (MSP) of 
48

baseline equipment, while the incremental markups are cost multipliers applied to the 

incremental cost change in the MSP of the higher-efficiency equipment. Through the markup 

analysis, DOE will generate end-user prices for each equipment efficiency level that DOE 

considers. DOE’s approach for estimating the mark-up multipliers will depend on the specific 

distribution channel traced by the equipment (from the manufacturer to the end-user). 

For the distribution channels, DOE will use such data sources as the U.S. Census Bureau 

Economic Census reports, and, if available, member aggregate profit analysis reports from the 

respective trade associations to estimate the markup percentages. For estimating general 

contractor markups, DOE proposes to use the U.S. Census Bureau data for Commercial and 

Institutional Building Construction.

For the OEM channel, DOE will first estimate the OEM’s markup using either public 

domain data from a representative sample of manufacturers or economic census data from the 

U.S. Census Bureau for specific industry groups. In determining the final end-user price, the 

distributors’ mark-ups (as multipliers or factors) for the OEM equipment incorporating the fans 

will be estimated using the approach described previously.

For the direct end-user channels, DOE will estimate the markup percentage based on 

information provided by the manufacturers on differences in the end-user price and the 

distributor prices. 

For the appropriate sales tax markup, population-weighted average tax data will be based 

on the Sales Tax Clearinghouse and U.S. Census Bureau. DOE may consider adding shipping 

costs to the markups or have them included in the manufacturer’s selling price, as appropriate. 

Item 8-5 DOE seeks comment on other sources of relevant data that could be used to 

characterize markups for commercial and industrial fans.

Item 8-6 DOE requests feedback on its proposal to use incremental distribution channel 

markups for the LCC analysis.

Item 8-7 DOE seeks comment on appropriate transportation and shipping costs to 

include in the analysis and whether those costs are likely to vary for higher-efficiency 

equipment.

9. ENERGY USE AND END-USE LOAD PROFILE CHARACTERIZATION

The purpose of the energy-use and end-use load profile characterization is to identify 

how fans are actually operated by users and to determine the energy savings potential of more 

efficient designs in the field. The results of this analysis are used as inputs to the LCC, PBP, 

NIA, and other downstream analyses.
49

9.1 Overview

DOE will estimate annual energy consumption (AEC) for baseline and higher-efficiency 

designs using use the load profiles developed for each application. Energy savings will then be 

calculated in the life cycle cost and payback period analysis discussed in section 10. 

In the context of this document, DOE uses the term ‘load profile’ to represent the 

temporal variation of the useful output from the fan at the point of fan exit—that is, the variation 

in delivered air horsepower over the usage cycle, relative to a predetermined fixed output, which 

may be the "design", "peak", or other well-defined useful output point for the fan. Thus, the load 

profile represents the time variability in the ratio of the actual air horsepower output to a 

predetermined fixed output. 

For most fans, the end-use load profiles are expected to be highly variable across 

equipment classes and applications. If there is little variation in the fan total pressure and the 

delivery airflow volume of the fan over the period of usage, only the number of annual operating 

hours needs to be determined to estimate the AEC. For example, DOE expects this situation to be 

typical of most commercial kitchen exhaust fan applications—a high-volume market segment. 

On the other hand, an air-handler fan in a commercial building HVAC application would have 

constantly changing airflow rates and total pressure variation throughout the year. The annual 

energy consumption in this case would be based on a summation of the number of hours run in 

specific flow rate and total pressure bins and the corresponding hourly energy consumption in 

each bin. A related issue is how a fan is sized to an application. From an energy efficiency 

standpoint, optimally sized fans would all be selected to provide their peak efficiency for each 

application. In practice, however, DOE recognizes that the use of discrete fan designs and sizes, 

as well as practical application constraints, results in many, if not most, fans typically operating 

at points other than their peak efficiency. 

The useful work done by any fan will vary widely across a range of possible applications. 

The energy used by the fan in producing useful work equals the flow energy transferred to the 

media plus all energy losses associated with the fan system (including the fan, the motor, and the 

transmission system). DOE intends this analysis to capture and estimate energy consumption in 

the field for a variety of applications. For applications not specifically considered, DOE would 

apply a generic load profile for the equipment class. 

DOE will consider developing statistical models describing the expected range of duty 

profiles for fans in different applications. DOE will also consider whether the model parameters 

should vary with the fan equipment class or capacity. DOE intends to use manufacturer 

performance data and fan similarity laws to determine the energy use of a fan under the expected 

deviation from peak efficiency. This approach would provide a statistical distribution of AEC 

values for each fan type and application for use in the LCC and payback period analysis (section 

10).

Item 9-1 DOE requests input and recommendations for identifying high sales volume 

and large installed base market segments corresponding to specific industries and 

specific applications for which the fan equipment may have similar load profiles.
50

Item 9-2 DOE welcomes recommendations on sources of data or analysis methods that 

would provide end-use load profiles for each of the commercial and industrial fans in 

the different market segments.

Item 9-3 DOE requests input on ways to characterize fan sizing and selection practices 

for different equipment classes and applications and to help define the design or peak 

fan load for the purpose of generating normalized load profiles. For example, one 

question is whether load profiles should reflect normalization to the delivered air 

horsepower at the peak efficiency of the fan (at a given fan size and speed).

Item 9-4 DOE welcomes comment on methods for determining generic (non-market 

segment specific) load profiles for fan equipment classes considered in this 

rulemaking.

Item 9-5 DOE welcomes comment on the current penetration level of variable-speed 

drives in the installed base of products or applications for each of the equipment 

classes considered in this rulemaking.

9.2 Analytical Approach

Because series-produced fans cover a wide range of fan diameters, DOE will estimate the 

energy savings for an equipment class based on the calculated energy saving potential for 

improved efficiency designs for each representative unit. For each analyzed representative unit, 

the starting point for the annual energy consumption calculation will be the fan performance and 

power curves developed in the engineering analysis for a range of operating points at the 

maximum speed. DOE will estimate the average annual energy consumption for each 

representative unit in a given application by using the following formula:

Equation 1 

Where:

AEC = annual energy consumption (kWh)

 = air horsepower at the operating point i

Ni = operating hours at the operating point i

ηOverall =ηF × ηT × ηM × ηC at the operating point i

ηF = fan efficiency

ηT = transmission efficiency

ηM = motor efficiency

ηC = control system efficiency

The air horsepower (HFan) is based on the actual operating point of the fan on the fan 

performance curve. For a given application in an equipment class, and for each equipment class 

All operating po s

i

i i

Hfan overall N

HP

kW AEC

_ _ int

1

0.746 ( / )
51

overall, DOE requests information and data sources useful for determining each of the factors 

described above.

Item 9-6 DOE requests comment and recommendations on the number of analyzed sizes 

to be selected for each equipment class.

Item 9-7 DOE requests comment and recommendations on the range of and number of 

fan rotation speeds over which the analysis should be carried out for different 

equipment classes.

Item 9-8 DOE requests information on current industry practices and recommendations 

on the selection of representative operating points for a given rotational speed. DOE 

welcomes comment on whether the analysis should be extended to a range of 

operating points away from the peak efficiency.

Item 9-9 DOE requests comment and estimates to establish the mean value and the 

ranges of likely values for motor, transmission, and motor control efficiencies.

10. LIFE-CYCLE COST AND PAYBACK PERIOD ANALYSIS

The effects of energy conservation standards on users include a change in operating 

expense (usually decreased) and a change in purchase price (usually increased). DOE analyzes 

the net effect on users by calculating the LCC and PBP using the engineering performance data, 

equipment prices, and the energy-use and end-use load characterization data. Inputs to the LCC 

calculation include the cost to the user of the installed equipment (purchase price plus installation 

cost), operating expenses (energy expenses and, if applicable, repair costs and maintenance 

costs), the lifetime of the equipment, and a discount rate. 

10.1 Approach for Conducting the Life-Cycle Cost and Payback Period Analysis

DOE plans to conduct an LCC and PBP analysis for each of the representative units 

within each representative equipment class. DOE conducts the LCC and PBP analysis by 

modeling both the uncertainty and variability in the inputs using a Monte Carlo simulation 

method and probability distributions to characterize the inputs. The Monte Carlo approach 

identifies the percentage of consumers benefiting from and being burdened by a potential 

standard. 

DOE develops an LCC and PBP model that incorporates both Monte Carlo simulation 

and probability distributions by using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets combined with Crystal Ball 

(a commercially available add-in program). Each Monte Carlo simulation would typically consist 

of 10,00021 LCC and PBP calculations. The model would perform each calculation using input 

values sampled from probability distributions or characterized with single point values. The 

 

21 DOE typically chooses 10,000 iterations to ensure consistency of the LCC results.
52

analysis results would be a distribution of 10,000 data points showing the range of LCC savings 

and PBPs for a given efficiency level relative to the base case. 

DOE expects to use probability distributions to characterize some of the operating cost 

inputs to the LCC and PBP analysis, including equipment lifetime and consumer discount rates. 

Depending on the available data, DOE expects to use point values to characterize the other LCC 

inputs, such as the manufacturer markup. 

To estimate the percentage of users that would be affected by a particular standard level, 

DOE takes into account the distribution of equipment efficiencies expected for the compliance 

year. In other words, rather than analyzing the impacts of a particular standard level assuming 

that all users are currently purchasing equipment at the baseline level, DOE conducts the analysis 

by taking into account the full range of equipment efficiencies that users purchase under the base 

case (i.e., the case without new energy efficiency standards). By accounting for users who 

already purchase more-efficient equipment, DOE avoids overstating the potential benefits from 

standards. DOE determines the LCC and PBP for a particular standard level relative to the base 

case distribution of equipment efficiencies. For example, in performing an iteration of the Monte 

Carlo simulation for a given user, equipment efficiency will be chosen based on its probability. If 

the chosen equipment efficiency is greater than or equal to the efficiency of the standard level 

under consideration, the LCC and PBP calculation would reveal that a user is not impacted by 

the standard level. 

DOE is also required to perform an analysis to determine whether the three-year 

rebuttable presumption of economic justification applies (i.e., whether the additional cost of 

purchasing a product that meets the standard level would be less than three times the value of the 

energy savings in the first year.). (42 U.S.C. § 6295(o)(2)(B)(iii)) To determine the rebuttablepresumption PBP, DOE would determine the value of the first year’s energy savings by 

calculating the quantity of those savings in accordance with DOE’s test procedure. DOE

determines whether selected CSLs are economically justified through an analysis of the 

economic impacts of increased efficiency pursuant to section 325(o)(2)(B)(i) of EPCA. (42 

U.S.C. § 6295(o)(2)(B)(i))

The following sections discuss how DOE plans to develop key inputs to the LCC and 

PBP analysis, including (1) installation costs; (2) energy prices; (3) maintenance and repair costs; 

(3) equipment lifetime; and (4) discount rates. The other inputs to the LCC and PBP analysis—

namely, manufacturer costs, annual energy consumption, and markups for the determination of 

retail prices—have been discussed previously. The final section discusses the base case 

efficiency distribution, which accounts for expected market behavior in the absence of new 

standards.

10.2 Installation Costs

The installation cost consists of labor (including overhead) and any miscellaneous 

materials and parts. 

For fans, installation costs typically amount to from 50% to more than 100% of the 

purchase price of the fan[6]. The installation cost is determined largely by the transmission type 
53

and, less directly, by fan size. For either direct-driven or belt-driven fans, the simplest 

installation takes place when the motor is mounted by the fan manufacturer (sold as a driven 

fan). When the fan is sold as a bare shaft fan the installer aligns the fan and motor, which 

involves more time. Installation cost is not strongly related to fan capacity (rated CFM). For 

example, in general, axial fans are more compact for a given fan capacity, so installation costs 

tend to be lower than for centrifugal fans of similar capacity. 

DOE recognizes that larger, as well as more efficient, fans may be more difficult and 

expensive to install in constrained spaces or configurations. 

Item 10-1 DOE welcomes comment on the factors that impact the installation costs for 

fans and on whether installation cost increases with higher-efficiency equipment. 

10.3 Energy Prices

For fan users, DOE will survey commercial and industrial energy tariffs 22 as a means of 

establishing marginal electricity prices. 

DOE will also use data from the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey23

conducted by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to estimate building electricity use 

characteristics that impact electricity prices. If the tariff survey and EIA data demonstrate a large 

variability in electricity prices, DOE will conduct a sensitivity analysis to determine how high 

and low electricity price estimates might impact the economic feasibility of any energy 

conservation standard. DOE will use projections of national average energy prices for 

commercial and industrial users—principally from EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) from 

the most recent year available—to estimate future energy prices in its LCC analysis. To account 

for the expenses due to reactive power demand, DOE also intends to survey reactive power 

prices, principally using data from the EIA. 

Item 10-2 DOE welcomes input on the proposed methodology for estimating current and 

future electricity prices for the fans covered under this rulemaking.

10.4 Maintenance and Repair Costs

DOE will take into consideration any maintenance and repair costs for the equipment 

covered in this rulemaking. Often, small incremental changes in equipment efficiency would 

 

22

 "Energy tariffs" are the rules for calculating energy bills. DOE maintains a database of hundreds of 

tariffs that can be used to calculate incremental energy bill impacts from energy savings. See: K. Coughlin, R. 

White, C. Bolduc, D. Fisher, & G. Rosenquist, The Tariff Analysis Project: A database and analysis platform for 

electricity tariffs, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, LBNL-55680 (2006) (available at 

http://ees.ead.lbl.gov/bibliography/the_tariff_analysis_proje); and K. Coughlin, C. Bolduc, R. Van Buskirk, G. 

Rosenquist & J. E. McMahon, Tariff-based Analysis of Commercial Building Electricity Prices, Lawrence Berkeley 

National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA, LBNL-55551 (2008) (available at: 

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dv1m729.pdf).

23 Available at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/.
54

incur little or no change in repair and maintenance costs over baseline equipment. For equipment 

with significant energy efficiency improvements over the baseline, there may be increased repair 

and maintenance costs, because such equipment is more likely to incorporate technologies that 

are not widely available. 

Item 10-3 DOE invites comment on how repair costs may change for more efficient fans. 

DOE also invites comment on repair practices, how they may change for more 

efficient fans, and how energy use patterns may impact equipment repair and 

maintenance. 

10.5 Equipment Lifetime

The expected lifetime of commercial and industrial fans is highly dependent on the 

application. The operational lifetime of a fan rotating at a constant speed can be determined by 

the following formula: 

Equation 2 

Revolutions until fatigue are usually limited by the fan’s bearing. It is reported[19] that 

the basic bearing lifetime for medium-sized light duty fans is approximately 40,000 hours, 

whereas lifetime for heavy duty fans is approximately 100,000 hours. A fan operating full-time is 

estimated to run 4,000 hours per year, translating into a fan lifetime of 10-25 years. The 

RSMeans method uses an average fan lifetime of 15 years[20].

DOE will use information from catalogs and other various literature sources, as wells as 

input from the interested parties, to establish fan lifetime(s) for use in the LCC and subsequent 

analyses. DOE intends to develop a distribution of fan lifetimes that reflect equipment operation 

in different applications.

Item 10-4 DOE welcomes information that will assist in determining an appropriate 

distribution of fan lifetimes for the equipment classes covered in this rulemaking.

10.6 Discount Rates

The calculation of LCC requires the use of an appropriate discount rate for those 

commercial or industrial companies that purchase fans. DOE will derive the discount rates for 

these commercial and industrial users by estimating the capital costs for companies that purchase

fans. The cost of capital is commonly used to estimate the present value of cash flows to be 

derived from a typical company project or investment. Most companies use both debt and equity 

capital to fund investments, so the cost of capital is the weighted-average cost of equity and debt 

financing, which is referred to as the weighted-average cost of capital. 

Item 10-5 DOE welcomes input on the proposed approaches for estimating discount 

rates for fan users.
55

10.7 Base Case Efficiency

In the market assessment, DOE attempts to characterize the distribution of equipment 

efficiencies currently being sold in the marketplace. If market share efficiency data are not 

available, DOE may develop efficiency distributions based on available models and information 

from fan manufacturers and other interested parties. In the LCC and PBP analysis, DOE will 

evaluate whether the current distribution provides a reasonable approximation of the likely 

commercial and industrial fan market in the compliance year in the absence of DOE standards, or 

whether there is reason to expect improvement in efficiency as a result of market forces.

Item 10-6 DOE requests data on the efficiency distribution and welcomes comment on 

the likelihood and degree of improvement in efficiency of commercial and industrial 

fans in the next 5 to 10 years as a result of market forces or industry trends.

11. SHIPMENTS ANALYSIS

DOE’s shipment analysis requires shipment projections by equipment class to calculate 

the national impacts of standards on energy consumption, NPV, and future manufacturer cash 

flows. DOE plans to develop shipments projections based on an analysis of key market drivers 

(i.e., commercial building constructions trends, growth in industries that use fans, etc.) for the 

fans covered in this rulemaking.

DOE’s approach considers that shipments of fans are driven by the economic growth of 

commercial and industrial sectors that use this equipment and, for a fraction of the market, by the 

production growth of equipment incorporating fans. Historical data will be used to establish the 

relationship between shipments of fans and the appropriate growth index for the sector. 

DOE intends to use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an indicator of the performance 

of industrial and commercial sectors where fans are used and private fixed investment data for 

equipment incorporating fans from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic 

Analysis to characterize the production of this equipment. 

Item 11-1 DOE welcomes comment on the shipments projection methodology. DOE 

invites comments regarding the selection of appropriate economic drivers and sources 

of data for historical shipments and shipment breakdowns by equipment class.

Item 11-2 DOE requests historical shipments data for each of the considered equipment 

classes.

11.1 Standards Impacts on Shipments

DOE plans to derive standards case projections using the same data used in the 

development of the base-case projections. However, because the standards case projections take 

into account the usual increase in purchase price and the usual decrease in operating costs caused 
56

by standards, projected shipments typically deviate from the base case. The magnitude of the 

difference between the standards case and base-case shipment projections depends on the 

estimated purchase price increase, as well as the operating-cost savings from the standard. DOE 

plans to assess whether the purchase price or the operating cost will have a greater impact on 

equipment purchase decisions; therefore, standards case projections may show a change in 

shipments relative to the base case. 

DOE typically projects shipments for a 30-year period beginning in the expected 

compliance date of any standards.

Item 11-3 DOE welcomes comment on how an energy conservation standard for fans 

might impact shipments of the equipment covered in this rulemaking. 

12. NATIONAL IMPACT ANALYSIS

The National Impact Analysis (NIA) assesses the aggregate impacts of potential 

efficiency standards at the national level. Impacts that DOE will report include the national 

energy savings (NES) from potential fan standards (i.e., the cumulative incremental energy 

savings from fans efficiency standards) and the net present value (NPV) of the total user benefits.

A key component of DOE’s estimates of NES and NPV are the equipment energy 

efficiencies projected over time, for the base case (without new standards) and for each of the 

standards cases. To develop the various standards cases, DOE plans to develop market-share 

efficiency data (i.e., data on the distribution of equipment shipments by efficiency) for the fan 

equipment classes DOE is considering. To estimate the impact that standards may have in the 

year compliance becomes required; DOE has used "roll-up" and/or "shift" scenarios in its 

standards rulemakings. Under the "roll-up" scenario, DOE assumes (1) equipment efficiencies in 

the base case that do not meet the standard level under consideration would "roll up" to meet the 

new standard level; and (2) equipment shipments at efficiencies above the standard level under 

consideration would not be affected. Under the "shift" scenario, DOE retains the pattern of the 

base-case efficiency distribution but re-orients the distribution at and above the new minimum 

energy conservation standard. . After DOE establishes the average efficiency for the assumed 

effective date of a standard, it can estimate future efficiency by using the same rate of projected 

efficiency growth as for the base-case efficiency trend. 

Item 12-1 DOE requests comment on whether it should pursue a roll-up or shift 

approach for the national impact analysis.

12.2 National Energy Savings

DOE intends to calculate national fan energy consumption for each year beginning with 

the expected compliance date of any standards. It will calculate national fan energy consumption 

for the base cases and each standard level analyzed, and the energy savings will be calculated as 

the difference in energy consumption between the base case and the standards cases. DOE plans 
57

to perform this calculation through the use of a spreadsheet model that effectively accounts for 

the stock of equipment affected by standards. 24 The energy savings are measured over the entire 

lifetime of products purchased in the 30-year projection period.25

DOE has historically presented NES in terms of primary energy savings. On August 18, 

2011, DOE announced its intention to use full-fuel-cycle (FFC) measures of energy use and 

greenhouse gas and other emissions in the national impact analyses and emissions analyses 

included in future energy conservation standards rulemakings. (76 FR 51282) While DOE stated 

in that notice that it intended to use the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy 

Use in Transportation (GREET) model to conduct the analysis, it also said it would review 

alternative methods, including the use of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). After 

evaluating both models and the approaches discussed in the August 18, 2011 notice, DOE has 

determined NEMS is a more appropriate tool for this analysis. 77 FR 49701 (August 17, 2012). 

Therefore, DOE intends to use NEMS to conduct FFC analyses.

12.3 Net Present Value of User Benefits

To develop the national NPV of user benefits from potential standards, DOE must 

calculate annual energy expenditures and annual equipment expenditures for the base case and 

the standards cases. DOE calculates annual energy expenditures based on annual energy 

consumption by incorporating projected energy prices, using the projections of shipments and 

average energy efficiency described in section 11. DOE calculates annual equipment

expenditures by multiplying the price per unit by the number of projected shipments. The 

difference each year between energy bill savings and increased equipment expenditures is the net 

savings (if positive) or net costs (if negative). DOE discounts those annual values to the present 

time and sums them to obtain a NPV. According to U.S. Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) guidelines, DOE will calculate NPV using real discount rates of three percent and seven 

percent (OMB, Circular A-4: Regulatory Analysis (2003). 

13. CUSTOMER SUBGROUP ANALYSIS

The LCC analysis described in section 10 analyzes the impacts of energy conservation 

standards on all consumers of commercial and industrial fans. For the subgroup analysis, DOE 

divides consumers into subgroups, which comprise a subset of the population that is likely, for 

one reason or another, to be affected disproportionately by new or revised energy conservation 

standards (e.g., small businesses or firms that use fans in particular applications where energy 

savings are likely to be small26). The purpose of a subgroup analysis is to determine the extent of 

 

24 Several examples of NES spreadsheet models from previous rulemakings can be found on DOE’s 

website at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/. 

25 In the past DOE presented energy savings results for only the 30-year period that begins in the year of 

compliance. In the calculation of economic impacts, however, DOE considered operating cost savings measured 

over the entire lifetime of products purchased in the 30-year period. DOE has chosen to modify its presentation of 

national energy savings to be consistent with the approach used for its national economic analysis.

26 These firms differ from any fan manufacturers who may qualify as a small business under the size 

standards established by the Small Business Administration. DOE analyzes impacts to these small businesses, 
58

this disproportional impact. DOE will work with interested parties to identify any subgroups for 

this consideration and will conduct a subgroup analysis for any NOPR developed for this 

rulemaking.

Item 13-1 DOE welcomes comment on what, if any, consumer subgroups are appropriate 

in considering standards for fans.

14. MANUFACTURER IMPACT ANALYSIS

The MIA provides an assessment of the potential impacts of energy conservation 

standards on manufacturers of fans. A wide range of quantitative and qualitative effects may 

occur following the adoption of a standard that may require changes to manufacturing practices. 

DOE will identify these potential effects through interviews with manufacturers and other 

interested parties.

For any NOPR, DOE will conduct an industry-wide cash-flow analysis using the 

Government Regulatory Impact Model (GRIM), identify and analyze subgroups of 

manufacturers whose businesses vary significantly from the industry as a whole, perform a 

competitive impacts assessment, and review the cumulative regulatory burden for the industry.

This analysis will include an examination of direct employment impacts.

14.1 Sources of Information for the Manufacturer Impact Analysis

Many of the analyses described earlier provide information that DOE will use as inputs 

for the MIA. Such information includes financial parameters developed in the market assessment 

(section 5), cost data developed in the engineering analysis (section 7), and shipments 

projections (section 11). DOE will supplement this information with information gathered during 

manufacturer interviews, as discussed below.

During any preliminary analysis phase, DOE will conduct interviews with manufacturers 

to gain insight into the range of possible impacts from potential energy conservation standards. 

These interviews will coincide with preliminary technical interviews for the engineering 

analysis.

During any NOPR phase, DOE will conduct more detailed MIA interviews with 

manufacturers. The interview process plays a key role in the MIA, because it provides an 

opportunity for directly affected parties to express their views on important issues. During the 

interviews, DOE will solicit information on the possible impacts of potential standards on 

manufacturing costs, product prices, sales, direct employment (meaning employment for the 

manufacturer only), capital assets, and industry competitiveness. Both qualitative and 

quantitative information are valuable in this analysis. DOE prefers an interactive interview 

 

which would be directly impacted by any final standards DOE might establish, as required by the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (see section 14.3). 
59

process because it helps to clarify manufacturer input and provides the opportunity to identify 

additional issues.

DOE asks interview participants to identify confidential information and protects the 

confidentiality of the information provided as explained in section 7.4. DOE also asks

participants to identify any information they wish to have included in the public record, but do 

not want to have associated with their interview (thereby identifying that particular 

manufacturer). DOE incorporates this information into the public record without attribution.

DOE collates the interview results and prepare a summary of the major issues and 

outcomes. This summary becomes part of the technical support document for this rulemaking.

14.2 Industry Cash Flow Analysis

The industry cash-flow analysis will rely primarily on the GRIM. DOE uses the GRIM to 

analyze the financial impacts of new or amended energy conservation standards on the industry 

that produces the products covered by the standard.

The GRIM uses a number of factors—annual expected revenues; manufacturer costs such 

as costs of goods sold; selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs; research and 

development costs; product conversion costs; taxes; capital expenditures (both ordinary capital 

expenditures and those related to standards); and working capital requirements—to determine 

annual cash flows associated with a new standard, beginning with the announcement of the 

standard and continuing for several years after its implementation. DOE compares the results 

against base-case projections that involve no new standards. The financial impact of new 

standards is the difference between the two sets of discounted annual cash flows, or the 

differences between the base-case and standards-case industry net present values (INPV). Other 

performance metrics, such as return on invested capital, are also available from the GRIM.

DOE gathers the inputs needed for the GRIM from two primary sources: (1) the analyses 

conducted to this point; and (2) interviews with manufacturers and other interested parties. As 

discussed above, information gathered from previous analyses will include financial parameters, 

manufacturing costs, price projections, and shipment projections. Interviews with manufacturers 

and other interested parties will supplement this information.

14.3 Manufacturer Subgroup Analysis

Average industry cost values may not reveal differential impacts among fan manufacturer 

subgroups. Smaller manufacturers, niche players, and manufacturers exhibiting a cost structure 

that differs significantly from the industry average may be affected differently by standards. 

Ideally, DOE would consider the impact on every firm individually. In highly concentrated 

industries, this may be possible. In industries having numerous participants, however, DOE uses 

the results of the market and technology assessment to group manufacturers into subgroups, as 

appropriate. For commercial and industrial fans, DOE is interested in feedback about potential 

subgroups, including small businesses. DOE conducts a Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis to 

determine the impacts of any standards on small businesses consistent with the Regulatory 
60

Flexibility Act. The detailed manufacturer subgroup impact analysis will calculate cash flows 

separately for each class of manufacturer.

Item 14-1 DOE seeks comments on the subgroups of the fan equipment manufacturers 

that it should consider in a manufacturer subgroup analysis.

14.4 Competitive Impacts Assessment

EPCA directs DOE to consider any lessening of competition likely to result from the 

imposition of standards. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(V)) It further directs the Attorney General 

to determine in writing the impacts, if any, of any lessening of competition likely to result from 

standards. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(ii))

DOE gathers firm-specific financial information and impacts and report the aggregated 

impact of the amended standard on manufacturers. The competitive impacts analysis will focus 

on assessing the impacts on smaller manufacturers. DOE bases the assessment on manufacturing 

cost data and information collected from interviews with manufacturers. The manufacturer 

interviews focus on gathering information that would help in assessing asymmetrical cost 

increases to some manufacturers, increased proportion of fixed costs potentially increasing 

business risks, and potential barriers to market entry (e.g., proprietary technologies). DOE 

provides the Attorney General with a copy of any NOPR for consideration in his evaluation of 

the impact of standards on the lessening of competition. DOE publish the Attorney General’s 

letter and address any related comments in any final rule.

14.5 Cumulative Regulatory Burden

Other regulations (Federal, State, local, or international) may apply to manufacturers of 

fans covered under this rulemaking and to other equipment made by these manufacturers. 

Multiple regulations may result in a significant, cumulative regulatory burden on these 

manufacturers. DOE considers the impact on these manufacturers of multiple, product-specific 

regulatory actions. 

Item 14-2 DOE welcomes comments on other existing regulations or pending regulations 

it should consider in examining cumulative regulatory burden.

15. UTILITY IMPACT ANALYSIS

In the utility impact analysis, DOE analyzes the changes in electric installed capacity and 

generation that result for each trial standard level. The utility impact analysis uses a variant of 

EIA’s NEMS27, which is a public domain, multi-sectored, partial equilibrium model of the U.S. 

energy sector. Each year, DOE/EIA uses NEMS to produce an energy projection for the United 

 

27 For more information on NEMS, refer to the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information 

Administration documentation. A useful summary is National Energy Modeling System: An Overview 2003, 

DOE/EIA-0581(2003), (March 2003). 
61

States, the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). DOE uses a variant of this model, referred to as 

NEMS-BT,28 to account for selected utility impacts of new or amended energy conservation 

standards. DOE’s analysis consists of a comparison between model results for the most recent 

AEO Reference Case and for cases in which energy use is decremented to reflect the impact of 

potential standards. For the analysis of standards on commercial and industrial fans, DOE will 

use the version of NEMS used for the most recent AEO.

Item 15-1 DOE welcomes input from interested parties on its proposed approach to 

conduct the utility impact analysis. 

16. EMPLOYMENT IMPACT ANALYSIS

The employment impacts analysis examines indirect employment impacts from 

standards, which consist of the net jobs created or eliminated in the national economy, other than 

in the manufacturing sector being regulated, caused by: (1) reduced spending by end-consumers 

on energy; (2) reduced spending on new energy supply by the utility industry; (3) increased 

spending on new equipment to which the new standards apply; and (4) the effects of those three 

factors throughout the economy. Direct employment impacts are any changes in the number of 

employees of manufacturers of the equipment subject to standards, their suppliers, and related 

service firms. (The MIA will address the direct employment impacts, i.e., the impacts on the 

number of employees working for the manufacturers.)

One method for assessing the possible effects on the demand for labor of such shifts in 

economic activity is to compare sector employment statistics developed by the Labor 

Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS regularly publishes its estimates of the 

number of jobs per million dollars of economic activity in different sectors of the economy, as 

well as the jobs created elsewhere in the economy by this same economic activity. Data from 

BLS indicate that expenditures in the utility sector generally create fewer jobs (both directly and 

indirectly) than expenditures in other sectors of the economy.29 There are many reasons for these 

differences, including wage differences and the fact that the utility sector is more capitalintensive and less labor-intensive than other sectors. Energy conservation standards have the 

effect of reducing user utility bills. Because reduced user expenditures for energy likely lead to 

increased expenditures in other sectors of the economy, the general effect of efficiency standards 

is to shift economic activity from a less labor-intensive sector (i.e., the utility sector) to more 

labor-intensive sectors (e.g., the retail and service sectors). 

In any NOPR developed for this rulemaking, DOE plans to estimate indirect national 

employment impacts using an input/output model of the U.S. economy called Impact of Sector 

 

28 DOE/EIA approves use of the name NEMS to describe only an official version of the model without any 

modification to code or data. Because this analysis entails some minor code modifications and the model is run 

under various policy scenarios that are variations on DOE/EIA assumptions, DOE refers to it by the name NEMSBT. (BT is DOE’s Building Technologies Program, under whose aegis this work has been performed.) 

29 See Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Multipliers: A User Handbook for the Regional InputOutput Modeling System (RIMS II). Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Commerce, 1992.
62

Energy Technologies version 3.1.1 (ImSET).30 ImSET is a special-purpose version of the "U.S. 

Benchmark National Input-Output" (I–O) model, which was designed to estimate the national 

employment and income effects of energy-saving technologies. The ImSET software includes a 

computer-based I–O model having structural coefficients that characterize economic flows 

among 187 sectors most relevant to industrial, commercial, and residential building energy use. 

DOE notes that ImSET is not a general equilibrium forecasting model and understands 

the uncertainties involved in projecting employment impacts, especially changes in the later 

years of the analysis. Because ImSET does not incorporate price changes, the employment 

effects predicted by ImSET may over-estimate actual job impacts over the long run. DOE may 

consider the use of other modeling approaches for examining long-run employment impacts. 

Item 16-1 DOE welcomes comments on its proposed approach to assessing national 

employment impacts.

17. EMISSIONS ANALYSIS 

In the emissions analysis, conducted in the NOPR phase, DOE will estimate the reduction 

in power sector emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur dioxide (SO2), 

and mercury (Hg) from potential energy conservation standards for fans and blowers. In 

addition, DOE will estimate emissions impacts in production activities (extracting, processing, 

and transporting fuels) that provide the energy inputs to power plants. These are referred to as 

“upstream” emissions. Together, these emissions account for the FFC. In accordance with 

DOE’s FFC Statement of Policy (76 FR 51281 (Aug. 18, 2011)), the FFC analysis also includes 

impacts on emissions of methane (CH4)and nitrous oxide (NO2), both of which are recognized as 

greenhouse gases. 

DOE will conduct the emissions analysis using emissions factors derived from data in 

EIA’s most recent Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), supplemented by data from other sources. 

DOE developed separate emissions factors for power sector emissions and upstream emissions. 

The method that DOE used to derive emissions factors will be described in the NOPR TSD.

EIA prepares the AEO using NEMS. Each annual version of NEMS incorporates the 

projected impacts of existing air quality regulations on emissions.

SO2 emissions from affected electric generating units (EGUs) are subject to nationwide 

and regional emissions cap-and-trade programs. Title IV of the Clean Air Act sets an annual 

emissions cap on SO2 for affected EGUs in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia 

(D.C.). SO2 emissions from 28 eastern States and D.C. were also limited under the Clean Air 

Interstate Rule (CAIR, 70 FR 25162 (May 12, 2005)), which created an allowance-based trading 

program that operates along with the Title IV program. CAIR was remanded to the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of 

 

30 J. M. Roop, M. J. Scott, and R. W. Schultz, ImSET 3.1: Impact of Sector Energy Technologies, PNNL18412, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2009. Available at: 

www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-18412.pdf
63

Columbia Circuit, but it remained in effect. See North Carolina v. EPA, 550 F.3d 1176 (D.C. 

Cir. 2008); North Carolina v. EPA, 531 F.3d 896 (D.C. Cir. 2008). On July 6, 2011, EPA issued 

a replacement for CAIR, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). 76 FR 48208 (August 8, 

2011). The AEO 2012 emissions factors assume the implementation of the CSAPR.31

The attainment of emissions caps is typically flexible among EGUs and is enforced 

through the use of emissions allowances and tradable permits. Under existing EPA regulations, 

any excess SO2 emissions allowances resulting from the lower electricity demand caused by the 

adoption of an efficiency standard could be used to permit offsetting increases in SO2 emissions 

by any regulated EGU. In past rulemakings, DOE recognized that there was uncertainty about 

the effects of efficiency standards on SO2 emissions covered by the existing cap-and-trade 

system, but it concluded that negligible reductions in power sector SO2 emissions would occur as 

a result of standards.

Beginning in 2015, however, SO2 emissions will fall as a result of the Mercury and Air 

Toxics Standards (MATS) for power plants, which were announced by EPA on December 21, 

2011. 77 FR 9304 (Feb. 16, 2012). In the final MATS rule, EPA established a standard for 

hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a surrogate for acid gas hazardous air pollutants (HAP), and also 

established a standard for SO2 (a non-HAP acid gas) as an alternative equivalent surrogate 

standard for acid gas HAP. The same controls are used to reduce HAP and non-HAP acid gas; 

thus, SO2 emissions will be reduced as a result of the control technologies installed on coal-fired 

power plants to comply with the MATS requirements for acid gas. AEO 2012 assumes that, in 

order to continue operating, coal plants must have either flue gas desulfurization or dry sorbent 

injection systems installed by 2015. Both technologies, which are used to reduce acid gas 

emissions, also reduce SO2 emissions. Under the MATS, NEMS shows a reduction in SO2

emissions when electricity demand decreases (e.g., as a result of energy efficiency standards). 

Emissions will be far below the cap that would be established by CSAPR, so it is unlikely that 

excess SO2 emissions allowances resulting from the lower electricity demand would be needed 

or used to permit offsetting increases in SO2 emissions by any regulated EGU. Therefore, DOE 

believes that efficiency standards will reduce SO2 emissions in 2015 and beyond.

CSAPR established a cap on NOX emissions in the 28 eastern States and the District of 

Colombia. Energy conservation standards are expected to have little or no effect on NOX

emissions in those States covered by CSAPR because excess NOx emissions allowances resulting 

from the lower electricity demand could be used to permit offsetting increases in NOx emissions. 

However, standards would be expected to reduce NOx emissions in the States not affected by 

CSAPR, so DOE estimates NOX emissions reductions from potential standards for these States.

The MATS limit mercury emissions from power plants, but they do not include emissions 

caps and, as such, DOE’s energy conservation standards would likely reduce Hg emissions. 

 

31

 On December 30, 2011, the D.C. Circuit stayed the new rules while a panel of judges reviews them, and 

told EPA to continue administering CAIR. See EME Homer City Generation, LP v. EPA, Order, No. 11-1302, Slip 

Op. at *2 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 30, 2011). On August 21, 2012, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision to vacate CSAPR. See

EME Homer City Generation, LP v. EPA, No. 11-1302, 2012 WL 3570721 at *24 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 21, 2012). The 

court again ordered EPA to continue administering CAIR. AEO 2012 had been finalized prior to both these 

decisions, however. DOE understands that CAIR and CSAPR are similar with respect to their effect on emissions 

impacts of energy efficiency standards.
64

Power plants may emit particulates from the smoke stack, which are known as direct 

particulate matter (PM) emissions. NEMS does not account for direct PM emissions from power 

plants. DOE is investigating the possibility of using other methods to estimate reduction in PM 

emissions due to standards. The great majority of ambient PM associated with power plants is in 

the form of secondary sulfates and nitrates, which are produced at a significant distance from 

power plants by complex atmospheric chemical reactions that often involve the gaseous 

emissions of power plants, mainly SO2 and NOx. The monetary benefits that DOE estimates for 

reductions in SO2 and NOx emissions resulting from standards are in fact primarily related to the 

health benefits of reduced ambient PM. 

Item 17-1 DOE welcomes comments on its proposed approach to analyzing emissions 

impacts on potential standards for commercial and industrial fans.

18. MONETIZING CARBON DIOXIDE AND OTHER EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS

DOE plans to consider the estimated monetary benefits likely to result from the reduced 

emissions of CO2 and NOX that are expected to result from each of the standard levels 

considered.

To estimate the monetary value of benefits resulting from reduced emissions of CO2, 

DOE plans to use the most current social cost of carbon (SCC) values developed and/or agreed to 

by an interagency process. The SCC is intended to be a monetary measure of the incremental 

damage resulting from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including, but not limited to, net 

agricultural productivity loss, human health effects, property damage from sea level rise, and 

changes in ecosystem services. Any effort to quantify and to monetize the harms associated with 

climate change will raise serious questions of science, economics, and ethics. Nevertheless, with 

full regard for the limits of both quantification and monetization, the SCC can be used to provide 

estimates of the social benefits of reductions in GHG emissions. 

At the time of this notice, the most recent interagency estimates of the potential global 

benefits resulting from reduced CO2 emissions in 2010, expressed in 2010$, were $4.9, $22.3, 

$36.5, and $67.6 per metric ton avoided. For emissions reductions that occur in later years, these 

values grow in real terms over time. Additionally, the interagency group determined that a range 

of values from 7 percent to 23 percent should be used to adjust the global SCC to calculate 

domestic effects, although DOE will give preference to consideration of the global benefits of 

reducing CO2 emissions. To calculate a present value of the stream of monetary values, DOE 

will discount the values in each of the four cases using the discount rates used to obtain the SCC 

values in each case.

DOE recognizes that scientific and economic knowledge continues to evolve rapidly as to 

the contribution of CO2 and other GHG emissions to changes in the future global climate and the 

potential resulting damages to the world economy. Thus, these values are subject to change. 
65

DOE also intends to estimate the potential monetary benefit of reduced NOX emissions 

resulting from the standard levels it considers. For NOx emissions, available estimates suggest a 

very wide range of monetary values for NOx emissions, ranging from $450 to $4,623 per ton in 

2010$.32 In accordance with U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, DOE will 

conduct two calculations of the monetary benefits derived using each of the economic values 

used for NOx, using real discount rates of 3 percent and 7 percent.33

19. REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS

In the NOPR stage of this rulemaking, DOE will prepare a regulatory impact analysis that 

will address the potential for non-regulatory approaches to supplant or augment energy 

conservation standards to improve the efficiency of fans on the market. DOE recognizes that 

voluntary or other non-regulatory efforts by manufacturers, utilities, and other interested parties 

can result in substantial efficiency improvements. DOE intends to analyze the likely effects of 

non-regulatory initiatives and compare those effects with those projected to result from 

standards. DOE will attempt to base its assessment on the actual impacts of any such initiatives 

to date, but will also consider information presented regarding the impacts that any existing 

initiative might have in the future. 

If DOE proposes energy conservation standards for fans and the NOPR constitutes a 

significant regulatory action, DOE would prepare and submit to OMB for review the assessment 

of costs and benefits required under section 6(a)(3) of Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory 

Planning and Review," 58 FR 51735 (October 4, 1993).

 

32 For additional information, refer to U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, 2006 Report to Congress on the Costs and Benefits of Federal Regulations and Unfunded 

Mandates on State, Local, and Tribal Entities, Washington, DC.

33 OMB, Circular A-4: Regulatory Analysis (Sept. 17, 2003).
66

APPENDIX A – LIST OF ITEMS FOR COMMENT

Item 1-1 DOE seeks comment on whether a labeling rule would be technologically or 

economically feasible, result in a significant conservation of energy, or assist consumers in 

making purchasing decisions. .............................................................................................6

Item 1-2 DOE seeks comment on information that it should consider requiring for display on 

any prospective label, as well as factors DOE should consider regarding the size, format, 

and placement of any such label. ........................................................................................6

Item 2-1 DOE requests data on how fans are sold. Specifically DOE requests data on market 

share of fans 1) sold by themselves, 2) sold attached to or integrated with motors only, 3) 

sold attached to or integrated with both motors and VSDs, 4) sold physically separate from 

but priced together with a motor only, or 5) sold physically separate from but priced 

together with both a motor and VSD. DOE would appreciate these data by size, equipment 

category (see section 5.2.1), and application. ......................................................................7

Item 2-2 DOE requests comment on the suggested definition for cross flow fan, specifically 

regarding whether this fan is a type of centrifugal fan.........................................................8

Item 2-3 DOE requests comment on the suggested definition for blowers. ...............................9

Item 2-4 DOE requests comment on the suggested definitions for safety fans. Specifically, are 

other safety features not included in the above definition that should be included. ..............9

Item 2-5 DOE requests comment on the suggested definitions for fans and other terms listed in 

section 2.1.1. ....................................................................................................................10

Item 2-6 DOE requests comment and information on the following trends: 1) increasing 

shipments of fan-motor-transmission packages and 2) increasing shipments of direct-driven 

fans in the U.S. market. Are there any other trends in the commercial and industrial fans 

market that might influence the scope of this rulemaking that DOE should be aware of and 

are not listed here?............................................................................................................10

Item 2-7 DOE requests comment on the consideration of standards for axial fans, centrifugal 

fans, mixed flow fans, safety fans, and blowers as defined in section 2.1.1. ......................10

Item 2-8 DOE is aware of another type of fan, the contra-rotating fan, popular in the European 

Union, and requests information on this fan type; specifically, are they sold in the U.S. 

market and should be considered in the scope of coverage for the rulemaking?.................10

Item 2-9 DOE requests comment on whether establishing standards for fans defined inclusive 

of the motor transmission, and controls could increase the beneficial use of VSDs in the 

field and whether interested parties believe the benefits of such a standard would outweigh 

any negatives, such as the potential use of VSDs in applications for which it is not 

suited.DOE seeks comment on the market share of fans (by type) that would be used in 

applications that would benefit from VSDs, as well as those where use of a VSD could 

result in increased energy use. In particular, whether there are specific fan types that are 

almost always used, or alternatively, very rarely used, in applications that would benefit 

from a VSD. .....................................................................................................................12

Item 2-10 DOE requests data and information on whether fans are more often combined with 

motors, VSDs, or both by the fan manufacturer or by distributors/contractors...................12

Item 2-11 DOE requests information on how often and in what circumstances the intended 

application is known when the fan is sold. ........................................................................12
67

Item 2-12 DOE requests comment on whether standards should be considered only for fans 

with an impeller diameter less than 98 or equal to inches and whether that impeller 

diameter distinction is appropriate for all fans equipment classes being considered in this 

rulemaking. ......................................................................................................................12

Item 2-13 DOE requests comment on whether to similarly consider a minimum fan diameter 

in this rulemaking.............................................................................................................13

Item 2-14 DOE requests comment on considering standards for fans with power requirements 

between 125 W and 500 kW for this rulemaking. .............................................................13

Item 2-15 DOE requests comment on these exclusions, specifically regarding whether they 

should be applied to this rulemaking. Why or why not? Are there any other fan 

characteristics that DOE should consider as criteria for exclusion? ...................................13

Item 2-16 DOE requests comment on the percentage of fan motors estimated to be covered by 

the small and medium electric motor standards. Specifically, does the industrial plant motor 

study performed by WSU represent the commercial and industrial fan industry as a whole? 

Why or why not?..............................................................................................................14

Item 2-17 DOE seeks comment on the market share (by fan type) and applications of fans that 

are driven by equipment other than electric motors. ..........................................................14

Item 2-18 DOE requests comment on the transmission types to be considered in this 

rulemaking. ......................................................................................................................14

Item 2-19 DOE requests comment on the types of VSDs sold with fans and whether there is 

efficiency variability (and if so, to what extent) among VSDs...........................................15

Item 3-1 DOE requests comment on the use of the AMCA 210-07 test procedure as a base for 

the development of a DOE test procedure.........................................................................16

Item 3-2 DOE requests comment on for what other applications cross flow fans are used and 

the breakdown of cross flow fan use across the fans market in those applications. ............17

Item 3-3 DOE requests comment on the applicability of AMCA Standard 210-07 in 

coordination with AMCA Standard 220-05 for measuring performance of cross flow fans.

17

Item 3-4 DOE requests comment on whether air curtains must be tested for performance in use 

with a motor, or whether fan performance as recorded through AMCA 210 test methods 

would provide accurate performance estimates. ................................................................17

Item 3-5 DOE requests performance data for cross flow fans. ................................................17

Item 3-6 DOE requests comment on the ability of using a clean air only test procedure to 

determine the efficiency of fans designed for dust air or material handling applications that 

could be compared to fans not designed for handling such materials that are in the same 

equipment classes (see section 5.2 for equipment class discussion)...................................17

Item 3-7 DOE requests comment on which test configuration should be considered for each of 

the considered equipment classes......................................................................................18

Item 3-8 DOE requests comment on requiring an air straightener at the outlet for axial fans 

tested in configuration B or D...........................................................................................18

Item 3-9 DOE requests comment on the use of publicly available performance data in lieu of 

original test data. ..............................................................................................................19

Item 3-10 DOE requests fan performance data generated from AMCA 210 tests..................19

Item 3-11 DOE requests comment on the considered efficiency metric approaches. .............20
68

Item 3-12 DOE requests data and/or sources of information for developing the representative 

load profiles for each fan equipment class (see section 5.2.1 for equipment class 

discussion)........................................................................................................................21

Item 3-13 DOE specifically requests comment on the part-load airflow test points that would 

represent a typical variable load for a fan as well as how many part-load test points it 

should consider.................................................................................................................21

Item 3-14 DOE is interested in what test points, in addition to conditions at peak total 

efficiency, are appropriate for a variable load metric and how many test points should be 

included to address the complete operating range of fans with or without VSDs. ..............21

Item 3-15 DOE requests comment on an appropriate efficiency calculation to capture the 

energy efficiency impacts of VSDs. Specifically, DOE requests comment on the use of an 

input power based efficiency versus an overall peak efficiency when comparing 

efficiencies. ......................................................................................................................22

Item 3-16 DOE requests comment on the FMEG efficiency metric. .....................................22

Item 3-17 DOE requests comment on the use overall efficiency for fans sold with both motors 

and VSDs. ........................................................................................................................23

Item 3-18 DOE requests comment on the use input power based efficiency for fans sold with 

motors where VSDs are a design option to improve efficiency. ........................................23

Item 3-19 DOE requests comment on the metrics discussed above, including whether a 

weighted average metric should be developed under the third metric option. ....................24

Item 3-20 DOE recognizes that the same fan may in some cases be sold bare shaft or in 

conjunction with a motor or motor/control package. DOE seeks comment on any issues that 

may result from having different metrics for fans sold alone and fans sold with motors or 

VSDs. 24

Item 5-1 DOE requests information that would contribute to the market assessment for fans 

that would be covered in this rulemaking, especially for those equipment classes designated 

in section 5.2. Examples of information sought include current equipment features and 

efficiencies, equipment feature and efficiency trends, and historical equipment shipments 

and prices. ........................................................................................................................28

Item 5-2 DOE requests comment on the estimates of the number of U.S. fan manufacturers and 

the number of small businesses in the industry..................................................................29

Item 5-3 DOE welcomes comments on whether there are other design characteristics that 

should be considered when establishing equipment classes. ..............................................29

Item 5-4 DOE requests comment on whether the development of separate equipment classes, 

and thus separate efficiency standards, is necessary to accommodate different performance 

characteristics of fans sold bare shaft versus fans sold with the motor, transmission, and/or 

controls. ...........................................................................................................................30

Item 5-5 DOE requests comment on splitting axial fan types into housed and unhoused 

equipment classes or whether a single equipment class would sufficiently represent axial 

fan applications. ...............................................................................................................31

Item 5-6 DOE requests comment on what types of axial fan designs or characteristics are 

unique to axial-type safety fans.........................................................................................31

Item 5-7 DOE requests comment on whether there are any other commercial or industrial 

applications (beyond clean air, dust air and material handling) that should be considered 

while defining equipment classes for centrifugal fans. ......................................................31
69

Item 5-8 DOE requests comment on the considered groupings of housed centrifugal fans. 

Specifically, DOE requests comment on the use of air quality (Clean Air, Dust Air, 

Material Handling) and geometrical design descriptors for classification purposes. ..........32

Item 5-9 DOE requests comment on whether the Dust Air, Material Handling, and Cross Flow 

fan equipment classes should be split into housed and unhoused categories. .....................32

Item 5-10 DOE requests comment on setting cross flow fans as a separate equipment class 

within the centrifugal fans category. .................................................................................32

Item 5-11 DOE requests information about the specific design characteristics of cross flow 

fans. 33

Item 5-12 DOE requests comment on what types of centrifugal fan designs or characteristics 

are unique to centrifugal-type safety fans..........................................................................33

Item 5-13 DOE requests comment on setting a separate equipment class for blowers. ..........33

Item 5-14 DOE requests comment on whether there is a need of more than one blower 

equipment class to account for the differences between centrifugal and axial blowers.......33

Item 5-15 DOE requests comment on setting a separate equipment class for mixed flow fans.

33

Item 5-16 DOE requests comment on whether there are differences among mixed flow fans 

that might warrant more than one equipment class for this fan type. .................................33

Item 5-17 DOE requests comment and/or information on the effect of different materials on 

efficiency. ........................................................................................................................34

Item 5-18 DOE requests comment on whether there are other fan blade materials that should 

be included in the list above..............................................................................................35

Item 5-19 DOE requests comment on whether there are compatibility issues with certain fans 

and VSDs DOE should be aware of when considering a VSD as a means to improve fan 

efficiency. ........................................................................................................................35

Item 5-20 DOE welcomes comments on the preliminary technology options identified in this 

section and whether there are other technology options it should consider. In commenting 

on technology options, please discuss their impacts, if any, on safety, performance, and 

user utility. .......................................................................................................................36

Item 6-1 Are there any technologies, including those listed in section 5.3, that DOE should not 

consider because of any of the four screening criteria? If so, which screening criteria apply 

to the cited technology or technologies? ...........................................................................37

Item 7-1 Once DOE establishes any representative equipment classes and representative units,

it selects a baseline model as a reference point for each representative unit from which to 

measure changes resulting from the design options. DOE develops separate engineering 

analyses for each baseline model analyzed. DOE intends to use fan teardowns and fan 

efficiency (determined from fan performance tests) to develop cost-efficiency relationships 

for the fans analyzed. DOE intends to develop the necessary test procedures through a test 

procedure rulemaking, as discussed in section 3.DOE welcomes inputs from interested 

parties on a methodology that would be appropriate for determining the max-tech models 

for each fan analyzed........................................................................................................38

Item 7-2 DOE seeks input on the methods and approaches used by manufacturers to improve 

the efficiency of fans. .......................................................................................................38

Item 7-3 DOE welcomes comment from interested parties on the best methodology for scaling 

the representative units to other fan sized within the equipment class................................38
70

Item 7-4 DOE seeks fan test data to improve DOE’s understanding of fan performance to 

select appropriate representative units for the respective equipment classes. .....................38

Item 7-5 For each equipment class, DOE welcomes comment on methods and approaches that 

DOE intends to employ to determine potential fan efficiency improvements. Detailed 

information on fan performance and the incremental manufacturing costs (e.g., material 

costs, labor costs, overhead costs, building conversion capital expenditures, 

tooling/equipment conversion capital expenditures associated with more efficient designs, 

research and development (R&D) expenses, and marketing expenses) would be useful. ...41

Item 7-6 DOE welcomes comment on the markup approach proposed for developing estimates 

of manufacturer selling prices...........................................................................................41

Item 7-7 DOE welcomes comment on the proposed approach to determine the relationship 

between manufacturer selling prices and fan efficiency. ...................................................41

Item 7-8 DOE welcomes comment on the conversion costs required to improve the efficiency 

of the fans to various levels, as well as what portion of these costs would be passed on to 

the consumer. ...................................................................................................................41

Item 7-9 DOE requests comment on limiting representative unit selection to fan size(s) that 

include the most available units. .......................................................................................42

Item 7-10 DOE requests comment on the selection of additional fans at both larger and 

smaller sizes to determine a fan size-efficiency scaling relationship. DOE requests 

comment on the number of additional fans to test to develop the size-efficiency scaling 

relationship.......................................................................................................................42

Item 7-11 DOE requests comment on the method of using fan unit efficiencies as the basis for 

determining efficiency levels. ...........................................................................................42

Item 7-12 DOE seeks comment on the selection, appropriate features, and performance 

characteristics of baseline models for each equipment class. Specifically, DOE requests 

comment on choosing the least efficient fan design as the baseline model for the equipment 

class. DOE will define the characteristics of the proposed baseline models based on 

comments from interested parties in addition to DOE's analysis........................................43

Item 7-13 DOE welcomes comment on whether there are proprietary designs it should 

consider for any of the fan designs under consideration in this rulemaking and, if so, how 

DOE should acquire the cost data necessary for evaluating these designs..........................43

Item 7-14 DOE seeks input from interested parties regarding the range of efficiency levels 

that should be examined as part of its analysis. .................................................................44

Item 7-15 DOE requests comment on whether manufacturers generally do not offer fans of 

varying efficiencies that meet the same duty requirement. ................................................44

Item 7-16 DOE welcomes comment on whether there are outside regulatory changes that 

DOE should consider in its engineering analysis of fans. ..................................................44

Item 8-1 DOE requests information regarding the functioning of the manufacturer 

representatives/distributors for different equipment classes and market segments. ............46

Item 8-2 DOE requests information on other OEM market segments, and the downstream 

distributor channel, if any. ................................................................................................46

Item 8-3 DOE requests comments on the applications and market segments identified by 

interested parties and information on other market segments, including their corresponding 

distributor channel(s) and the trade association(s) representing the distributors.................47

Item 8-4 DOE requests information on the proposed distribution channels and the share of 

industry shipments expected for each distribution channel for the commercial and industrial 
71

fans covered under this rulemaking in terms of either each specific equipment clas in 5.2 or 

the broader equipment categories described above............................................................47

Item 8-5 DOE seeks comment on other sources of relevant data that could be used to 

characterize markups for commercial and industrial fans. .................................................48

Item 8-6 DOE requests feedback on its proposal to use incremental distribution channel 

markups for the LCC analysis...........................................................................................48

Item 8-7 DOE seeks comment on appropriate transportation and shipping costs to include in 

the analysis and whether those costs are likely to vary for higher-efficiency equipment....48

Item 9-1 DOE requests input and recommendations for identifying high sales volume and large 

installed base market segments corresponding to specific industries and specific 

applications for which the fan equipment may have similar load profiles. .........................49

Item 9-2 DOE welcomes recommendations on sources of data or analysis methods that would 

provide end-use load profiles for each of the commercial and industrial fans in the different 

market segments...............................................................................................................50

Item 9-3 DOE requests input on ways to characterize fan sizing and selection practices for 

different equipment classes and applications and to help define the design or peak fan load 

for the purpose of generating normalized load profiles. For example, one question is 

whether load profiles should reflect normalization to the delivered air horsepower at the 

peak efficiency of the fan (at a given fan size and speed). .................................................50

Item 9-4 DOE welcomes comment on methods for determining generic (non-market segment 

specific) load profiles for fan equipment classes considered in this rulemaking.................50

Item 9-5 DOE welcomes comment on the current penetration level of variable-speed drives in 

the installed base of products or applications for each of the equipment classes considered 

in this rulemaking.............................................................................................................50

Item 9-6 DOE requests comment and recommendations on the number of analyzed sizes to be 

selected for each equipment class. ....................................................................................51

Item 9-7 DOE requests comment and recommendations on the range of and number of fan 

rotation speeds over which the analysis should be carried out for different equipment 

classes. .............................................................................................................................51

Item 9-8 DOE requests information on current industry practices and recommendations on the 

selection of representative operating points for a given rotational speed. DOE welcomes 

comment on whether the analysis should be extended to a range of operating points away 

from the peak efficiency. ..................................................................................................51

Item 9-9 DOE requests comment and estimates to establish the mean value and the ranges of 

likely values for motor, transmission, and motor control efficiencies. ...............................51

Item 10-1 DOE welcomes comment on the factors that impact the installation costs for fans 

and on whether installation cost increases with higher-efficiency equipment. ...................53

Item 10-2 DOE welcomes input on the proposed methodology for estimating current and 

future electricity prices for the fans covered under this rulemaking. ..................................53

Item 10-3 DOE invites comment on how repair costs may change for more efficient fans. 

DOE also invites comment on repair practices, how they may change for more efficient 

fans, and how energy use patterns may impact equipment repair and maintenance............54

Item 10-4 DOE welcomes information that will assist in determining an appropriate 

distribution of fan lifetimes for the equipment classes covered in this rulemaking.............54

Item 10-5 DOE welcomes input on the proposed approaches for estimating discount rates for 

fan users. ..........................................................................................................................54
72

Item 10-6 DOE requests data on the efficiency distribution and welcomes comment on the 

likelihood and degree of improvement in efficiency of commercial and industrial fans in 

the next 5 to 10 years as a result of market forces or industry trends. ................................55

Item 11-1 DOE welcomes comment on the shipments projection methodology. DOE invites 

comments regarding the selection of appropriate economic drivers and sources of data for 

historical shipments and shipment breakdowns by equipment class. .................................55

Item 11-2 DOE requests historical shipments data for each of the considered equipment 

classes. 55

Item 11-3 DOE welcomes comment on how an energy conservation standard for fans might 

impact shipments of the equipment covered in this rulemaking.........................................56

Item 12-1 DOE requests comment on whether it should pursue a roll-up or shift approach for 

the national impact analysis. .............................................................................................56

Item 13-1 DOE welcomes comment on what, if any, consumer subgroups are appropriate in 

considering standards for fans...........................................................................................58

Item 14-1 DOE seeks comments on the subgroups of the fan equipment manufacturers that it 

should consider in a manufacturer subgroup analysis. .......................................................60

Item 14-2 DOE welcomes comments on other existing regulations or pending regulations it 

should consider in examining cumulative regulatory burden. ............................................60

Item 15-1 DOE welcomes input from interested parties on its proposed approach to conduct 

the utility impact analysis. ................................................................................................61

Item 16-1 DOE welcomes comments on its proposed approach to assessing national 

employment impacts.........................................................................................................62

Item 17-1 DOE welcomes comments on its proposed approach to analyzing emissions 

impacts on potential standards for commercial and industrial fans. ...................................64
73

REFERENCES

1. Implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 

with regard to Ecodesign Requirements for Fans Driven by Motors with an Electric Input 

Power between 125 W and 500 kW (text with EEA relevance), 2011, Official Journal of th 

e European Union. p. 21.

2. Cincinnati Fan and Ventilator Company, I. Centrifugal Blowers & Fans. March 20, 

2012]; Available from: http://www.cincinnatifan.com/centrifugal-fans-blowers.htm.

3. Verma, V.S. Energy Efficiency in Electrical Utilities: Fans and Blowers. 2005; Available 

from: http://www.emt-india.com/BEE-Exam/GuideBooks_QB.htm.

4. Duggan, M., New Fan Standard for Energy Efficiency, in Development and 

Initiatives2009, ISO Focus. p. 2.

5. Ventilation Equipment: A United States Market Overview, 2011, Industry Experts. p. 126.

6. Radgen, P. and J. Oberschmidt, EuP Lot 11: Fans for Ventialtion in Non Residential 

Buildings, 2008. p. 202.

7. Jorgensen, R., Fan Engineering; An Engineer's Handbook on Fans and Their 

Applications. 9th ed, ed. R. Jorgensen1999, Buffalo, NY: Howden Buffalo, Inc.

8. AMCA, Standard 210-07: Laboratory Methods of Testing Fans for Certified 

Aerodynamic Performance Rating, 2007: Arlington Heights, IL. p. 67.

9. AMCA, Fan Industry - Facing up to the Energy Challenges, 2009. p. 1-9.

10. ASHRAE, Standard 90.1 Energy Standards for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential 

Buildings, 2010: Atlanta, GA. p. 36.

11. ASHRAE. Proposed Addendum u to Standard 90.1-2012, Energy Standard for Buildings 

Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. 2012 07/13/2012]; Available from: 

https://osr.ashrae.org/sitepages/showdoc2.aspx/ListName/Public%20Review%20Draft%2

0Standards/ItemID/737/IsAttachment/N/90.1u+1stPPRDraft.pdf.

12. International Standard Organization, ISO 12759: Fans--Efficiency Classification for 

Fans, 2010. p. 42.

13. AMCA Comments: Docket No EERE-2011-BT-DET-0045 2011; Available from: 

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EERE-2011-BT-DET-0045-0007.

14. Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower Manufacturing Industry in the U.S. and its 

International Trade [2011 Q3 Edition], 2011: Irvine, CA. p. 163.

15. U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Data: U.S., 6-digit NAICS, detailed employment sizes. 2008; 

Available from: http://www.census.gov/econ/susb/data/download_susb2008.html.

16. Keith Blackman Centrfugal Fan Guide. 2 ed1980: London Typographical Designers 

Limited.

17. Monroe, R.C., Consider Variable Pitch Fans, Hudson Products Company. p. 13.

18. AMCA, Standard 205-10: Energy Efficiency Classification for Fans, 2010, Air 

Movement and Control Association International, Inc.: Arlington Heights, IL. p. 14.

19. Cory, W.T.W., Fans and Ventilation: A practical guide. 1 ed2005: Elsevier Science. 424.

20. RSMeans Engineering Dept. and M.J. Mossman, RSMeans Facilities Construction Cost 

Data 20112010: RSMeans Co.