This spring and summer, a team of CBE researchers traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to launch a new and unique field study that will evaluate the benefits of fans in reducing heat stress and improving work performance in a manufacturing facility without air conditioning. This work is critical as summer temperatures are increasing every year, along with the frequency of heat waves. In addition, several real estate analysts are projecting increased growth of industrial and logistical facilities, many of which are not air conditioned.
This project was launched with support and insight from CBE’s industry consortium partners Big Ass Fans, who led the effort to identify the test site, an industrial facility operated by HVAC manufacturer NovelAire. (Both Big Ass Fans and NovelAire are among the brands from Madison Air, a major manufacturer of HVAC and air quality solutions.) Christian Taber, principal engineer for codes and standards at Big Ass Fans, notes that a key driver for the study is to better understand worker comfort, productivity and the benefits of fans. Additional goals of the study are to demonstrate improved safety from heat stress and to address common misconceptions about using fans in hot and humid conditions.
Thermal image shows surface temperatures in the Baton Rouge facility. Warmer temperatures are shown in orange and yellow.
The climate in Baton Rouge provides an ideal context for this study, which is being conducted in two phases to test a range of conditions from warm to hot. The ceiling fans will be cycled on and off according to a set schedule, allowing a comparison of the effects on workers under both conditions. The research team, led by CBE researchers Charlie Huizenga and Hui Zhang, will track environmental factors and several detailed biometric measures such as body temperature, heart rate and moisture loss through sweating. On a hot day, a person can sweat up to a quart per hour, making these measurements critical for understanding physical stress. The test subjects, employees who have volunteered to participate, will also respond to qualitative surveys about thermal comfort, heat stress symptoms, and evaluating their own work performance.
Christine Carey, director of brand and communications for Madison Air, notes that doing this study in an active manufacturing space poses challenges, but the benefits include getting credible, third-party data demonstrating the advantages of ceiling fans, which can help companies with unconditioned spaces justify the cost of installing fans. She adds that the study may help educate businesses about heat stress, support frontline worker health and safety initiatives, and contribute to bottom-line improvements through increased productivity and better workforce retention.
Local news affiliates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana have taken great interest in this research. Local TV news station WBRZ produced this video piece, interviewing factory employees, Charlie Huizenga and George Latour, NovelAire’s director of operations. Louisiana First News aired this piece. The Advocate published this description (subscription required).
This work builds on previous fruitful collaborations with Big Ass Fans, including a field study that installed smart ceiling fans and smart thermostats in affordable multi-family buildings, and testing a ‘fans-first’ strategy that provided energy savings as high as 71% and median savings of 15%. One site saved $6,000 in utility costs, a considerable amount for an affordable housing facility manager. The work also augments CBE research on heat stress that was published last year, identifying maximum safe indoor air temperatures for homes, and strategies for maintaining indoor temperatures within these limits. This work is providing guidance to support the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in its development of statewide policy recommendations.
The data collection phase of the Baton Rouge study has concluded, and the research team is currently analyzing the data and documenting the findings. Preliminary results are expected to be shared at CBE’s Industry Advisory Board Meeting in October, with the full report and a journal paper to follow. CBE wishes to acknowledge the additional researchers on the Baton Rouge field study: CBE visiting scholars Chang Liu, Ying Jiang, and intern Kevin Kim; also Glenda Anderson and James Smallcombe from the University of Sydney. Additional support was provided by Greg Haynes of NovelAire, Rupal Choksi from Madison Air, Davis Betts and David Rose of Big Ass Fans. Additional research contributors include Prof. Ollie Jay from the University of Sydney, Raagavi Mani from National University of Singapore, and Edward Arens, CBE’s founder and professor emeritus of architecture.