India’s humble ceiling fan is a hidden catalyst in the country’s energy transition

Look up, and whirring above you, more often than not, is a ceiling fan with a draught that is essential to cool off during the hot summer months. Ceiling fans are a staple in Indian households, coming in various shades, styles and sizes. Now, they also come with energy savings and the potential to reduce India’s growing electricity consumption. The ceiling fan, experts say, is a hidden catalyst in India’s energy transition that’s going unnoticed.

Ceiling fans are the second most commonly found service product in Indian households, according to the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey, with 88% of households surveyed reporting they had one. India sells around 41 million ceiling fans every year, with both urban and rural households reporting high numbers of ceiling fan ownership. Their near ubiquity also means they account for a large share in India’s residential electricity consumption – around 20%, according to some estimates.

Even though ceiling fans consume less energy than air conditioners, their sheer volume means their total annual energy consumption is “only slightly lower than the total annual energy consumption of room air conditioners,” according to a 2019 government document.

“There’s huge potential to reduce emissions and electricity consumption through replacing old fans with newer ones that are...

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