Almost every device has become intelligent – from lightbulbs to air conditioners. A device that might be found in most homes, however, hasn’t gotten enough smarts just yet. We’re talking about the good old ceiling fan. Crompton Greaves Consumer Electrical is a leader in the market and we spoke to Mathew Job, the company’s Executive Director, about smart fans and the evolution of fan technology.
“Right now the fans who are smart are rather simple. We believe that with the technology available today, a smart fan could learn your preferences and adapt to how hot it is outside,” says Job.
However, according to Job, the challenge is to ensure that this technology is made available to customers at an acceptable price. “If you charge 25,000 rupees for a fan, it will never work,” says Job.
The other challenge is what the word smart really means in a fan. “Currently, the smarts are at the periphery of the product, but they don’t impact the core performance of the fan,” says Job. What Crompton wants to do is use technology to make the core consumer experience smarter. “We’re not there yet, but that’s the direction we’re going,” he adds.
The market for smart fans, Job says, is very small, perhaps in the “low single-digit percentage range.” For the smart fans to be relevant, it has to be at least 5-10% of the market. “As I said, this will change the consumer experience.”
Job argues that there are very few devices that have gotten smart and transformed the consumer experience. “Turn on Alexa, do this and that’s there, but I believe we’ll find relevant consumer experiences to actually grow the market over the next 5-7 years,” he says.
Star ratings come for ceiling fans
According to Job, technology will play a crucial role in providing fans with the star ratings they expect. “We still use induction motor technology, but we had to redesign the entire fan. In addition, the manufacturing process has to become more robust in order for it to work,” he explains.
What the ratings will do is that manufacturers will constantly update the technology every two years. “What’s a two-star fan now might be a zero-star fan in two years, so the evolution of technology will play a crucial role.”
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has made it mandatory to provide star ratings for all ceiling fans. The regulation came into force from January 2023.
The BEE ensures that electrical devices comply with certain energy efficiency guidelines. Star ratings are awarded to each device based on certain test results. Based on the test results, BEE assigns star ratings to every device available on the market.
Job says that while a customer may have to pay more – nearly Rs 150 – to buy a one-star fan, they end up saving nearly Rs 850 a year.
