Concordia University study suggests wearable fans can reduce office energy use

Research from Concordia University suggests that wearable neck and face fans may offer a way for office employees to maintain comfort while reducing building energy consumption. The study highlights that personal cooling devices can provide comfort levels nearly comparable to traditional desktop fans by targeting the face and neck, areas highly sensitive to temperature changes.

This approach could be particularly effective in modern hybrid work environments where large office spaces are only partially occupied. Currently, centralized HVAC systems often cool entire rooms regardless of occupancy, leading to significant energy waste. By using personal fans, workers could potentially allow building-wide air conditioning to operate at more energy-efficient settings.

To test the effectiveness, researchers used an advanced thermal manikin divided into 23 segments to simulate human heat exchange. They compared wearable face and neck fans against traditional bladed and bladeless desktop fans in a controlled 25°C (77°F) environment. While traditional bladed fans provided the strongest cooling, the wearable devices performed impressively, with cooling effects similar to bladeless desktop models.