As we are heading into the fourth quarter of 2020, many organizations are beginning to plan their budgets for 2021. With the many challenges that business have been faced with this year, it is more important than ever to be proactive in planning your next-year investments. Planning wisely includes investments that are proven to positively impact operations and improve your bottom line. One such item is an HVLS fan.

Research Supports the Benefit of an HVLS Fan

There are several ways that an HVLS fan has been proven to provide both long- and short-term ROI for manufacturing facilities. Research ranging from NASA studies to employee injury claim records all support the potential costs that can be mitigated by the benefits of an HVLS fan. Here are four ways that a proactive HVLS fan investment can improve your bottom line. 

  1. Workplace Safety
    It is no secret that workplace safety is a key concern for all facilities. From food and beverage to distribution and warehousing, any uncontained spill can cause employee injury. Even basic condensation can be a contributor to injuries such as slips and falls. Additionally, maintaining machinery safety through accelerated clean up can reduce employee injuries. With slips, trips, and falls ranking as a top contributing factor to workplace injuries, just reducing the prospect of these accidents can affect your bottom line by avoiding any potential workers compensation claims or legal repercussions that an on-the-job injury could cause.

    An HVLS fan is proven to reduce downtime due to injury when cleaning any spills that might occur. An article by EHSToday cites that many dock owners are investing in HVLS fans. Because HVLS fans are designed to move larger volumes of air and lower speeds, they are able to deplete moisture at a higher rate. This video gives a visual example of how an HVLS fan helps with moisture control.

  2. Productivity and Accuracy Levels
    One of the most direct ways to improve your bottom line is through increased productivity and accuracy. Companies with plans in place to measure and increase their productivity levels improve quality, reduce downtime, and increase the efficiency of their facility overall. A way to do this is by placing importance on a temperate work environment. In a 2019 article published by the International Labor Organization, it is projected that by 2030 more than 2 percent of total working hours will be lost each year worldwide — partially because of decreased productivity due to heat.

    With temperature serving as a catalyst in worker productivity, finding the most cost-effective way to maintain a temperate workplace climate is a sure way to boost your revenue. This NASA study found that reducing your effective temperature through air motion on the body to below 85°, productivity and accuracy increase by 18% and 40% respectively. The volume at which an HVLS fan is able to move air consistently and slowly across the body is a cost-effective way to increase your workers’ productivity.

  3. Employee Morale
    While workplace safety and a comfortable work environment are stand-alone reasons to invest in an HVLS fan, both also come together to improve employee morale. When an employee feels valued by their employer, their commitment to excellence for the facility’s greater good also increases. Productivity remains high due to less absenteeism and encourages overall better interactions between team members.

    An additional benefit is less employee turnover. In a 2019 Gallup poll, it was found that the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. With a 2017 average turnover rate of 26 percent, it is easy to see how an HVLS investment in your employees can go a long way in providing a strong ROI.

  4. Overall Cost Efficiency
    A final reason to proactively invest in an HVLS fan is the general cost efficiency found in energy savings. For facilities that use HVAC systems, installing an HVLS fan can reduce your energy costs in both summer and winter months through air circulation and ventilation. As a ceiling fan, HVLS fans are able to circulate air throughout your facility reducing the need to increase the work your HVAC unit is required to do.

    An additional benefit found in many states is potential rebates for energy reduction. In Oregon, for example, energy incentives such as this are key to cost savings for facilities, as well as lessening the environmental footprint. These energy-efficient choices can often also help to qualify facilities for LEED certification, as well.

Putting HVLS Research to Work For You

At Hunter Industrial, we strive to make putting proven HVLS cost-savings research to work for you as painless as possible by helping you plan now for an HVLS investment in 2021. Through our lowest-first-cost-to-install guarantee and maintenance-free platform, we are able to offer you the real ROI of an HVLS fan — one that directly impacts your bottom line. 

If you’re interested in learning about how an HVLS fan could benefit your facility, we’d love to tell you more. Contact us today to get started or reach out directly at industrialinfo@hunterfan.com.