For architects and facility designers, the new Designer-Series destratification fan system offers the best of both worlds, according to Christian Avedon, sales engineer for Longmont, Colo.-based Airius LLC.
The Designer Series delivers "the energy-saving benefits of a destratification fan system in both heating and cooling seasons" as well as "a fan design that blends inconspicuously" with the architecture of the building in which it is installed, Avedon tells New Equipment Digest.
NED: What motivated Airius to develop this product?
CA: Airius LLC developed its new Designer Series based on the proven and patented technology of the Air Pear Thermal Equalizer destratification fan system.
The Designer Series responds to requests from architects, facility engineers and other customers who wanted a more customizable design, to suit a particular space. The architects and managers especially wanted a destratification fan system that would blend in well with the can-style lighting often installed in high ceilings of commercial spaces.
The Designer Series also is offered in any custom color, including the standard off-white, as well as custom finishes or mounting options to complement any architectural design.
NED: How is this product different from similar ones on the market today?
CA: There really are no other products on the market that operate like Airius systems.
The Designer Series uses the same exclusive patented stator system as the Air Pear destratification fan, which moves warmer air from high ceilings in a tight, non-turbulent column to the cooler floor below.
The Airius Designer Series and Air Pear fan systems maximize air throw with minimal power use. With their compact shape, they can be installed tightly at the highest level of the ceiling, where it is most effective at equalizing the entire facility's temperature from ceiling to floor and wall to wall.
NED: What problems needed to be addressed during the development process?
CA: There were very few problems in the development of the Designer Series because the technology already had been developed for the Air Pear, the original Airius destratification fan system that has been tested, certified and in the market for nearly 10 years.
The Designer Series is offered in several model sizes. Models 10, 15, 25, 45, 60 and 125 generally correspond to the ceiling height at which the system will be installed. The Designer Series, in response to customer request, was engineered for higher ceilings to 100 feet, but special-request applications are available. Smaller model sizes service lower ceiling heights.
NED: How long did it take from conception to ultimate production?
CA: The Designer Series went from drawing board to manufacturing in about one year. Again, because it uses the same patented technology as the Air Pear, its development time was not drawn out.
NED: What effect did cost factors have in changing the final design of the product?
CA: The Designer Series is a U.S.-made product, designed and manufactured at Airius facilities in Longmont, Colo., where quality and cost controls are overseen throughout every step of the manufacturing process to shipping. There were not any extraordinary cost factors in the development of the Designer Series.
NED: Who is your target audience and what benefits will they achieve from using this product?
CA: The audience for the Designer Series is architects and facility designers who not only are seeking the energy-saving benefits of a destratification fan system in both heating and cooling seasons, but also want a fan design that blends inconspicuously with their building's structural look.
The Designer Series, as with the Air Pear fan system, also contributes to LEED points, so it also appeals to sustainable and green-building designers.