Commercial solutions: improving ventilation in your offices

Like many tertiary establishments, offices are seeking to improve the summer comfort of their occupants while reducing their carbon footprint. The aim is to reduce energy expenditure by at least 30% by 2035, while accelerating the development of renewable energy.
Ceiling fans offer a high-performance alternative that is easy to implement in both new build (RE2020) and renovation projects, helping to reduce discomfort while keeping energy costs and budgets under control.

We have installed our ceiling fans in many different office configurations:

Open Space.
Small individual offices (where EXHALE & SAMARAT with LED or SAMARAT without LED are very suitable).
Large volumes (where we recommend either IZFAN 152 or SAMARAT HVLS 300).

We have equipped :

Design offices and architects’ practices.
Banks (Banque de France, Crédit Agricole, UBS, etc.)
Public institutions (CPAM agencies, departmental education services).
Head offices (Air Liquide, Michelin, Helbul).

Ceiling fans: a solution for both renovation and new build projects in the commercial sector

1. What is the context?

Hot spells are becoming more frequent and longer.
Buildings designed after the Second World War, which are more suitable and create thermal discomfort (large windows, poor insulation, little solar protection, rarely optimised orientation).
Thermal discomfort = Deterioration in work performance and discomfort for occupants and visitors.
Active solutions, such as air conditioning, are not recommended to improve summer comfort, as they are too energy-intensive and involve high operating costs.
Passive solutions do exist and are effective (high-performance brise-soleil or selective glazing), but they require work on the building and are therefore relatively expensive.

2. Feedback (Rex): French primary health insurance fund (CPAM)

The CPAM (primary health insurance fund) in Haute-Savoie decided to test the Exhale and Samarat ventilators on three sites to limit summer discomfort:
- Annecy
- Annemasse
- Cluses
Different office configurations (sitting) and reception (standing).
Test period June to October 2023

Download the CPAM report

Download the Championnat de France des économies d énergie report

Exhale took part in the French Energy Saving Championship with CPAM Annecy, which finished 5th nationally!
See pages 7 and 8 of the report.
French Energy Saving Championship.

The CPAM in Haute Savoie (74) is equipped with SAMARAT HVLS 305 ceiling fans (3 metres in diameter) for its premises with high ceilings.

3. Feedback (Rex) : Proof of concept (POC) offices. Summer comfort without air conditioning by the ZEFCO design office

An office POC without air conditioning was carried out in collaboration with Exhale by the ZEFCO thermal design office, using various passive solutions: ceiling fans and hemp concrete.

3 buildings with experience in offices and meeting rooms:
- Arches citoyennes (APHP) : Victoria (Paris 4) ; Saint Martin (Paris 4)
- Métal 57 (Boulogne- Billancourt)
Test period June August, September, October 2023.

Download the ZEFCO report: summer comfort without air conditioning

4. Feedback (Rex) : Air Liquide

a. The problem for Air Liquide’s offices :

Air Liquide was looking for passive solutions for its innovation campus, offering a real alternative to air conditioning. The company was also looking for a brewer that would blend in with the architecture of the building and provide a comfortable working environment.

b. Notre solution avec les ventilateurs de plafond :

The Exhale fan solution was recommended for the following reasons:

The design: innovative and elegant, sleek spherical shape, screws, nuts and invisible fixings.
Suitable for a working environment: thanks to its unique operation, leaves and hair don’t fly around (no directional flow, unlike a conventional bladed fan). The absence of rotating blades also helps maintain people’s concentration.

Air Liquide’s Paris hub (Innovation hub) is equipped with 280 Exhale ceiling fans.

Testimonial L’Air liquide :

“Exhale ceiling fans have an elegant design. Above all, they provide real comfort, real efficiency and gentle mixing.”

5. How are our ceiling fans different?

The energy performances (especially for the Samarat with 11,887m3/h for a consumption of 43watts) are justified (targeted by a laboratory) which allows to maximise the leverage of degree hours.
The Exhale is particularly comfortable to use, with an indirect airflow that prevents leaves from flying around.
Compliance with safety standards (2.30 m under the blades in the NF EN CEI 60335-2-80 standard). Our fans are ultra-flat and provide a solution for particularly low ceilings (2m47-2m48 in real terms), a standard that is often checked by inspection bodies (Article: RE2020: What are the blade height rules?).
Service: we work hand in hand with developers and their design offices to define the ideal dimensions and layout to optimise DH and Cep, while keeping budgets under control.
Lifetime warranty (parts) on Samarat and Exhale. (engine, LED, remote, …) shows the seriousness and quality of the devices.
A French company with sales and technical support, warehousing, ceiling fan assembly, logistics (by unit or in quantity) and after-sales service are handled by available, responsive contacts.