TCLynx
Ceiling fans are actually a fairly large part of figuring out comfort and air quality in a space, especially one with 20′ ceilings. I wanted to make sure that we chose fans that would operate well and be energy efficient. For the Great room (Kitchen, Living, Dining, Office) space which is the center two domes with full dome height ceilings, we will go with Large 72″ ceilings fans. Probably these 10 blade Hunter Overton fans since they include the Light fixture and are energy efficient.
So in my research I’ve learned that you want a large fan but not too large. You want the fan about 9′ off the floor if possible. Fans should be as centered in the space as possible and not too close to walls and in spaces with lower ceilings, you need to keep the fan safely away from contact with the humans who use the room. You need to choose the fan and the mounting hardware to be appropriate to your space. As in if you have a small bedroom with low ceilings, you need a flush mount or ceiling hugger and probably a smaller fan as appropriate. I also found that the small fans and the flush mount or ceiling hugger varieties don’t tend to be as energy efficient.
The most energy efficient smaller fan I found for the other rooms is a Hunter Brazos Outdoor ENERGY STAR with LED Light 52 inch We have 5 places for the smaller ceiling fans on the main floor.
I still have not decided on the type of fan or circulation for the lofts. The South Loft might be appropriate for another of those 52 inch fans however with the uncertain height clearance up in the lofts and the fact that the North Dome will have a ceiling hatch at the peak and so the fan would not be able to be centered, I may need to leave that decision until we know exactly how much headroom there is.
Other considerations when it comes to air quality and lighting include the exhaust fans for the bathrooms, laundry, and kitchen. I definitely want the exhaust fans to be sensor controlled, quiet, and having the fixture include a light is desirable for the bathrooms/laundry room. And definitely need an exhaust fan for the kitchen. Since the construction is so “tight” we will definitely need an energy recover ventilation system (with filtration since it gets so dusty with pollen around here, I definitely want to stop most of that dust before it gets into the house.) I have found a much of bathroom vent fan options that include integrated sensors or that could be hooked to sensor switches. Some of the biggest challenges I see for our construction are the limited locations to be able to place the vents to the outside without having to penetrate the dome/airform (as I would like to keep those penetrations to an absolute Minimum.)