Fans Help Airport Hangar Earn Platinum Certification

BURBANK, Calif. — Air is being pushed around a 60,000-square-foot LEED Platinum hangar at Bob Hope Airport by some Big Ass Fans.

Seven, 24-foot diameter Powerfoil Plus fans were installed by Big Ass Fans, a Lexington, Ky., manufacturer of ceiling fans for industrial, agricultural and commercial industries.

The design of the fan’s airfoils and wingtips lets them move vast amounts of air efficiently at slow speeds, using little energy to operate.

“We have installed Big Ass Fans in many aviation hangars across the country, but this is the first hangar to obtain a LEED Platinum certification, and points from our fans contributed to that certification,” says Carey Smith, president and CEO of Big Ass Fans. 

Aside from earning points and cooling air, the fans deter birds from entering the hangar and the constant airflow keeps floors and planes dry from condensation brought in from high altitudes, the company says.