ABB and NOVENCO target cooling’s energy waste with a turnkey fan package

• ABB and NOVENCO collaborate to scale up energy efficiency at the system level across a wide range of ventilation applications.
• The partnership combines ABB’s deep technical knowledge in electric motors and variable speed drives (VSDs) with NOVENCO’s strength in high-efficiency fans.
• Customers can now benefit from a turnkey fan package offered by ABB, gaining up to 85 percent system efficiency, enhanced reliability, and easier maintenance.

ABB is collaborating with NOVENCO, a global leader in high-efficiency fan technologies, to improve system-level energy efficiency across axial fan applications.

Fan and ventilation systems run continuously across every major industry. They rank among the highest energy consumers in any facility, yet in most operations they remain an underserved priority on the efficiency agenda.

For the first time, ABB can now offer a complete axial fan package combining the world-leading efficiency of NOVENCO’s ZerAx® fan with ABB’s IE5 permanent magnet (PM) motor and variable speed drive (VSD). With a system efficiency of up to 85 percent in a typical air handling unit (AHU) installation, the package outperforms EC (electronically commutated) and belt-driven fan alternatives.¹

At the heart of the package is NOVENCO’s ZerAx® axial fan that achieves up to 92 percent aerodynamic efficiency at the impeller, the world’s highest efficiency for an axial fan, thanks to an optimized blade design and a hub reminiscent of a jet engine. The fan is also designed for simple installation and servicing.

“At ABB, we have a long track record in advancing energy efficiency through our motors, generators, and drives portfolio,” said Erich Labuda, President, Motion Services division, ABB. “Now, this collaboration with NOVENCO enables us to take that expertise to the system level, giving customers a complete fan package where the efficiency gains are real and measurable. For businesses under pressure to deliver on their energy targets, that difference matters, and it goes straight to the bottom line.”

Long life, reliability, and serviceability

The turnkey package is designed to last for 15 to 20 years.

In addition, when an EC fan fails, its sealed, molded construction makes field repair impractical: the entire unit must be swapped. The modular architecture of the ZerAx® package - with fan, motor, and VSD as separate components - means each element can be independently upgraded, retrofitted, or replaced as needed. When the time comes to retire them, customers can capture economic and material value. For instance, motors are composed of highly recyclable materials, with no less than 98 percent recoverable through specialized processes.

Substantial energy savings, and a short payback

In a typical data center cooling application - comprising over 1,000 fans - substituting EC fans with ABB’s axial fan package will cut energy consumption by 15 to 40 percent annually, depending on the age of the installed solution. A similar efficiency opportunity exists across food & beverage, semiconductor and pharmaceutical production, buildings, and infrastructure industries, wherever ventilation systems run continuously and system-level gains translate directly into operational savings.

“In today’s world of challenging energy access and rising net-zero ambitions, energy efficiency has become a business-critical priority,” added Lars Erik Knaack, CEO, NOVENCO. “This solution demonstrates how our highly efficient fan technology, combined with advanced motors and drives, can help customers accelerate their efficiency and decarbonization efforts while strengthening profitability. With current energy costs, many fan retrofit projects can achieve a return on investment (ROI) in less than two years.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com

ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing and circular solutions for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world’s industries outrun – leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 23,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day. go.abb/motion

NOVENCO BUILDING & INDUSTRY is a global leader in high-efficiency fan technologies. Through advanced aerodynamic engineering and decades of application expertise, we help customers move more air with less energy, maximizing performance while reducing operating costs and carbon emissions. Our compact fan solutions deliver industry-leading efficiency and long service life in a compact footprint, making them ideal for demanding and mission-critical applications. Trusted in data centers, industrial facilities and buildings worldwide, NOVENCO enables customers to reduce total cost of ownership while supporting more sustainable operations. www.novenco-building.com