Schools are fans of new-age facilities

Big Ass Fans are helping turn school halls into community assets and are used in more than 1200 schools demonstrating capability and return on investment. FIND OUT HOW

Victorian schools are turning their halls into valuable community assets, using modern infrastructure to cater for events, and student and staff needs.

Jells Park Primary School, in Melbourne’s east, has installed a Big Ass Fan product in the gym to help solve the issue of ventilation.

Principal Kevin Oakey said the fans were also a great compromise on cost and noise.

“In the gym the students swelter, whether it be a PE class, an assembly or a school function,” he said.

“This really does affect the concentration span and the capacity of the student to learn and participate in the activity.

“The Big Ass Fans are quiet, cost effective and can impact the temperature in a gym by minus 8-10 degrees that make a sweltering 35 degree day much more bearable at 25-26 degrees.

“We also have after-school hirers, like sports clubs, and the fans have been a bonus to them during training sessions.”

Big Ass Fans national sales manager Matt Wales said, if there was a lot of people in a school hall with ambient heat and zero airflow, it could get uncomfortable very quickly.

“A fan with decent airflow helps with cooling and will make things less stuffy.

“For the students it reduces irritability, makes them more comfortable, and makes them a bit more attentive,” he said.

Students at Jells Park Primary School where a Big Ass Fan has been installed in the hall.

Big Ass Fans, a sponsor of the Herald Sun’s Best Teachers series, has been delivering products to schools across Australia for about 20 years.

Their use in more than 1200 Australian schools demonstrated capability and return on investment, Mr Wales said.

“(Big Ass Fans) in school halls can withstand ball strikes, they’re very durable, simple to use, and the cost of servicing them each year is minimal,” he said.

“It ticks a lot of boxes for schools working within a fixed budget but need outcomes in an area that everyone uses every single day.

“There’s a lot of people who are going to experience the benefits from that, like teachers, students, parents and a lot of schools also hire out their halls for community events too.”

Mr Wales said it wasn’t just about cooling, and there was a year-round benefit to what the fans could do in these spaces.

“There’s a much greater awareness on the importance of air quality and ventilation, which is reflected by increased demand for our product.”

A Big Ass Fan in use at Jells Park Primary School.

Particularly in Victoria, Mr Wales said a lot of halls have artificial heating systems such as gas heaters, and fans help to move that heated air throughout the space, boosting energy efficiency and economic savings.

“The Victorian experience with Covid was pretty brutal, so they’re probably a bit more receptive to the discussion around air quality, the basic benefits of ventilation, and how that improves these environments and as a health benefit,” he said.

Follow the Australia’s Best Teachers series at heraldsun.com.au/bestteachers

WHAT ARE BIG ASS FANS

● Big Ass Fans, developed with two decades of innovation, are used in more than 1200 Australian schools, often installed in large, multipurpose halls.

● High-volume, low-speed fans mean students feel cooling air below and breezes don’t move papers during exams or disrupt activities with noise.

Jells Park Primary School has a Big Ass Fan in the hall.

● Powerfoil X4.0 fans are robust for indoor sporting venues with activities where balls may hit fans, not affecting the technology or their performance.

● Fans cooling temperatures can improve productivity. A study by Helsinki University of Technology in Finland found that when temperatures reached 25C, worker performance starts to decrease.

● Fans are more economical than airconditioning, especially in large areas. In spaces with aircon, fans can increase its efficiency circulating cool air throughout a building.