A comprehensive review of ceiling fans as a low carbon and sustainable cooling solution for heat resilience

Ceiling fans are a low-energy and widely accessible cooling technology. Although they are considered to have significant potential, but are typically undervalued in current sustainable cooling strategies. This study critically assesses their role as low-carbon technologies for improving thermal comfort and heat resilience through a combination of bibliometric analysis and thematic review. The study considered 482 documents that were published between 2015 and 2025 to identify research trends, thematic evolution, and future trends through science mapping. These documents were further examined to assess the thermal, energetic, and adaptive benefits of fan-induced air movement. The findings indicate a growing research interest in ceiling fans, especially in the context of hybrid cooling systems, adaptive thermal comfort, and heatwave resilience. The evidence from the field and numerical studies demonstrates that increasing air movement by 0.1–1.5 m/s improves thermal comfort, extends the acceptable indoor temperature range (by 1–3 °C), and enables a reduction in cooling energy demand (up to approximately 70%). The physiological studies further indicates that higher air movement delays heat strain, and thus emphasizes the role of ceiling fans in climate adaptation. Despite these benefits, the performance of ceiling fan is highly context-dependent. It has been observed that performance is constrained under extreme heat and low humidity conditions, and is highly sensitive to building design and occupant behaviour. In addition, the review identifies environmental, architectural, technological, and behavioural factors as primary determinants of ceiling fan performance. Based on these findings, the study proposes a six-pillar policy framework to scale the ceiling fan adoption which can play a critical role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 7, 10 & 13 by promoting low-carbon, climate-resilient cooling strategies.