Many businesses store chemicals such as chlorine, acids, solvents, and strong cleansers that must be mechanically ventilated all the time. Usually, the entire storeroom is exhausted by a rooftop or wall- mounted fan. This fan must operate 24 hours a day, to include the regular business hours when there is a surcharge peak demand fee.
A little rearrangement of the storage facility may be all that is required to avoid using this exhaust fan all the time. If the chemicals are relocated to a smaller room that can be well ventilated by a smaller fan, the cost of exhausting a large storage room—and its larger-horsepower fan motor—is avoided.
Many chemicals are relatively inert at room temperature. A thermostat- controlled fan in a space containing such compounds further reduces energy usage by operating the fan only when the space temperature is high enough to cause the emission of fumes from the materials.
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Excerpt from Energy Conservation Projects.