Absolutely agree on this and can add another anecdote. I've recently moved to a hot area of Spain and it was uncomfortably hot in my home office. Most people here handle this with air-con but I bought a small (25 W) fan which I use generally for a couple of hours in the afternoon on days when the temperature is over 35 °C. As @NickC says, it's the air movement not the air temperature that leads to comfort.

Got it and 100% agreed with all you said. I don't intend to look at larger fans (HVLS type) because I'm pretty sure production floor mutiny would result. Thus, it's all about the smaller point-of-use types. Rumor has it that ECMs are becoming more common for all sorts of small motor applications and that they're inherently more efficient than the small single pole traditional motors... I'm hoping some manufacturer has already thought of that.

Bigass Fans has a wide range of ceiling fans, many with ECM motors. Bigass Fans. Some come with built in occupancy sensors. I am look at the Haiku SenseME fan for home.

Clarifying: I'm not thinking of a ceiling fan. The logistics of mounting one in a 30 foot tall space appear too costly. It will be a pedestal type or something that can attach to machinery. p.s., the Haiku is very sexy and I'm tempted to get one for its appearance and "bragging rights", but $1000 for a ceiling fan may take a century or so to payback :)

On the other end of the spectrum are used computer fans. I get them at the used electronics store for about $5 each. A couple of the 5" fans mounted strategically work great, very quiet. You have to build a little enclosure with a switch box for the wiring mounted on one side.