Do Solar Attic Fans Work Well

Depending on what your utility charges that s about 40 per year.

Do solar attic fans work well.

For the attic fans to work at peak efficiency they need to be on a south facing roof slope if you live in the northern hemisphere. Even if you install it yourself and take the tax credit it could still take you 15 years or. Natural light solar attic fans are available in 4 model sizes to accommodate any attic space 12 24 36 or 60 watts. Why attic fans don t work well and what to do instead.

Solar attic fans provide a number of benefits for you and your home. A very hot problem. However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic. If a cloud blocks the sunlight the fans slow or stop.

Attic ventilation fans whether hard wired or powered by their own solar panels seem like a low cost and effective way to help keep your house cool. I installed a solar powered attic fan last year to see how well it would work. Last week we had some warm weather for the first time this year. I had decided to do the work early in the morning while it was cool on the roof.

With the summer season upon us now is a good time to review an uncomfortable topic. Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans. The added heat makes your air conditioner work harder and means higher utility bills. When is the best time to install the fan.

To determine the number of cubic feet per minute needed for a power vent fan multiply the number of square feet in your attic by 0 7. But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed. Natural light solar attic fans are manufactured using high impact photovoltaic solar panels to power the fan for free all during the day. Energy professionals will tell you that they do more harm than good.

Hot attics and why traditional exhaust fans don t work well enough to cool them off. Here is some information so you can decide whether an attic fan is right for your home. Keep your attic cooler in summer in warmer climates like florida the heat buildup in your attic not only radiates to the living spaces below but can also damage your roof insulation and structural integrity of your home. Danny s tests of solar attic fans showed that in florida where there s abundant solar energy yearly savings from installing two fans in a house with just over 1 000 square feet of air conditioned floor area amounted to only 460 kwh.

Before considering solar attic fans you will want to think about how much direct sunlight your solar panel will receive each day. Cloud cover dust and other obstructions are essential to review before you commit to this technology as well. Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness. The units are fully operation right out of the box and install in less than an hour.

The installation went like clockwork. Manufacturers of attic fans as well as hvac companies will tell you otherwise.