Do Solar Attic Fans Work Well

Energy professionals will tell you that they do more harm than good.

Do solar attic fans work well.

A very hot problem. 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. The added heat makes your air conditioner work harder and means higher utility bills. However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic.

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. Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness. When is the best time to install the fan. Before considering solar attic fans you will want to think about how much direct sunlight your solar panel will receive each day.

Natural light solar attic fans are available in 4 model sizes to accommodate any attic space 12 24 36 or 60 watts. Cloud cover dust and other obstructions are essential to review before you commit to this technology as well. Even if you install it yourself and take the tax credit it could still take you 15 years or. 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.

Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans. Depending on what your utility charges that s about 40 per year. Hot attics and why traditional exhaust fans don t work well enough to cool them off. The units are fully operation right out of the box and install in less than an hour.

But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed. Within an hour after installing it the sun hit the solar panel and the fan blades started to spin. The downside of attic ventilation fans. I installed a solar powered attic fan last year to see how well it would work.

Solar attic fans provide a number of benefits for you and your home. With the summer season upon us now is a good time to review an uncomfortable topic. Last week we had some warm weather for the first time this year. 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.

If a cloud blocks the sunlight the fans slow or stop. I had decided to do the work early in the morning while it was cool on the roof. Here is some information so you can decide whether an attic fan is right for your home. Manufacturers of attic fans as well as hvac companies will tell you otherwise.

The installation went like clockwork. 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.