Solar Attic Fan

Installing Solar Attic Fan

2010-04-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

If you are attractive and looking for an energy-efficient and economical way to air-conditioned cool down areas in you home during the summer, you may be absorbed in installing a solar attic fan. Taking all the activity antecedent it needs from solar activity like the sun, the fan can assignment all day long, authoritative it a absolute way to air-conditioned cool down your attic and the blow of your home, after anytime accepting to anguish about how abundant money your electric bill will amount because of it. Best of all, application solar activity allows you to advice the planet and not use up admired resources.

Solar attic fans are a cheap, energy-efficient and environmentally affable way to accumulate a hot allowance air-conditioned during the summer months. Because solar attic fan charge no activity antecedent besides the Sun, and can run all day after accepting to be angry on or off, they are abnormally advantageous for large, airless rooms, such as your barn or attic. By cartoon air-conditioned air in and blame hot air out, you can use a solar fan to accumulate a allowance air-conditioned all day after accepting to anguish about your electricity bill activity up one cent.

These are the two types of solar attic fan and roof blast accessories advised in this article. The home powered ones artlessly tie into an accessible electrical circuit. Obviously, the solar-powered admirers use a baby solar console to ability them up.

Two elements to accede are amount of use and the admiration to attach to the blooming home architecture concept. Solar activity powered vents are trendy, hip, and planet-friendly. However,

Solar units are big-ticket – although the amount has appear down, still apprehend to carapace out $200 - $300.
Home-powered ones amount abundant beneath money to accomplish than they save in account bills.
Solar panels alone accomplish while the sun shines.

Once you completed installation of the fan, you should be able to use your fan calmly are productively. Solar attic fan can save you a lot of money for cooling costs additional advice the environment.

Why You Need A Solar Attic Fan

2009-07-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

We all know that using more fans and less AC is great for the environment, but going solar is one more step in the right direction. By installing a solar attic vent fan you not only help cut down on your electricity use, but you can also dramatically lower the temperature in your entire home, creating a cool, green environment for you and your family during the hot summer months.

The shingled roof above your home absorbs sunlight during the day and can transfer heat into the attic, potentially reaching a scalding 150° F. This intense heat is trapped in your attic and slowly passes through the insulation into the rest of your home, causing your AC to work overtime to keep the overall temperature cool. An attic can stay hot long after the sun goes down, meaning the heat transfer into your home never really ends. An attic vent van allows the stored heat to leave the home through the roof instead of through your air conditioner. Solar attic fans are an environmentally friendly way to save money on your energy bills and create a cool and comfortable atmosphere inside your home.

Solar fans for your attic can be a little pricey, typically around $400, but the payback can be worth it. Energy audits determine that an attic fan can save you roughly $25 per month in air conditioning costs over a four-month summer period. Because solar fans only require an upfront payment, you will be saving $100 per year which equates to a payback period of only four years.

Solar Attic Fan

Disadvantages of Solar Attic Fan (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

Cost
The largest problem of using primarily solar energy is the cost involved. Despite advances in technology, solar panels remain almost prohibitively expensive. Even when the cost of the panels is ignored, the system required to store the energy for use can also be quite costly.

Weather Dependent
Although some solar energy can be collected during even the cloudiest of days, efficient solar energy collection is dependent on sunshine. Even a few cloudy days can have a large affect on an energy system, particularly once that fact that solar energy cannot be collected at night is taken into account.

Geographic Limitations
While some areas would benefit from adapting solar power, other parts of the world would receive little benefit from current solar systems. Solar panels still require direct sunlight to collect large amounts of power, and in many areas of the world there are few days that would efficiently power a system.

The price of solar attic fan is higher than that of an electric one (around $200 more), but the dispensation of wiring and the zero operation costs can largely compensate the higher initial price.

Other limitations may be associated with local solar conditions, namely in winter and cold climates, if homeowners want the solar attic fan to fulfill uses besides cooling: in cold climates, with few solar resources, the ventilation provided by a solar attic fan in winter – to fight moisture, for instance - may be insufficient, making electric powered attic fans a more advantageous solution.

Solar Attic Fan

Solar Attic Fan: How It Works?

2009-06-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

Solar Attic Fan is powered by the sun and the sun only. It is also increases fresh air circulation which reduces vapor builds up generated by everyday activities like showering and cooking. A solar attic fan works pretty much like you'd expect it to. The fan itself is installed near the ridge of your home's roof, and is then connected to a set of low powered photovoltaic solar cells that provide the fan with enough electricity to get the fan spinning when the sun is shining.
A solar attic fan uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electrical power. The electricity generated is used to turn a fan motor, exhausting air from the attic of a home.

How it works?

A solar attic fan, converts the solar energy to electrical energy, stores it and drives a motor which in turn drives the vanes of the fan to generate air, exhaust or intake. During the day, when there is solar power, (sunny day), the solar energy (rays) from the sun is stored for night consumption. (Energy saving). That is the real purpose of a solar attic fan.

The attic becomes warmest when the sun is the strongest. A solar attic fan runs the hardest when the sun is strongest. Everyday home activities such as cooking and showering create moisture which collects in the attic and promotes mold and mildew growth, reduces the effectiveness of insulation, and attacks the wooden attic structure. Year round fresh air circulation from a solar attic fan removes this moisture and prevents moisture related problems.

Solar Attic Fan

Difference Between Solar Attic Fan and Electric Attic Fan (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

An electric fan has a thermostat that triggers the fan to start only when the temperature of attic goes beyond 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Then after that, it has to run for some time for the temperature to drop below 110 degrees, so during especially hot summer days, an electric fan can burn quite a bit of energy.

Solar attic fans use energy derived directly from sunlight to operate instead, so they work all day long to keep the air circulating and the attic cool. Keeping your attic properly cooled and ventilated in turn decreases the burden on your air conditioning when the temperature rises, saving even more money and energy.

Solar attic fans also increase the durability of your roof by reducing moisture build-up in your home from everyday activity, and like other solar-powered devices, solar-powered attic fans work quietly. Furthermore, you don't need an electrician or any city permits to install them.

These fans are available for every type of roof under the sun, including gable, pitch, and flat variety. You can also use them to improve ventilation in your garage, RV, or barn.

Article source: www.solargadgetsinfo.com

Solar Attic Fan

What Solar Attic Fan Manufacturers Don't Want You to Know (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

United States of America (Press Release) July 25, 2008 -- Newburgh, NY July 24, 2008 - Solar attic fans are a great "green" solution for ventilating hot attics on sunny days. But manufacturers typically provide ratings that vastly overestimate the amount of attic space they can effectively ventilate. That can result in installing much fewer fans than you really need to properly vent your attic according to building code regulations.

Building codes divide ventilators into two categories: (1) A/C powered electric fans, and (2) everything else. Wind powered, solar powered, and passive vents are all lumped together in the second category. Why the apparent over-simplification?

The answer is: consistent performance. A certain amount of minimum air flow must be present at all times to ensure proper ventilation. This is codified in the "1 to 300" rule, which means that for every 300 square feet of attic floor space, there must be 1 foot of passive ventilator "free air" space (measured by the inner diameter of the vent itself). This rule establishes a specific relation of size of attic to size and quantity of vents.

source: FPR

Ventilation is rated by how much CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) they move. The problem is, the performance of solar fans is dependent on many variables: season, location latitude, weather conditions, dirt on the panel, angle to the sun, among others. The manufacturers rate these fans when all these factors are at optimum levels, which may actually be only for a few hours a day, and not on all days. But ventilation must be constant, all the time.

So what happens? Even construction professionals often make the mistake of trusting those "optimized" ratings to determine how many vents to install for a given area. Therefore, they assume that the vents are moving much more air than they actually are throughout the day, and end up specifying fewer vents than are required for even minimum ventilation. This violates the "1 to 300" rule, and results in overheated attics in the summer, ice damming in the winter, and moisture-laden attics in the other two seasons.

This analysis shows that we should be highly skeptical of ratings provided by the solar fan manufacturers, and use them for comparison only. When it comes to determining how many vents your attic requires, always rely on the "1 to 300" rule to ensure that your attic is being vented properly, every day, all day long.

Source: www.free-press-release.com

Solar Attic Fan

Types of Solar Attic Fan (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

You can buy either a gable mounted solar attic vent, which you install at the end of your roof overhang or a model that sits directly on the roof and requires a hole of approximately a foot and a half in diameter. Rooftop solar attic ventilators are best installed by a professional but an experienced do it yourselfer can do the job in about three hours.

If you have a typical shingle roof it involves peeling back a couple rows of shingles, cutting a hole using a paper template that comes with the vent, screwing the vent base down to the wood deck and replacing and tarring the shingles and then placing the solar roof vent onto the base and aiming the solar panel to the recommended angle.

Solar attic fans or solar roof vents usually come with enough electric cord to mount them up to six feet from the vent if you need to place the panel in an area that gets more sun.

Getting hot air out of the attic is a very good way to lower your electric bills in summer. A hot attic could be costing you as much as fifty percent of your cooling costs. When your attic cooler less heat is radiated down through the ceiling and your air conditioner has to work less. Even if you have a well insulated attic if it is poorly ventilated and therefore extremely hot, some of this heat will make it down through the insulation into your home.

Solar Attic Fan

Solar Attic Fan Works 24/7, Even When There's No Sun!

2009-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

Apr 29, 2008 – "Green products" are in the news these days, and what could be greener than solar energy? After all, it's clean, renewable, and costs nothing to use. So why not cool houses with it?

We're not suggesting a massive project like air conditioning your home with solar panels. But consider this: a simple attic fan is a great way to get heat and moisture out of the attic, thus cooling the whole house and reducing the need for energy hungry air conditioning.

For years now, Active Ventilation Products in Newburgh, NY has been manufacturing a full line of roof vents, attic fans and tubular skylights based on their patented "Aura Vent" design. This unique vent can exhaust efficiently without any moving parts.

How, you ask? When outdoor wind blows against the outer louvers of the Aura Vent, the air is directed by the louvers to create a vortex (air moving quickly in a circular direction). When this vortex hits the inner louvers, it creates a “Venturi Effect” inside the vent (see http://roofvents.com/explanation.html for full description). The resulting vacuum dynamically exhausts air out of the attic or building. This means that the Aura Ventilator is able to exhaust 24/7 if even a slight breeze is blowing outside.

To increase the exhaust power during the hottest hours of the afternoon on a sunny day, AVP has added a solar panel to the top of the vent, which drives a fan inside the vent. This provides extra power during the day, but unlike other solar powered vents, continues to work even through the night due to the passive Venturi effect.

Because of the solar panel, no wiring is necessary for installation, leading to even greater savings. The vent is so economical that the US military recently purchased a large number for their own installations.

The Aura Ventilator can be installed on any type roof and at any pitch without the need for an adjustable base. The Aura Design was tested for the Texas Department of Insurance at wind speeds of 200 mph, and was approved by Dade County, Florida to withstand hurricanes.

Source

Solar Attic Fan

You will enjoy the benefits of using a solar powered attic fan (Solar attic fan)

2009-06-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Solar attic fan

You need an attic fan if you have an attic. Installing a solar attic fan allows you to install it without hiring an electrician to do expensive electric work. Since an attic fan goes on the roof of your home it is the perfect place to put solar panels.

Your solar attic can retain both moisture and heat. This can lead to the rapid growth of dangerous molds. You can protect your family by installing a solar attic fan which can reduce their growth. Installing a solar fan in your attic will help to minimize the heat and moisture that are in your attic. The unit will gather power from the sun during the day in order to run the fan.

There are very little complicated parts in solar attic fans so they will require little maintenance. It is fairly simple to install solar attic fans since they does not entail electrical wiring. There are many people who believe that installing an attic fan is too much work. This is not the case with solar attic fans. There are no wires that need to be run and you do not need to be skilled with doing electrical work or hire an expensive electrician. Your basic carpentry skills are all that you will need to properly do the job.

The solar panel that powers your attic fan will need to be mounted on the roof. The panel will collect energy during the day that can be used to power the fan. There will be no cost to run your attic fan as solar power is free. The money you save with reduced energy costs pay you back the money you spent on the fan over time. Your solar attic fan will include all the instructions you need in order to install it yourself. You want to buy solar attic fans designed for your size attic.

Solar attic fan

5 Reasons To Use A Solar Attic Fan At Home

2009-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

If you have a typical electric attic fan running at home, then have you ever thought of replacing it with a modern solar attic fan? You may be thinking it to be too expensive, but in reality a solar powered attic fan is much cheaper to run than your energy-wasting electric fan. Once you have discovered the advantages of a solar attic fan, you’ll be ready to move into the 21st century. Here are 5 such advantages:

1 - Uncomplicated and Inexpensive:
A solar attic fan is powered by the sun, so it does not need to be wired up to the house. This helps you save in getting in qualified technicians and permits to get the fan running. All that is need is to follow the accompanying guide0lines and get your fan operating in no time at all.

2 - Power is Freely available:
The only power a solar powered attic fan requires is from the sun - which is FREE. So the only cost you have to worry about is the initial investment. After that, it costs absolutely nothing to operate it. Also, most states offer tax incentives for installing renewable energy technology at home. This lowers the initial cost of a solar attic fan.

3 - Operates all day:
Because a solar attic fan uses the sun, there is no need to regulate its operation to save power. It can run all day long - while the sun is shining - providing constant ventilation in your home. No matter how hot or cold it is, the fan will keep on spinning, keeping the air fresh and the temperature constant.

4 - Prolongs Roof Life:
A solar powered attic fan is capable of working even in winter when the sun is weak. This helps keep warm air out of the attic and prevents costly damage from ice damming in your gutters and eaves. What’s more is a solar powered attic fan prevents warm, moist air from collecting in the attic in winter. This moist air (from showering and cooking) usually leads to mold and mildew, which can cause your roof frame to rot.

5 - Aids In Preventing Global Warming:
Your current ventilation system requires electric power to work. This power comes from coal, oil, gas, and nuclear power stations which release harmful green house gases into the atmosphere. Whereas a solar attic fan operates on the sun’s clean, free energy. This helps decrease the need to burn fossil fuels and aids in fighting global warming.

Last thoughts:

A lot of us complain about our excessive power bills and how the electricity companies are ripping us off. But only a minority actually take action to reduce their dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Since I have shown you how simple, inexpensive and clean it is to make use of a solar powered attic fan, you have no excuse for not taking action to reduce your energy dependence and live a greener life.

Source

Solar Attic Fan

Save cost and energy with Solar Attic Fan (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Solar attic fan

Solar attic fan is a simple and cost effective solution for a well known problem that many home owners are facing every day. Moisture and mold destroys slowly but effectively the house infrastructure. Solar attic fan can fight this irritating problem.

You are well familiar with the fact that hot air is lighter then cold air and therefore goes up. During the day, the sun hit your walls and roof, this heat inside your house is aggregated and eventually is trapped in your attic which is the highest place in your house and this hot energy has nowhere to go. That trapped heat in your attic is "great" condition to moisture and the development of mold. If you have a solar attic fan then it will "push" away all the trapped hot air and helps the humidity to spread away and will remove all those optimal conditions to any mold
development.

Another reason and great advantage for using a solar attic fan is that you don't have to deal with wires. This is a huge advantage, usually when we have a new electric machine then we have two options:

Wires inside the walls – meaning that we have to open a tunnel
through the wall. No one likes this option
Wires are seen and exposed on the walls – not elegant and
absolute compromising way.

So, when you use the solar attic fan, you avoid this annoying problem with an elegant solution. The solar attic fan gets its power from the sun through solar panels on the roof which is a renewable source of energy and has zero usage costs unlike on grid electricity. It is important to make sure to use a solar attic fan that provides a constant equal pressure of air that will evacuate all vapor and heat from all thosepockets that it was trapped in.

Solar attic fan

Solar Attic Fan is right for your roof (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

Heat rises. That's a fact. As there is no higher place in your house than the attic. In the summer, your attic can become a sweltering cauldron of painful heat. A lot of people just close off their attic, fill it with junk and forget it about. Not the most effective use of the space. Plus, all that hot air at the top of your house will raise your electric bills. Air-conditioning a space like that isn't a great option, energywise. You may consider venting it with a Solar Attic Fan?

A solar attic fan sits on the top of your house and vents your attic air, and it is powered completely by the sun. It doesn't add to your energy bill, and it doesn't contribute to climate change. In fact, because your house is cooler in the summer, you'll be using less energy. A solar attic fan also reduces moisture build up, prevents ice dams from forming in the winter and extends the life of your shingles. Not only will this nifty gizmo lower your utility bill, it will protect the quality of your home.

They are not without a downside, however. Many of these fans don’t store energy, so if it’s cloudy and muggy day, your attic will go unventilated. Some attic vents supposedly turn off if a single cloud flies overhead. And they are disallowed in some high-hurricane areas, because they cause a structural weak spot in the roof. (Weak compared to a hurricane.)

The biggest downside is that they cost a few hundred dollars each and you need one attic fan per 150 square feet of attic space if you want your solar attic fan to be properly ventilated. That's a quite a bit of dough.

Solar Attic Fan

Advantages of the Solar Attic Fan (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

One of the big benefits of a solar attic fan is ease of installation. Since its energy source is the sun, you won't have to worry about running any wiring, installing downstairs switches, installing thermostats, or making sure the whole thing is up to code as you would with electrically powered vent fans. The only thing you'll have to worry about is where to install it on your roof. Make sure you put it (or the solar cells) in a place where they'll get the most direct sunlight possible, however. Remember, good attic ventilation is important year round, and your fan will only run at optimal efficiency if you make sure your solar cells are getting maximum exposure to sunlight. Installing it in a shady area will drop the power it receives, and subsequently the amount of air it is able to circulate through your attic.

Besides ease of installation, the other reason many homeowners are seeing the light when it comes to solar attic fan is the fact that they require almost no maintenance once installed. The photovoltaic cells can provide the fan with power for up to 50 years without being replaced, meaning once you get it installed it pretty much takes care of itself. And since it's not drawing electricity from your home, you're also saving money. Solar attic fan cost a little more initially, but when you consider the fact that they are self-powered, and have the potential to significantly reduce your energy costs as well, it's easy to see why this is one home improvement task that pays for itself in time.

If you're interested in installed a solar attic fan, talk to a contractor or solar products retailer about what it will take to get these environmentally friendly, economically wise attic fans installed in your home.

solar attic fan

What is Solar Attic Fan? (Solar Attic Fan)

2009-06-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Solar Attic Fan

Traditionally, passive ventilation and electrical attic vent fans have been used to address this issue and keep a flow of fresh air circulating through the attic space. Recently, however, the solar attic fan has started to catch on as a near perfect solution for this task.

A solar attic fan works pretty much like you'd expect it to. The fan itself is installed near the ridge of your home's roof, and is then connected to a set of low powered photovoltaic solar cells that provide the fan with enough electricity to get the fan spinning when the sun is shining. More often than not, these cells are installed directly onto the outside of the fan housing, though if your fan is being installed in a shady area you can opt to place the solar cells in a different area that gets more regular, and direct, sunlight. Once installed, your solar attic fan will kick on whenever the sun is out, drawing fresh air up through your soffit vents and blowing hot, stale and humid air up and out of your attic at the same time.

Solar Attic Fan