Why The Solar Powered Attic Fan Is Your Answer To Lowering Your Summer Electricity Bills
A solar powered attic fan can turn a sweltering attic into significantly cooler attic during those long hot summer months.
Why The Solar Powered Attic Fan Is Your Answer To Lowering Your Summer Electricity Bills
Solar attic fans are becoming very popular as homeowners and building owners look for ways to lower fossil fuel consumption and cut electricity costs.
The solar powered attic fan is a relatively simple device with photo-voltaic solar panels that drive fans to move air through attics.
To have an appreciable effect on energy usage, most houses require several solar attic fans to move enough air to make a difference in attic temperature and hence need for air conditioning in the summer.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #1 - Know How Much Air It Needs To Move.
Knowing how much air your solar attic fan needs to move will determine it's usefulness.
Determining how much air a solar powered attic fan will move is tracked and measured in cubic feet per minute, or CFM.
- Generally speaking, the higher the CFM, the better.
For example, to appreciably cool an attic in the summer for a typical attic of 1,200 square feet, you'll have to get a solar attic fan or solar fan kit that can move between 800 and 1,000 CFM in order to make a difference in attic temperature.
- This may require the installation of several fans.
- Flush mounted solar attic fans are generally less noticeable than curb mounted solar fan kits.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #2 - Know How Much Your Solar Attic Fan Will Cost.
- However, with electric fans, there is also the cost of electricity to consider.
Solar fan kits and solar attic fans that are pre-assembled cost anywhere from $350 to $600, which is quite a bit more.
- However, there are no operating costs associated with solar attic fans since they are powered solely by sunlight.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #3 - Know Whether Your Will By Pre-Assembled Solar Fans Or The Solar Fan Kit.
The choice of whether to buy pre-assembled solar attic fans or whether to buy solar fan kits is another consideration.
Kits generally include the fan, a solar module, wire, and mounting hardware.
- The fan motors can be used for either exhaust or intake by configuring the wire at the motor accordingly.
- Three-way switches can be added to solar fan kits, as can extra wattage modules to increase a fan's CFM
Pre-assembled solar attic fans are packaged to make installation as painless as possible, with all parts built in.
- Usually installation involves cutting a 14-inch hole through the sheathing and roof.
- Then the top edge of the flashing slides up under the underlayment and roofing.
- Once the flashing is fastened into place with corrosion resistant nails or screws, installation is complete.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #4 - When Choosing Your Pre-Assembled Or Solar Fan Kit - Think Rust-Proof
Choose a solar attic fan or solar fan kit where the parts that are exposed to the elements (except for the solar collector itself) are rust-proof.
- Most solar attic fans are made from stainless steel hardware that is rustproof and most are finished with a coating that protects it from ultraviolet rays
- These two things will ensure that you get the longest possible life from your solar fan kit.
Properly installed, the photovoltaic panel should function for 50 years or more, so it is important to make sure the other components of the fan are equally long-lived.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #5 - When Choosing Your Pre-Assembled Or Solar Fan Kit - Think Leak-Proof
Leak-proof flashing is important for your solar attic fan or solar fan kit and it cannot be emphasized enough.
If you are buying a solar fan kit, you must make sure that it comes with good flashing, such as 20 gauge steel in order to keep the elements out of your attic.
- Poor flashing can result in all manner of problems, like mildew, rot, and decay.
- High quality metal flashing should fit together tightly, and should feature good water diversion properties and caulking.
If you are having a contractor install your solar fan kit, be sure that he or she uses high quality flashing and that the materials fit together snugly so you don't end up with a leaky roof.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #6 - If You Don't Have Enough SunLight On Your Roof - Think Remote
If you have a roof that doesn't receive enough direct sunlight to run enough solar attic fans to cool the attic, it doesn't mean that you have to give up on having a solar powered attic ventilation system.
There are remote solar fan kits that feature a solar photovoltaic panel that's mounted in a place where it will get plenty of sunlight, and it is wired to run attic fans.
They are usually somewhat more expensive than typical roof mounted panel fans, but they may be the only solar option for homes with roofs that don't catch an adequate amount of sunlight to run solar attic fans.
- Prices for remote solar fan kits start at around $415.
Solar Powered Attic Fan Consideration #7 - If You Don't Like A Lot Of Noise, Then The Solar Attic Fan Is The Way To Go
Large attics that would require several electric attic fans to bring down attic temperatures in the summer may end up providing heat relief at the cost of putting up with noise.
If you are sensitive to noise, then will like solar attic fans because there is no electrical noise since the fans are not powered by electricity.
Solar fan kits are designed with fan blades that are pitched to accomplish maximum air flow while generating no harmonic noise.
- The silence of solar attic fans is a big selling point and may be another reason to choose remote panel solar fan kits where the only other choice would be electric attic fans.
Solar Powered Attic Fan - The Bottom-Line
Solar fan kits can turn a sweltering attic significantly cooler in the summer in houses that receive several hours of direct sunlight on the roof.
- For those who do not know how many solar attic fans are necessary, there are a number of online calculators that will estimate how many CFM are required to cause attic temperatures to drop.
In many cases, several solar attic fans are necessary in order to make a difference.
- When there is adequate attic ventilation provided by solar fan kits, the savings on electricity bills can be 25% and in some cases up to 30%.
- Also, in the U.S., the cost of the materials and installation are eligible for a 30% federal residential solar energy credit, further sweetening the appeal of solar attic fans.
Here's to finding a way to bring more solar power into your family!
P.S. Here's a few more tips to help your solar power projects go smoothly...
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