Do Solar Attic Fans Really Work

Attic fans exhaust hot air from your attic to the outside.

Do solar attic fans really work. But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed. 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. If a cloud blocks the sunlight the fans slow or stop. Strong attic fans can actually back draft furnaces or water heaters by pulling combustion gases out of their burnersand into the home.

Website link deleted by editor. Ideally this will lower the high temperatures that have built up in your attic. The single solar powered attic fan i have has not lowered the temperature in my attic at all. In summer the heat energy from the sun is absorbed and conducted to the attic.

Brand name deleted by editor solar attic fans are no. 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. With more concentration of heat in the attic it can be conducted to the living space creating an uncomfortable environment. This air is then exhausted through the fan to the outside.

Fresh air is pulled in from your soffits and or roof vent creating a draft through your attic. Yes the solar powered attic fans spin at different speeds. Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness. Solar or pv fans run on sun power and pull superheated air out of your attic to be replaced by cooler outside air.

The most significant benefit of solar attic fans is that they operate using renewable energy from the sun instead of being hooked up to your electrical grid. If the angle of the sun is lower in the sky morning and late afternoon or the sun s rays are trying to cut through thin clouds or haze the fan spins slower moving less air. Solar attic fans are easily managed and fixed and a great product for proper attic ventilation. 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.

However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic. Watch this video to find out more. Good attic ventilation is excellent for preventing moisture and condensation but it is usually not enough for cooling in the summertime. A retrofit example that works.

If you have an upstairs bonus room or bedroom that gets uncomfortably hot in summer consider adding a solar powered fan to your attic. This reduces the amount of work your hvac system has to do to cool your upstairs living area. Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans.