Everything about the solar powered attic fan

Attic fans, as their name suggests, are ventilator units that are installed on building’s rooftops and they are used for temperature control.

Usually, during summer months when the sun is most powerful, the air volumes inside attics are heated up to temperatures that may exceed 120 F. This happens because the roof comes directly in contact with the sun’s rays thus facilitating the transfer of heat towards the air volume within the attic.

So why should people care if the attic temperatures are high? Nobody lives in the attic anyway…That’s right, normally nobody stays there, but as the attic gets warmer, it passes some of that heat to the last floor which gets hotter and hotter.

So what if the last floor is hotter? I have air conditioning installed….yes you have air conditioning, but due to the heat coming form the attic your AC machine will require more power in order to cool down the last floor. More power means that you end up with a bigger energy bill.

Sometimes, the heat can be so extreme that even using the AC at full power, it still can cool down the last floor. So this is why you are better off with having attic fans installed, and most buildings of today do have them.

A solar powered attic fan is a ventilator unit that runs on solar energy. And unlike normal fans, this one cools your attic and it doesn’t add any costs to your energy bill at the end of the month.

Here is a detailed list with the advantages of a solar powered attic fan:

• It keeps your attic cool during summer months
• It removes harmful moisture during winter
• It helps you save money on your power bills
• It does not make so much sound as normal attic fans
• It reduces your environmental footprint

It basically works like a normal attic fan and blows out the hot air from within the attic while simultaneously taking in cooler air form the air intake vents. In this way, it takes a lot of work load form your AC system and helps you to save money and the environment in the same time.

But the solar powered attic fan helps you all year round not only during the summer months. For example, during winter, the heat from your house escapes through the ceiling into the attic and there it comes in contact with the cold inner surface of your roof panels thus causing condensation, which leads to the buildup of mold.

What’s really interesting, is that these solar powered roof fans don’t work continuously, and they also don’t require to be turned off or on according to necessities. Instead, they all come equipped with thermostats which allows them to start working when the temperature reaches a certain level, and to stop when the required temperate is attained.  What a clever invention, wouldn’t you agree?

Yes and no. The fact is that you can get a 30% tax credit up to 1500$ BUT only for the solar power panels that power the apparatus. The fan itself does not qualify for the tax credit. In order for you to benefit from the partial 30% tax credit, you have to talk to your installer to separate the installation costs of the solar from non-solar components and to provide you with a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement. Read more about the IRS tax credits at http://www.energystar.gov

No, installing a solar powered attic fan is not really difficult, if you are used to do this kind of work around the house. In order to do the job properly, you need a ladder, a mechanical saw, some nails, some adhesive and also the help of a fiend. You also need access to the roof and to the inside on the attic. The solar powered attic fan needs to be properly positioned close to the roof top, as far as possible from the air intakes. This video which teaches you exactly what to do next: