Do Solar Attic Fans Work

Cold air is at the bottom and warm air is at the top.

Do solar attic fans work. Of attic and expels hot air from the attic quickly replacing it with cooler air from outside. That warmed air then circulates through your home forcing your air conditioner to work harder to maintain a constant temperature. Solar attic fans work by pulling in the cold air from the soffits and pushing out the hot air that has accumulated at the top of the attic. But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed.

If a cloud blocks the sunlight the fans slow or stop. 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. This is basically how air naturally moves. Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans.

A solar attic fan ideally delivers up to 400 cfm of venting power per 1000 sq. Solar attic fans require direct sunlight to operate. Because most models do not use a battery as a backup power source any drifting clouds that come along will interrupt the operation of this unit. As the sun beats down on your roof it heats the air inside your house starting with your attic.

Natural light solar attic fans are manufactured using high impact photovoltaic solar panels to power the fan for free all during the day. Yes the solar powered attic fans spin at different speeds. Fresh air is pulled in from your soffits and or roof vent creating a draft through your attic. Solar attic fans can be installed in just 15 minutes.

How an attic fan works attic fans exhaust hot air from your attic to the outside. In addition to soffit gable and or ridge vents you may want to add a power vent fan to your attic to increase air circulation. 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. The fan will stop spinning immediately once it loses contact with the light.

Once the solar powered attic fan is up on the roof the sun works its magic to power the fan. This air is then exhausted through the fan to the outside. 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. Attic fan savings claims.

Principal research scientist danny parker of the florida solar energy center has tested solar attic fans and says the gable end models work the best since they move considerably more air than roof mounted mushroom top units you can install pv fans yourself if you have good carpentry skills but it s not necessarily an easy job. The attic fan just helps the air move more which adds cooler air circulation.