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Solar Attic Fans
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Solar Attic Fans
| Q: |
What is a solar powered attic vent and what does it do?
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| A: |
A solar powered attic vent is an attic ventilation fan which runs solely off solar power. These ventilators fall into the category of active (powered) attic ventilation, where outside air is forced through the attic and out the vent to effectively cool the attic space. This method of attic ventilation is many times more effective than passive (natural) ventilation since the air inside the attic is exchanged more times per an hour with a powered vent than with a passive vent.
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| Q: |
Why would I want to cool off my attic?
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| A: |
During the summer, as the sun radiates heat onto your roof, your roof's shingles or tile becomes very hot. This heat is transferred through the roof and in turn heats up the air inside your attic. If the hot air stays inside your attic, the heat from this air will eventually
enter your home.
While attic insulation slows this process, it does not eliminate the heat transfer process entirely. If your attic is not very well insulated, it will do very little to stop the heat from getting through. Additionally, a hot attic stays hot long after the sun goes down, so the process of heat transfer into your home never really ends.
By removing the hot air from your attic, the process of heat transfer into your home is minimized. The less attic heat that is transfer into your home, the less your air conditioner will need to work. If your air conditioner unit doesn't need to run as much to keep your home cool, you save energy and money.
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| Q: |
What are the cost benefits of installing a solar attic fan?
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| A: |
How much money you will save is greatly dependent on the price of electricity in your area, the amount of attic space in your home, the efficiency of your attic insulation, and the amount of ventilation your solar attic vent is able to provide (see our Estimated Savings calculator for more details). In our experience, a typical installation will usually pay for itself in savings within 1-2 summers of use.
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| Q: |
How are ridge vents, turbine vents, or gable vents different from a powered solar attic fan?
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| A: |
Ridge vents, gables vents, and dormer vents work by passive (natural) draft air convection. This means that as hot air rises in your attic, it should flow out from these vents creating a natural draft through the attic. However, as you have probably noticed if you currently have any of these vents installed on your home, they are not very effective at reducing the temperature of your attic.
Turbine vents are designed to pull hot air out of your attic when the wind blows. These vents are equally ineffective at removing attic heat due to frequent mechanical problems, low air moving capability, and a dependence on the wind to supply the power needed to induce a draft through the attic.
Attic Breeze solar attic fans operate on the principle of active (forced) draft air convection. Our fans create an air draft through your attic many times more powerful than that of natural draft air convection techniques. By inducing a greater air daft through the attic, our solar attic vents can effectively cool your entire attic and keep it cool throughout the day.
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