Solar Attic Fans – Affordable Energy Conservation

The best way to address the rising costs of energy is to follow a strategy that combines photovoltaics (PV) or wind turbines to generate electricity with the various means of practicing energy conservation.  Energy conservation is not only the best way to reduce your reliance on the utility company, but when combined with solar or wind, can nearly eliminate your monthly electric bill with only a modest personal investment.

There are many ways to prepare you home or business for conservation, but Arizonan’s have an option that hits at the heart of the energy beast at a time of the year when electric bills are at their highest: Solar Attic Fans.

During the summer months, the hot air inside an attic reduces the ability of insulation to protect the interior from heat and forces the air conditioning system to work harder than it should.  These temperatures can easily exceed 150 degree (F).   However, a solar attic fan can provide the appropriate ventilation necessary to expel the hot air and can reduce temperatures by as much as 40 degrees (F).

A solar attic fan provides the motor force necessary to circulate the attic air by utilizing integrated PV cells and an electric fan.  Using the free energy from the sun, the fan adds nothing to the existing electrical load.  The fans also work with the existing passive venting.  The force created by the solar fan expels air from the interior space, but also brings in fresh air from the outside through the existing vent system.  This creates the continuous circulation effect necessary to bring down attic temperatures.

Solar attic fans come in different types, include those for shingle roofs, flat or tile roofs, and can even be installed as a gable mount.  They come in different sizes based on the amount of attic space in the house.  Sizes are notated by watts – ten, 20 or 30 watts are common sizes.  Installation is easy and can usually be done in less than an hour.

Solar attic fans are also available for commercial or industrial building applications as well.

Arizonan’s can check out Natural Light Energy Systems for more information on solar attic fans, or they can contact Harmon Solar about these fans and other means of using your attic to conserve energy and reduce your electric bill.

Scott
PV System Design