How Do Solar Power Attic Fans Work?

Solar power attic fans harness the sun's power to operate the motor of the fan to remove moisture and heat build up in your attic. It can help prolong your roof's life and save you money from having to run your air conditioner.  A solar attic fan is an easy way to provide your home with a motorized venting system, but without the need for any extra structural changes or electrical wiring.

How Solar Power Attic Fans Work
It’s important to ventilate your attic all year round. In cooler climates, ventilation will allow living space moisture to escape through your attic, and also decrease the risk of ice dams. In warmer climates, it’s necessary you ventilate the space in order to push the hot air out that gets trapped in your attic.

When an attic isn’t ventilated properly, it can lead to a list of issues, such as: 

• Buckling of roof
• Moisture accumulation in the insulation
• Mold and mildew growth
• Rotting of wood materials
• Ice damming
• Total roof failure

Solar attic fans work by lowering your home’s temperature, keeping your attic ventilated and dry and helping to maintain your roof’s structure. A solar attic fan cools your hot attic down by pushing the hot attic air outdoors and drawing the cool outdoor air in. By offering a constant and steady airflow in your attic, solar attic fans cause moist and warm air to vent out.

Types of Solar and Smart Power Attic Fans

Here's a look at some various solar attic fans:

1. Gable Attic Fan 14" with 40 Watt Solar Panel
   This solar attic fan has some great features, including an AC/DC Smart Inverter that will allow you to operate the fan off the sunlight in the daytime and electricity during the night. This will provide you with free ventilation all day long while keeping your attic cooler at night through the use of the cool outdoor air. 

2. 14" Solar Attic Fan 40 W Panel
   This 14 “ solar attic fan can be operated 24/7 since it has an inverter built right in that switches over to using electricity at night once the sun goes down. There's no need to turn the fan on and off, it has a preset thermostat built right in that will turn the fan on when it reaches 88 degrees and turns it off when its at 77 degrees. The DC motor is energy efficient and requires no maintenance. 

3. Smart Energy Saver Attic Roof Fan AFR SMT ES-2.0
   This is a three speed energy efficient attic fan that's controlled easily by an app on your smartphone or tablet. It's Electronic Commutated Motor (ECM) is extremely energy efficient. You control the fan through the Smart Control App which lets you see the humidity and temperature in your attic so you will know when to use the fan. There's an auto adjustment on this control, allowing you to set your attic fan only when you need it.

With solar and smart attic fans, you can operate your fan during the day for free with sunlight and continue running it at night with electricity. This provides you with free ventilation in the daytime and a cooler attic at night through the use of cooler outdoor air.

Have more questions about solar attic fans? We’d love to answer them! Call us here at WholeHouseFan.com at 1-661-775-5979 M-F 7 am – 5 pm PST.