There are many ways to stay cool and comfy during summer: eating ice cream, drinking lemonade, and sitting near a fan, to name a few. If your home has an attic, do you ever consider staying cool up there when it’s hot out?
For most, the answer is a resounding no. This is because in most attics, the heat of summer is not limited to only outside, and the cost of cooling the attic is almost as bad as the inefficient fans themselves. Keep the attic cool and reduce energy costs this summer by installing solar powered attic ventilation for this space.
Attic Fans
Solar powered attic fans use active draft ventilation, as opposed to the passive draft ventilation used by attic fans that consume residential energy. What this means is that solar fans push hot air through the attic and out the vent, lowering the attic temperature. In contrast, passive draft ventilation pushes hot air through the vents, which creates a draft, but does not actually lower the attic temperature.
When completely under the exposure of the sun, a solar fan moves 850 to 1550 cubic feet per minute. A fan knows just how to cool attic spaces based on the amount of wattage it has. A higher wattage fan will move more air than a lower wattage fan. The wattage necessary for your attic largely depends on the size of it.
To determine the proper amount of attic ventilation you can use an attic fan calculator.
Installing a solar attic fan is also the best way to cool attic spaces because of the savings that will be acquired. A solar fan operates using only the power provided by the sun, completely eliminating the cost of attic ventilation from energy bills.
Erase a portion of the energy bill
Any device labeled “solar powered” uses only the energy provided by the sun for operation. Solar powered attic ventilation allows for complete removal of attic ventilation from the energy bill. Knowing the exact amount of savings depends on factors such as climate, attic size, and electricity rates. However, on average, the fan pays for itself within the course of 1-2 summers.
With the temperature in the attic less than before, the amount of energy required to cool the rest of the home will become less as well. When you have more control over the temperature in your home, you will see a decrease in the overall energy bill during this stickiest time of the year.
Attic Breeze solar powered attic ventilation has been recognized among the best in energy efficiency devices by the Eureka! Awards council in Texas. The fans they provide continuously work to save both energy and money for the average homeowner. With solar powered attic ventilation, you can expect to easily reduce not only the amount of heat coming from the attic, but the burden on your residential energy supply and energy bills as well.