Solar powered attic fans are easy to install and save you energy and money

Looking for a way to reduce electricity costs in keeping your home cool, as well as cutting down condensation and moisture in the attic?  Solar attic fans (also known as solar powered attic fans) are convenient and cost-effective.

If you want to keep your attic cool and dry, solar powered attic fans are one of the most inexpensive, functional solar gadgets to hit the market.  Powered 100% without any grid-based electricity, solar fans can be  installed in a matter of hours to immediately save you 30% or more in cooling costs.

Solar powered fans

Because heat rises, you need to work to keep temperatures down at home starting from the attic.  Trapped heat can make your air conditioning work even harder during summer months.  But, with a solar powered attic fan, you can tap into the very sunlight that is heating things up, to help lower temperatures and energy costs.

If you are considering installing a solar attic fan, many manufacturers and retailers sell models from which you can choose.  Before installing the device,  choose an area of your home that gets regular sunlight exposure.  With these electrical items, a solar panel absorbs UV light, which is converted into power to operate the solar attic fan.

Solar powered attic fans are sold at many hardware and home improvement stores, including Amazon.com.

In general, prices range between $250-500.  Solar attic fans are also eligible for energy efficiency tax incentives and tax credits.

Why not install a solar powered attic fan as a home improvement project this year?

Solar attic fans can save you money and your home!

Have you heard about solar attic fans?  Using free solar energy, these photovoltaic devices can help increase airflow through your attic, without hiking electricity bills.

Heat rises, which often makes the attic the hottest area of the home.  Add in trapped moisture, and anything you are storing up there will be damaged.

Over time, structural elements of your house will also suffer, unless you reduce the temperature and control moisture levels in the attic.  An added bonus is that, by cooling the rafters, the living spaces in your home will also take less energy to keep at a comfortable temperature.

With solar attic fans, you can use the convenient power of the sun to generate the electricity needed to keep the temperature of your attic within 5-15 degrees of your living spaces.  Air flow also prevents moisture build up.

If you are interested in installing a solar attic fan, you can use federal, state and local renewable energy incentives to allow you up to a 30% federal tax credit, and as much as 80% savings through state and local incentives.

That’s definitely something to celebrate this time of year!

Attic solar fan

Summer time is here – long, hot days, and warm, still nights.  Are you sweating yet?  Not if you have an attic solar fan!  This great little gadget is perfect for fanning hot air from the top of your home right outdoors, allowing for a much cooler, comfortable interior.  Consider that:

Installing a solar attic fan (or two) can help you reduce your air conditioning costs during warm months, cut down on damaging moisture that can lead to a number of structural problems, and even help save items that you may have in storage.  In short, a small investment with a huge return!

Lest you think that a solar attic fan is only useful during summer months, it can also help reduce humidity and keep a more consistent temperature all year round.

In the rafters of your home, temperatures can get to a sweltering 150 degrees F.  All that extra heat makes your A/C system have to work even harder – and you get to sweat even more.  Plus, when that electric bill comes each month, you’ll really get steamed!

An attic solar fan only costs you the price of the kit.  Once its installed (usually a do-it-yourself project), you can literally forget about it.  It draws energy from the sun and converts it into usable power.  No need for plugs or wiring.  Consider that the attic fan will have a lifetime of 10-20 years – perhaps longer than you’ll own your home.

Want to see how easy it is to put in a solar attic fan at your home?

So how much do solar powered attic fans cost?  This is truly the best part!  We’re talking several hundred, as opposed to thousands of dollars for a solar panel system.

Prices range from $300-600, and you may even be eligible for renewable energy tax incentives to help defray investment. Variation in cost is due to the manufacturer, ventilation capacity and whether you choose to include optional features such as a thermostat.

Like other solar panel systems, an attic solar fan can also increase the value of your home.  Many people are in the market for clean, green energy.  Its an additional selling point that could bring in a buyer – even in this tough market.

Do you have a solar attic fan?  Let us know what you like best, and if there is anything you would change if you could.

Solar attic fan kit

Installing a solar attic fan (or two) can help you reduce your air conditioning costs during warm months, cut down on damaging moisture that can lead to a number of structural problems, and even help save items that you may have in storage.  In short, a small investment with a huge return!

Its a great way to start to go solar at your home, from the perspective of cost, energy savings and ease of installation.  Homes that have wide attic spaces and ventilation are well suited for solar attic fans, but many houses with smaller above-ceiling spaces still may have room for an efficient attic fan.

Want to see how easy it is to put one in?  Just watch this video:

Installing a solar attic fan

Solar powered fans only require the cost of the kit itself.  Once you have them installed, they are virtually free.  No need for worries about increased utility bills.  In fact, during the warmest times of the year when you need the fan most, your fan will most efficiently operate.  Turn that hot sun on a “cool” setting and sleep easier, too.

Heat rises.  The temperature in an attic can reach 150 F on hot days, making the entire house feel warmer than it is, and also requiring you to crank the A/C.  With a solar attic fan, you can pump the extra heat out through ventilation without worrying about high electric bills, or the use of polluting coal-based electricity.

These fans are virtually maintenance free (plus the fact that many come with a warranty).  Because the installation and wiring is so easy, it could be a weekend project for you in early spring…. don’t wait until the hot days of May and June are upon you.

Take a walk through your local home improvement store soon and see if we can make you a “fan” too.

How about pool solar panels for your backyard?

Some may say that winter is not the best time to consider pool solar panels, but I respond with the question, “what time like the present?”  After all, at least 2-3 months of each year, many of us enjoy spending time in a swimming pool.  Some are fortunate enough to have pools in the backyard.  Add to that, the weeks of vacation that may take us to locales with swimming pools and its easy to realize that we probably spend more than 1/3 of our lives near a “water hole.”  To be honest, I must have pools on my brain, as this is the second swimming post I’ve published in the past few days.

The best things about pool solar panels are: (1) energy savings; and (2) low cost.  Some systems cost less than $100, and will save you many more times that in your monthly electric bill.  As summarized on the Build it Solar web site:

“Pool systems usually use simple, low cost, unglazed plastic collectors.  The pool itself is the thermal storage for the system, and the pump you already use for filtering pool water will also circulate water through the solar collectors.”

You can even go further than pool solar panels – why not use your solar attic fan to heat your pool with energy that would otherwise be released from your home:

With pool solar panels you can both heat and clean your family’s favorite summer hang-out destination.  By using the power of the sun instead of grid-based electricity, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint, while dipping your feet in the cool, refreshing waters of a swimming pool.

Pool Solar Panels keep conditions comfortable!

If you don’t want to use a solar attic fan to heat your pool, you can install solar thermal panels instead.  These can not only heat your pool, but also other water used in your household.  Solar Hot Water saves a tremendous amount of energy each year.

Pool solar panels are a popular topic!  Last year, we posted about Swimming Pools Warmed with Hot Water. We’ll do another post on where you can find pool solar panels, and even some directions to make your own, for the do-it-yourselfers!

Jump on in – the water’s fine!