Solar Attic Fan

5 Advantages Of Getting A Solar Attic Fan

Author: Brett Stephens

Are you currently using an electric attic fan or some sort of electric ventilation system at home? Then have you ever thought of installing a solar attic fan? When most people think of solar products, they immediately think "expensive!", but when we investigated getting a solar powered attic fan and compared it to conventional ventilation systems, it was obvious which way we were going to go.

There are so many clear benefits for getting a solar attic fan, that you would be crazy not to invest in one. But before we delve into the reasons for buying one, we will quickly explain how a solar powered attic fan works:

A solar attic fan is a solar powered vertical turbine, that is installed on the highest point on your roof - usually the attic (hence the name). As soon as the sun hits the solar panels, the turbine starts to spin, drawing warm air out of the house.

As the sun rises further and the temperature in the house rises, the warm air in the house naturally rises to the attic, where it is then sucked out by the fan. This warm air is replaced by cool air that is drawn in from outside. And your house stays cool!

Okay, now that you understand how it works, let's explain why a solar powered attic fan is such a good investment:

1 - Easy Cheap Installation:

When electric attic fans are installed, they need to be wired up to your electricity. This wiring obviously needs to be done by a qualified electrician with an electricity permit and inspection. This costs money, and it can take up to 6 hours to get the system working.

On the other hand, a solar attic fan has its own power source - the sun - so no wiring is needed. This means you require no electricity permits to install the fan. All you need to do is follow the accompanying step-by-step instructions. And at most it will take you 2 hours to get it working.

2 - Non-Stop Operation:

With an electric attic fan, to save power, it is usually equipped with a thermostat. This regulates the operation of the fan, so that it only spins once the attic reaches a certain temperature - usually 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The drawback to this is that by the time the ventilation starts the house is already warm (remember warm air rises), so it will take some time for it to cool down.

However, since a solar powered attic fan uses no electricity, it can operate all day long, from when the sun rises until a little after the sun sets. So air is constantly circulating in your home, regardless of the temperature, keeping your home well-ventilated and cool.

3 - Prolongs Roof Life:

If you haven't installed an attic fan yet, then maybe it is time you invested in a solar attic fan. The reason?

During cold winter months heat trapped in your attic can melt snow on your roof. As the the water trickles down, it collects and refreezes in the cooler eaves or gutters, leading to costly and destructive ice damming. By having a solar powered attic fan, it requires minimal sunlight to operate and keep the attic cool.

Furthermore, warm moisture from showering and cooking tends to rise and get trapped in the attic. This leads to mold and mildew that can saturate your insulation and cause fungal decay and destruction of your roof frame and decking. With a solar attic fan, the attic stays well-ventilated, preventing any mildew from growing.

4 - Did We Say Free Energy?

Electric ventilation systems tend to use a lot of power, leading to higher electricity bills, especially during summer months.

Whereas, with a solar powered attic fan, it requires none of your household power to operate. All it needs is some sunlight - which when we last checked was FREE. So the only cost you have to worry about is the initial investment. After that, it costs absolutely nothing to operate it.

Also, most states offer tax incentives for installing renewable energy technology at home. This lowers the initial cost of a solar attic fan.

5 - Reduce Your Carbon Footprint:

Electric fans need power to operate. And where does that power come from? Well, burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and nuclear power station - which all emit carbon that pollutes our air and causes global warming.

A solar attic fan, on the other hand, use no electricity, so it helps reduce your carbon footprint, thus helping the environment.

So many people talk about "green this" and "green that", but very few actually get involved. Now that you know how easy, cost-effective, and "green" it is to install a solar powered attic fan, you can "walk the talk" and actually live a greener, cleaner life.

A DIY installed solar attic fan starts at around $400 (excl. tax and incentives), which is a small price to pay for free ventilation and reducing your energy dependence.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/5-advantages-of-getting-a-solar-attic-fan-852856.html

About the uthor

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. He recommends you Try Earth4Energy For FREE before you go out and start any home solar power project.

Solar Electric Power Systems-Cheapest Solar Electric Power Systems

Author: N Jamal

Solar power is the energy of the future. Learn how to get cheapest solar electric power systems. A few of the several advantages of solar energy are first and foremost its free, easy to harness and is capable to provide more energy than what is needed by most homes.

You may be aware that a commercially sold solar panel has its worth in thousands of dollars. But, did you know you can go solar for a fraction of that cost. To be specific, you can go solar for as little as $200!

Why Go Solar?

Solar panels are made up of small PV cells, also known as photovoltaic cells. The PV cells capture sun light and store it in a battery. The energy stored in the battery is then transformed into usable electricity using an inverter. Solar power is a renewable resource of energy and free to harness once you have installed solar panels.

Installing ready made solar panels can be pretty expensive and can cost you anywhere from $10,000 - $18,000 to solar power you entire home. You can solar power your whole house for a fraction of this amount if you learn how to build solar electric power systems. Building these systems from scratch is cheap and easy; all the required raw materials can be easily bought from the local electrical or hardware store. This also cuts down on any further impact on the environment as the solar panels do not go through any manufacturing processes.

Going Solar Is Easy!

Various kits are available to download from different vendors that will teach you to build solar electric power systems. The downloaded kits include steps for calculating the actual electricity that you need from solar panels based upon your electricity bills. Once you have that information you can start building your own solar panels, typically you can easily build a 100 watt solar panel in a day very easily.

Now, that’s not something very substantial, but when you can easily redo the whole process over and over again, you can completely go off-grid with a few days of work and perhaps sell back the extra power back to the utility company. Now, how is that for a change? You’ll get a check from the utility provider!

Save Heaps!

Once you install solar electric power systems, the systems will pay for themselves many times over the course of their life. Generally, solar panels have an average lifetime for 25-30 years requiring no to little maintenance. So, you do the math here and calculate how much you are set to save!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/solar-electric-power-systemscheapest-solar-electric-power-systems-1483741.html

About the Author

Stop paying your energy bills and throwing money out of the window. Learn how to build Solar Electric Power Systems for a very small and affordable investment! Learn how thousands of people worldwide have slashed their electric bills by 80% and at times completely eliminated them by using the Best DIY Solar Power Guides on the planet, that have step by step instructions and videos that even a novice teenager can follow to make solar panels.

Solar Electric Power Systems-Learn How to Build Solar Electric Power Systems

Author: N Jamal

The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Learn how to build solar electric power systems easily and save $1000’s on utility bills forever. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to build your own solar panel for electricity

If you want to learn how to build solar electric power systems, you'll need to learn some basics on how exactly do solar panels work. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle.

The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun's energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. To get them correctly installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top.
Power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the usable electrical power that we need to power the home appliances.

Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power to different parts of your house or office for use.

The unused electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid all the way through the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy.

Learning how to build solar electric power systems isn't really a difficult task. You don't require many skills beyond being able to handle wiring & basic tools with care and safety measures.

The components needed for constructing solar panels include:-

1. Solar Cells
2. Sheet Plywood
3. Copper Wire
4. General Tools (Drills, screwdrivers, woodwork glue etc)
5. Clear PVC Sheeting

All these components can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay.

Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find when trying to build your own solar panels. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals. We have reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn how to build your own solar panel system for electricity. Go ahead and check them out NOW……learn how to build solar electric power systems and STOP paying for electricity…FOREVER!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/solar-electric-power-systemslearn-how-to-build-solar-electric-power-systems-1497744.html

About the Author

Stop paying your energy bills and throwing money out of the window. Learn how build Solar Electric Power Systems, easily and save $1000’s on utility bills forever! Learn how thousands of people worldwide have slashed their electric bills by 80% and at times completely eliminated them by using the Best DIY Solar Power Guides on the planet, that have step by step instructions and videos that even a novice teenager can follow to generate solar power.