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Only if an electrical source is not close by. For the $300 or so price of solar roof vents as opposed to less then $50 for any standard gable vent it aint worth it. But.... consider what an Electrician might charge to run a power source for a standard gable vent. Weigh the difference. The cost of power is too minimal to measure.
We have a solar roof fan/exhaust. We installed it on our very sunny roofline that was easy to access at the time of our addition to the house.
We figured that we might as well have the sun do the work since it was cooking up the roof so much anyway. We have electric available right near it, but that wasn't the issue.
Even our electrician agreed with us, as he has them at his home as well. It works perfectly and we have had it now for 3 years. Worth every penny and doesn't cost anything after the fact.
What's the point of paying the electricity on a standard roof vent fan if it can be powered free by the sun?
I installed one in my house last summer. It runs on its own all the time.
Hard to tell if it makes a big impact on the electric bill. I added it along w/ sealing the ducts, and tinting the windows. All combined, it cut the bill in half but not sure what percentage the fan contributed.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bellalunatic
We have a solar roof fan/exhaust. We installed it on our very sunny roofline that was easy to access at the time of our addition to the house.
We figured that we might as well have the sun do the work since it was cooking up the roof so much anyway. We have electric available right near it, but that wasn't the issue.
Even our electrician agreed with us, as he has them at his home as well. It works perfectly and we have had it now for 3 years. Worth every penny and doesn't cost anything after the fact.
What's the point of paying the electricity on a standard roof vent fan if it can be powered free by the sun?
That's a good way to look at it, but another might be that there are much larger savings to be had as far as power consumption is concerned. A typical roof turbine draws about as much power as a 60-120 watt light bulb. It takes a long time to payout the solar equipment upgrade and labor by turning off a light bulb. Assuming $0.12/kW hour, $300 for the solar upgrade, ignoring labor and running the turbine 12 hours a day, 365 days each year, "payout" would occur in a little less than 7 years. I think that installing a good thermostat switch probably makes at least as much sense (assuming you don't already have one), but you may be a lot better off putting any of that money towards insuring that your house is properly insulated.
Last edited by jimboburnsy; 04-24-2009 at 12:05 PM..
Many homeowners are recognizing the benefits of solar power. They want to save as much money as they can and are making the decision to install solar roof vents as part of an overall plan to save money. With a solar roof vent, you are not only doing something to help yourself save money, you are also helping to keep the environment cleaner and safe.
Many homeowners are recognizing the benefits of solar power. They want to save as much money as they can and are making the decision to install solar roof vents as part of an overall plan to save money. With a solar roof vent, you are not only doing something to help yourself save money, you are also helping to keep the environment cleaner and safe.
Your logic is correct.
But the numbers say other wise (if your attic heat is radiating into the living area of a home, and the AC is having to work ever harder- where's the savings).
I'm not a real fan of Tim's but, he makes very valid points here- Attic Fan
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