SOUTH MIAMI Blog

Solar Attic Fans And How They Benefit Your Home

In South Miami, the sun burns down on your roof and attic temperatures can reach over 150 degrees without proper ventilation. Solar attic fans are a great way to improve the ventilation in your home. Without proper ventilation and air exchange, trapped Florida humidity can damage insulation, deteriorate your roof, cause fungal decay, and delaminate plywood. Attic ventilation in the form of a solar attic fan can help, and since it is powered by the sun, you won’t use additional electricity. As a result, solar attic fans remove excess heat from your home. Not only do they keep your attic cool in the summer, but they also offer a number of other benefits. The fans can help reduce your electricity bills y making your home more energy efficient, keep your roof structures and materials from deteriorating, prolong the lifespan of your roof and AC unit, and eliminate mold:

Relief for your A/C

Known as photovoltaic power, solar power used by the solar attic fan is not only free but can help reduce your utility bills by pushing hot air out of your attic. These fans are easy to install and maintain. On cloudy days, you don’t need to run an attic fan, and with solar attic fans, you only access the energy you need on the days you need it most, the hottest, sunniest days of the year, with no added expense. Especially during the summer months, solar attic fans can also provide great support for your insulation and A/C unit. The fans draw cooler air from outside and push the hot air back out, which can help to keep your home more comfortable.  

Attic ventilation

Keeping your home cool in the summer is important. But here in Florida, keeping your home cool is a year-long job. When many people think of comfort during scorching hot days and nights, they think of keeping the air conditioning strong. In truth, attic ventilation can help keep most homes more comfortable by removing excess heat with the added bonus of lower utility bills. Attic fans help to ventilate the largest portion of your home that A/C doesn't reach - the attic. This ventilation process allows your home to stay cooler longer because it's no longer working against the heat in your attic. Yearly savings from installing two fans in a house with just over 1,000 square feet of air-conditioned floor area amounted to only 460 kWh. Depending on what your utility charges, that's about $40 per year. Energy Star-rated solar attic fans qualify for a federal tax credit of 30 percent of your purchase and installation costs.

Support for your insulation

Attic insulation is the primary method builders use to keep heat from entering your home. This works great when the insulation is new, but over time excessive attic heat and moisture will degrade and compact insulation making it less effective at keeping out the heat. Ventilation is key to keeping your attic insulation effective. A solar attic fan helps extend the life of your attic insulation by continuously removing attic heat and moisture throughout the day. And by lowering the average temperature in the attic, your insulation actually works better and becomes more effective at reducing heat transfer into your home. When heat transfer from the attic is reduced, your home's cooling system doesn't have to work as hard to keep your home comfortable - resulting in lower energy bills. So if you're looking for ways to save money and keep your home comfortable, consider investing in a solar attic fan.

Extended lifespan of your roof

An attic fan can help to keep your home safe from humidity and heat damage. By ventilating the attic space, you're preventing the build-up of heat and moisture - two culprits that can lead to mold growth and wood rot and overall premature deterioration. 

Reduced carbon footprint and increased cost-effectiveness 

Unlike other attic fans, solar attic fans cost nothing to operate since they use solar energy and they even get financial support from the Federal Tax Credit Program as they are a renewable energy option. So if you're looking for an environmentally friendly way to improve ventilation and lower energy consumption in your home while saving money at the same time, consider investing in a solar attic fan.

Improved indoor air quality 

By reducing the amount of hot air and moisture in your attic, solar attic fans can help to improve the indoor air quality in your home which provides relief to your respiratory system. Your home’s air, which might be full of allergens, pathogens, viruses or other pollutants, will be exchanged constantly once the fans are installed and ventilate your home properly which means that they can help lower allergies and other issues for your family members.  

If you’re thinking about installing a solar attic fan, be sure to consult with a professional to ensure it’s installed properly as improper installation can void the warranty and cause damage to your home. It takes us only a very short time to install fans on your roof so you can start enjoying the benefits of solar attic fans right away. Our team from Koala Insulation of South Miami is here to help you and answer all your questions regarding insulation and solar attic fans during our free, in-home insulation evaluation. Contact us now!