How much do solar-powered attic fans cost?

There has been a steady acceptance of renewable energy sources for a wide range of residential uses. This is seen in solar attic fans. With these types of fans, less energy is consumed which in turn reduces your monthly energy costs.

More importantly, your attic stays cool during hot summer days.

Average Cost Of Solar Attic Fan Installation

Here, we’ll be discussing the cost implications of installing solar attic fans. In other words, we’ll find out how much it costs to have solar fans installed in the home.

So, if you’re planning on having an attic fan installed in your home, the information here should prove highly useful as we cover a wide range of areas.

Solar and Dual-Powered Fans

Solar fans provide a wide range of benefits as they cater to your attic cooling needs.

Also, there’s the venting out of moisture from your unit which prevents attic mold issues. With solar fans, noise is eliminated in addition to promoting lower energy consumption.

These attic fans also prolong the lifespan of your roofs. Now, some fans are purely solar-powered as well as those that are dual-powered.

The difference between the two is that dual-powered fans are designed to use solar when the sun is out, and switch back to electricity or grid power at night or when it’s dark.

  • Solar Attic Fans Work Best when there’s Adequate Sunshine

Solar attic fans are designed to work best on hot summer days when the sun is out in full strength.

These are periods when attics trap the most heat. However, with these ventilation systems in place, a lot of the heat is dissipated or vented out by solar fans.

As evening approaches, there’s no more sunlight to power these fans. During such times, your attic may harbor some heat that requires venting. This is where hybrid systems (dual-powered) attic fans work best.

  • The Need to Install Dual-Powered Fans

When you have a dual-powered attic fan, you get the best of both worlds (solar, and grid power). On cloudy days, your solar fan won’t function as effectively as you’ll want.

With dual-powered fans, there’s an automatic switch to grid power. At night the same thing happens when there’s no sunlight for these fans to function.

How Much Does Solar Attic Fan Installation Cost?

Homeowners seeking to go green will find solar attic fans interesting. It’s necessary to note that solar fans are more costly when compared to other types of attic fans like passive and electric fans etc.

The national cost average is $450 with an average range of $225 to $850.

The maximum cost of installation for solar attic fans is around 1,500. For the most part, homeowners are likely to pay anywhere from $300 to $1,000 for installing such a fan.

The larger your attic is, the bigger the solar fan it will require. Your preferred solar fan size may increase your installation costs.

  • Dual-Powered Attic Fan Installation Costs

Although the focus is on solar fan installation costs, we’ve included hybrid fans because these also have a solar component to power them. They’re designed to work with either solar or grid power.

Similar to solar attic fans, the installation process costs between $300 and $1,000.

Benefits of Solar Attic Fan Installation

Like all attic fan types, solar fans vent out moisture while also helping to lower attic temperatures.

This drops the workload of your home’s air conditioning units, thus making them last longer. There are certain areas where solar attic fans measure much better than others.

These include less noise being produced, as well as lower energy bills at the end of the month. What more? Your carbon footprint is significantly lowered.

If you’re confused by any of these points, you shouldn’t worry as we will briefly explain what they mean.

  • Less Noise being Produced

One feature that sets the solar attic fans apart from the rest is their ability to function silently.  Quite a several solar fans have a bad rep for working noisily.

This situation can become unbearable when they need to work round the clock. With solar fans, such noise is eliminated. They work without any disturbance.

  • Lower Energy Bills

Due to their design, solar attic fans are meant to work entirely on renewable energy sources. There’s no need to connect to grid power. So, unlike grid-powered systems, there’s no added energy cost at the end of the month.

Plus, you save significantly over a long period.

  • Lower Carbon Footprint

Green energy sources like solar eliminate the need for continuous dependence on non-renewable energy sources.

One of the immediate benefits derived is a reduction of strain on your HVAC system. The cooler your attic becomes, the less work your HVAC system needs to do to lower your home’s temperature.

This might not sound like a lot, but your carbon footprint is reduced or limited by this green approach to attic cooling.

Getting the Best Attic Installation Deal

When homeowners seek solar fan installation, one of the primary considerations has to do with the cost of the procedure. One way to get the best deal possible is by getting as many as 3 to 5 estimates from different contractors.

When compared, there’s a clear difference between these estimates. You get to choose or go with the technician offering the best possible cost for the project.

However, it’s important not to get overly hooked on seeking lower attic fan installation costs.

There should be a balance between cost and job quality. In other words, having an assurance of an installation job is done right is vital. You may wish to find out about the contractor from customer reviews.

Reviews provide helpful tips for avoiding incompetent solar attic fan technicians.

Will DIY Installation Reduce Costs?

Some homeowners (especially DIY enthusiasts) may wish to adopt the DIY approach as a means to lower solar fan installation costs. While this may be a creative way to limit your costs, your competence matters.

As a homeowner, you’ll have to be competent enough to carry out this type of installation.

This will involve climbing up your roof or gable. For a lot of people, such actions are scary. So, are you cut out for this type of job? If you aren’t, it’s best to have the pros handle your installation.

To know the definite costs of your solar attic fan installation project, it’s best to have a licensed technician come over to inspect the job. You’re also likely to benefit from their recommendations.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *