These fans are usually wired to run in one direction.
Attic fan direction.
With an attic fan you can cool the attic to the same temperature as it is outside greatly reducing the house from heating as quickly.
Attic ventilation fans whether hard wired or powered by their own solar panels seem like a low cost and effective way to help keep your house cool.
The downside of attic ventilation fans.
Its thermostat is installed in a control box and is prewired.
Some whole house fans however can be reversed to spin in the opposite direction.
Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness.
During the summer an attic can be 40 to 50 hotter than the outside temperature which in turn heats up the house very quickly.
Whole house fans are used to blow hot air out of the attic by sucking cool air through the house up though the whole house fan and out though the gable vents in the attic.
One static vent style is the turbine vent which uses wind to power its enclosed fan all it takes is a light breeze to rotate the blades and suck heat out of the attic view example on the home.
However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic.
Most houses only have one gable fan at one end and a vent the same size as the fan at the other end and of course the soffit vents.