Attic Fan Vs Wind Turbine

Turbine type vents may be electrically powered or they may turn as the wind blows.

Attic fan vs wind turbine.

A turbine is installed directly on the top of a roof and uses wind power to suck hot and humid air out of the attic. It is costing you to run the attic fans. A solar fan doesn t rely on the wind and it actually has a more powerful motor in it so it keeps the temperature of your attic regulated regardless of wind conditions. Unlike turbines this venting style does not have any moving parts.

The wind rotates the fan blade causing air movement in the attic as air is pulled out through the turbine and replaced with outside air. Good attic ventilation is important for preventing ice dams in the winter. A solar fan is able to actively pull more air into your attic than a turbine can. My experience with the attic fan usually 1500 cfms is that they don t stay ahead of the heat production during full sun and only help in late afternoon.

These can be ridge vents wind turbines or the flat vents your roofer wants to install. A turbine has a series of vanes that spin as wind passes through them. A ridge vent runs across the top of the roof s peak. You would probably benefit more with the wind driven turbines than the attic fans.

Ft of vent space half dedicated for air intake in the soffits and the other half for exhaust on the roof. Solar fans don t require any electricity wind or attic pressure to spin. Use an electric motor to create a draft that pulls air out through the fan.