home depot selling solar attic vents?

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #32
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    Greif,

    Neat--you have solar hot water... I would love to read about them (brand, the good, the bad, the ugly). I have solar PV Grid Tied system for my home. I keep kicking around the solar hot water system (two girls that like long hot showers).

    Around here, from looking at roofs, most of the thermal panels seem to be pretty much useless (broken, falling apart, not maintained) after about 5-10 years (and we don't have snow/salt fog/high winds--just earthquakes).

    You could start another thread on that.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #33
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    that'd be good reading. even you could start it off bill as i'd like to hear what you've observed out there. have you thought of making one and what stops you? would be worthwhile i think.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #34
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    I did start a solar hot water thread here awhile ago... Being that I am married and have two daughters--just not the environment for home brewing like when I grew up as a kid (with my friends back in the old neighborhood)... I could just imagine my wife killing me after I hung a couple of home made panels on the side of our home.

    So, I pretty much am just looking for a reliable system (20+ year--probably excluding the tanks that may need to be replaced every 8 years or so).

    Any way, I will find that old thread and give it a bump.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #35
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    i understand the married part as i too have one that loves to sit in wait for me to step out of line. the line's definition changes to suit them of course. anyhow, the concept and principles are so simple and yet it becomes complicated due to other factors. i don't think the freeze factor would be your problem though and that does much to circumvent some complexities.
    the subject of solar hot water is now continued elsewhere at solar hot water/heating
    http://www.wind-sun.com/smf/index.php?topic=1515.0
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #36
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    sure. I'll work on a new thread tomight
    greif
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #37
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    oops i see the one going already, i'll add to it
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #38
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    Noob, here. This is just the thread I've been looking for. There've been so many useful tidbits.

    I am considering a solar power retrofit just to power attic ventilation fans for a large volume hip roof in NW Florida. So, just to confirm:
    1) realgoods = ripoff? (I'm too new to know about any retailer or supplier.)
    2) Two 12-volt DC solar attic fans can reasonably be expected to draw 2 amps each?
    3) These two fans could use a 45-watt panel to power them?
    - Since 2 x 2 x 12 = 48, would 45 be enough?
    4) If I used with 4 fans, one 90-watt panel would be better than two 45-watt panels?
    5) I could hard wire the fans to the panel, with no need for inverters, batteries, etc?
    6) The best source(s) for purchasing said panel is(are)...?

    Thanks for your help. This is a great board.

    Real air machines hover.
    Go Gators!
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #39
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    Same questions as above. Need some attic ventilation and would like to use some solar powered.

    Does anybody have experience with any of the four brand name solar attic fans being sold in teh ~$400 range?

    Thanks,
    Justin
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #40
    Re: home depot selling solar attic vents?

    There was another thread on solar powered attic fans--and it may be just better to add venting (both eave and roof peak) to your attic (with wind turbines if the ascetics don't look too bad).

    I am not sure that a small panel and fan can move that much air (especially against back pressure)--and the life/cost benefits to spend the money on solar (and repairs as motors and panels fail) vs just adding venting. Roderick (see thread link below) said that his attic was cooler just because he put the extra holes in the roof--and did not even notice when the fan failed (actually, the solar panel failed).

    Here is the other thread attic cooling...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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