There was a time not too many years back, when a person had to be a bit of a fanatic to go through the hassle of running “anything” off of solar power. Oh sure it was good for the environment but the benefits pretty much stopped there.
Lets face it. The parts and components were expensive and difficult to get, then when a person did get them the whole mess had to be rigged together. So in the end, the solar “stuff” ended up costing more than simply paying for the power.
So now all that has changed. Complete ready to go solar kits are readily available online and all the ceiling fan makers have their own solar powered outdoor electric ceiling fan lines. Everything's all ready to go and it's also now even cost effective to go solar.
So just what are the pros and cons? What are the up and the downsides of going solar vs the up and the downsides of going with a standard 110 volt household power fan unit?
The first real benefit of any solar fan now is cost. Once you get the whole thing hooked up, the power is free and not only that, it's carbon and guilt free as well. For any ceiling fan, this is especially nice because you can run it full time, 24 hours a day.
Another benefit of a solar powered outdoor electric ceiling fan, is they are a great solution in remote locations. A gazebo or work-shed in the back of your yard, a cabin or even a patio that doesn't have a ready electrical outlet on the ceiling. No running power? No problem.
So now for the downsides and there are a few of them to consider. For instance, to start off with there is considerable added initial expense with solar power. The added expense basically involves buying the solar panel and its attachments.
The next downside of solar is that unless you have a large solar panel that can produce enough power to be converted to 110 volts and have enough amperage, there is a power deficiency issue. Yes you can run your fan but it just won't push a lot of air like a standard powered unit.
Then there is the design down sides of the solar powered outdoor electric ceiling fan. Most are rather plain and utilitarian in appearance but that is changing. Even so, you just aren't going to have the wide range of choices that you have with the standard outdoor electric ceiling fan.