Even before there was the specter of rising energy costs and all the other now so obvious reasons to go green, the outdoor solar fan still had plenty of sensible applications. Vacation cottages that were powered by generators, out of the way gazebos and greenhouses and even attics have all been cooled and vented by this technology for decades now.
Completely Guilt Free Power Consumption
Roof mounted photo-voltaic panels for an outdoor solar fan
However the times have changed as has the impetus for people to go solar, so now more people than ever are toying with the idea of all types of solar powered utilities. Hey! It's completely guilt free power consumption that you can literally leave on all the time!
A Low Voltage (no inverter) Solar Powered Fan Will Push Less Air
Even so, unless it's approached properly and with full knowledge of the subject, going solar can and often is still more expensive in the long run than simply paying for the power. Also many people find out the hard way that low voltage solar power “anything” generated from a panel on their roof most often, simply doesn't have the kick of an appliance powered from your local electrical company. (110v)
Your Initial Investment May Be Just That - An Initial Investment
A Solar powered attic fan
Yet one more rude awakening for so many people who begin pricing solar powered appliances, is that the cost of the appliance itself almost always doesn't include the solar generating equipment, which all too often is where the lions share of the total costs are incurred. On top of that, the initial power generating unit is almost always just the beginning of larger things to come, as new appliances are added on.
The Pros and Cons Of Going With a Twelve Volt System
One basic rule that you can go by in the beginning, is that going 12 volt with your outdoor solar fan means that you can power it with a smaller solar panel and you won't need a power inverter. However; on the flip side, 12 volt appliances including fans just aren't going to have the power or (punch) that higher voltage units will. Even so, far small one room or low demand applications, you may well get by just fine with 12 volts.