Saying Hello and thanks for the Welcome!

[Solar Blaster]

My name is Dan Rheaume and I am the inventor of the worlds first solar powered ridge vent the RidgeBlaster. I also currently developing other products.
My first product was the RVOBlaster that comes in a kit form that retro fits to many types of existing vents on peoples homes.

My products reduce attic heat by pulling cool air in thru the many intake vents at the eve and exhausting hot air out the high point on the roof.

Unlike many solar vents on the market we take an entirely different approach that does the job correctly by using several small fans to uniformly remove hot air working with the existing design system of your roof.
Our products reduce interior heat by about 6 degrees when properly matched with good intake and insulation. When we reach our first goal of our products on one million homes we will effectively remove 50 million dollars per month from the power grid. Solar Blaster uses small solar panels and are affordable enabling people to save energy venting a long neglected space at an affordable price.
My company Solar Blaster is currently in Seattle Washington and has 3 employees.
Thank you for the welcome to your forum, I am an expert in my field and the only one in America approaching roof ventilation this way and would be happy to discuss
and answer any questions on what I consider to be a very exciting and affordable use of Solar.
[Mod: No advertising. URL has been deleted.]

[bonaire]

I know this is 1st post spamming and will probably be removed but my question to you is:

- what about winter? Does the fan shut itself off when the ambient temperature is below some set level, say 65*F? I don't want to vent heat in the spring/fall/winter when it can be useful to the house.

I find that the $50 Million/month number a little statistically inaccurate. What formulas were used to come up with that?

[Solar Blaster]

I know this is 1st post spamming and will probably be removed but my question to you is:

- what about winter? Does the fan shut itself off when the ambient temperature is below some set level, say 65*F? I don't want to vent heat in the spring/fall/winter when it can be useful to the house.

I find that the $50 Million/month number a little statistically inaccurate. What formulas were used to come up with that?

Oh crap,

I'm very sorry.

Please delete my post, I had no idea I was breaking the rules. My fault completely.

I would be happy to engage in discussion and answer your questions, where might I find the rules before I post again.

Dan

[russ]

The entire concept is a little bit off kilter. Solar powered attic fans - cab be used but are generally very overpriced compared to standard fans and as the companies hustling the things are small, new outfits there is often more energy involved than facts - like the 50 million $ figure - a wild assed guess taken from thin air - similar to vampire power in many cases.

[Sunking]

Standard wind turbines are more effective and much less expensive for older designs. There is no one method fits all attic ventilation method. It completely depends on your location and roof type. What I can say is it takes no mechanical means to ventilate your attic properly if designed to do so from the start.

[bonaire]

Also, a nice shade-tree or trees can do wonders. My mother's house has numerous large honey-locust trees enveloping it with summer-shade which easily drop the heat in the attic substantially over the 30 years they've been growing there.

[russ]

R50 attic insulation goes a long ways!

[Sunking]

R50 attic insulation goes a long ways!

Russ I am no ME and do not pretend to be. But the ME's that work for me say that is not a great idea as it can allow high moisture levels to accumulate. From what i understand there has to be min and max air exchange depending on your climate of heat, cold, and humidity. From what I ascertain in cold climates attic air circulation and R values is more important because escaping heat from the protected envelope melts snow and ice causing excess moisture to rot roof decking and causing ice bridges from daytime thawing.

I believe my ME guy's attic ventilation is more art than science and depends on location, climate, and roof design. Vents also mean openings for rain to enter. I don't think there is one size fits all approach. My home is designed for its location with light colored roofing (masonary barrel concrete tile Spanish style), high pitch angle, sophets and ridge vents with R-40 batts over the living envelope and clear sophets.

[inetdog]

Standard wind turbines are more effective and much less expensive for older designs. There is no one method fits all attic ventilation method. It completely depends on your location and roof type. What I can say is it takes no mechanical means to ventilate your attic properly if designed to do so from the start.

There are some studies which report that whirlybird (unpowered) attic vents do not do any better job than a simple pivoted vent which swings to face downwind. I do not know if there is any consensus about the validity of those reports yet. Those who are interested should do a literature search.

There does appear to be a consensus that the solar powered attic vents sold at big-box stores are useless.

[Solar Blaster]

There are some studies which report that whirlybird (unpowered) attic vents do not do any better job than a simple pivoted vent which swings to face downwind. I do not know if there is any consensus about the validity of those reports yet. Those who are interested should do a literature search.

There does appear to be a consensus that the solar powered attic vents sold at big-box stores are useless.

Yes, you are partly correct, large solar fans tend to rob from the passive system and therefore do not promote eve to ridge ventilation.

Homes are designed to have cool air come in the many intake vents at the eves and exit high on the roof.

Uniform venting across the entirety of the ridge line is the key.

Venting needs to be done summer and winter, summer to expel heat and winter to expel moisture.

The use of several small solar powered fans is the most efficient way to do this job and how roofs will be vented in the future.

[Solar Blaster]

I know this is 1st post spamming and will probably be removed but my question to you is:

- what about winter? Does the fan shut itself off when the ambient temperature is below some set level, say 65*F? I don't want to vent heat in the spring/fall/winter when it can be useful to the house.

I find that the $50 Million/month number a little statistically inaccurate. What formulas were used to come up with that?

Hey bonaire,

You want the fans to run whenever the sun is out summer and winter. You attic is designed to be at the outdoor air temperature. Condensation is a major issue with attic space causing mold mildew that can produce allergens.

Wood rot and de-laminated plywood are major issues where moisture is trapped.

One and one half percent moisture in insulation reduces the effective R Value by a whopping 33%. If you do not want to vent heat add more insulation it is how the system is designed.

I am a roofing contractor, warranty issues with improper venting is why I invented the Solar Blaster products.

Roof surface temperature can reach over 170 degrees on a 90 degree day, attic temperatures can reach over 150 degrees. Insulation LOADS UP and then begins transferring the heat into living space. Uniformly moving air is the ONLY way to properly ventilate attic space summer and winter and an area where Solar can return money in your pocket quickly.

[Solar Blaster]

The entire concept is a little bit off kilter. Solar powered attic fans - cab be used but are generally very overpriced compared to standard fans and as the companies hustling the things are small, new outfits there is often more energy involved than facts - like the 50 million $ figure - a wild assed guess taken from thin air - similar to vampire power in many cases.

Hey Russ,

Ok, let me address the 50 million dollar figure for you.

How much is your cooling bill in the summer? National average is around $200 bucks so let's use that for the sake of our discussion.

Average cooling burden is around 10 degrees in America people average cooling from 84 degrees interior to about 74 interior. Some of you rich guys cool to 68...

If my product reduces interior heat by 6 degrees, (which testing has proven) the we have reduced the cooling burden on your cooling machine in half. For a savings of around $100 bucks a month. Which will pay for the Solar Blaster system in about 6 months on an average home. That is electricity alone not counting the maintenance savings on your cooling machine or the many other benefits.
So let's cut that hundred bucks in half again. Just to be fair.. That's a savings of $50 bucks a month.

The system installed on one million homes saving each one $50 bucks per month will take $50 million dollars per month off the power grid.

Pretty Cool Huh?

[russ]

Russ I am no ME and do not pretend to be. But the ME's that work for me say that is not a great idea as it can allow high moisture levels to accumulate. From what i understand there has to be min and max air exchange depending on your climate of heat, cold, and humidity. From what I ascertain in cold climates attic air circulation and R values is more important because escaping heat from the protected envelope melts snow and ice causing excess moisture to rot roof decking and causing ice bridges from daytime thawing.

I believe my ME guy's attic ventilation is more art than science and depends on location, climate, and roof design. Vents also mean openings for rain to enter. I don't think there is one size fits all approach. My home is designed for its location with light colored roofing (masonary barrel concrete tile Spanish style), high pitch angle, sophets and ridge vents with R-40 batts over the living envelope and clear sophets.

Agreed - Many engineering areas involve a bit of magic - simply meaning that the science involved is either not understood or not well understood - heat transfer, how a building breathes, vibration and many other areas fall into that group.

Every location and type of construction have their own problems just like you say. Here you try to keep the heat out of the concrete structure - external insulation. In my location ,on a hillside by the bay, I try to use natural drafts. I have a HRV (heat recovery ventilation system) system that is a real saver plus transfers air around inside the envelope - concrete homes can be made very tight which leads to moisture/mold problems if one is not careful.

During the summer (now) I can still take a nap in an attic bedroom. I have yet to turn on the AC system here after three years.

[GeorgeO]

Hi from me too.

Hi, my first post too Hello everyone.

[russ]

Hi, my first post too Hello everyone.

Hi George - Welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

Russ