A Comprehensive Overview of Solar Powered Fan: Benefits, Types, and More

Scorching summer days can be too much!

Wondering what can be an environmentally friendly and affordable solution? Well, we’d vouch for a solar fan!

A solar powered fan operates with solar power in place of electricity. It is a mechanical fan that receives power from solar panels. 

A solar panel fan works on the similar phenomenon on which the solar lights work. The solar panels providing power to such appliances are device-mounted or fixed as independent installations.

Most solar fans do not need a secondary power source apart from solar energy when they are used for cooling in the daytime. 

Besides, a solar panel fan can also be utilised for heating applications. Notably, such devices run the fastest when the weather outside is super hot.

There are various solar powered fans available in the market, in different shapes and sizes. But they all work on the same phenomenon of harnessing power from the sun. 

You can find small fans for your summer outings or campings. Besides, large roof-installed fans are also available for big rooms at homes or offices to offer you a cool breeze on sunny days.

What are the Different Types of a Solar Panel Fan?

Let us explore various types of solar fans available in the market.

• Solar Roof-Mounted or Ceiling Fans: A roof-mounted solar panel fan facilitates the reduction of heat from the ceiling or attic. 

These fans are installed on the ceiling as per the requirement to replace the heat in the room with cool air. They come in different designs to complement your interiors.

• Pedestal Solar Powered Fan: Now, pedestal fans are also available as Solar-driven fans. These are standing devices that come in a wide range of sizes. 

They offer features like AC/DC automatic conversion, multi-speed airflow, and left and right oscillation.

• Desk Solar Fans: Such fans are medium-sized solar fans similar to conventional desk fans. But, they work in conjunction with mounted solar panels for power storage. Desk solar fans offer considerable airflow with varying air speeds and directions. 

Moreover, some solar power fans also have an additional feature of USB ports for charging mobile phones and other devices.

• Floor Solar Fans: A floor solar powered fan is ideally used for emergencies. These fans mostly come with an LED light bar. They are very useful during a power failure and come with the capability to run continuously for eight hours.

What are the Pros And Cons of A Solar Powered Fan?

There are many advantages of using a solar panel fan. Let us discuss them!

• Environment-friendly: A solar fan is an environmental-friendly cooling solution as it uses renewable solar power and reduces carbon emissions. Also, it helps to eliminate the long-term dependency on fossil fuels.   

• Efficiency Directly Proportional to the Weather: When the weather is hotter outside, your solar HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning) system works more productively. Remarkably, a solar fan utilises extreme weather for its optimum functioning.

• Returns on Cost: The cost upfront for the installation of a solar powered fan may be a bit expensive. Nevertheless, it starts offering returns on the cost. This is because these fans do not rely on the electricity supply from the grid & facilitate saving on bills.

• Saving on Air-conditioning Costs: A solar powered fan can help to reduce the load on the air-conditioning unit of your home or office. It helps to save on your costs of air-conditioning. In the long run, it may slash up to 30% of your air-conditioning costs.

• No Risk of Electric Mis happenings: Any risks of electric accidents are not there, as a solar powered fan does not have any electric wires attached to it.

• Mobility: As a solar panel fan is a cordless appliance, it offers high mobility compared to standard electricity-operated fans.

However, a solar fan does have some disadvantages that you should be aware of.

• There is a high initial investment for installing roof-mounted or solar attic fans. However, they rarely have any maintenance cost post installation unless there is any damage.

• A Solar powered fan has comparatively lesser power output than a conventional fan. Also, a Solar panel fan works efficiently only when there is hot weather outside.

• Some solar fans do not have built-in batteries to store power for later use. Hence, they require additional batteries. Otherwise, they cannot work at night.

How to Select The Appropriate Solar Powered Fan?

A Solar-driven fan that is most appropriate for your requirements relies on the place where you will be installing it. 

For those who are seeking a solar panel fan for personal use, a wide variety of compact models are available. Such compact models are lightweight & have easy portability. 

They are enough to offer significant cooling to one person and can be used during camping, lounging, or walking.

Apart from these, there are way larger solar powered fans available on the market. Those are capable enough to cool large rooms in bungalows. 

Generally, such fans mention how many cubic feet (or sq ft) they cover and the airflow creation in CFM (cubic feet per minute). 

Notably, concerning larger fans, you need to consider a few things before their installation, such as how far from the fan the solar panel can be mounted.

Conclusion

Solar-powered appliances are gaining considerable attention across the globe. A great way to utilise solar energy is by investing in a solar powered fan. 

These fans are advanced appliances used in homes & offices which operate through solar radiation. To ascertain the most suitable solar panel fan, you need to do a detailed analysis of the place of installation. 

Get a suitable solar fan installed at your place and take a greener step towards the environment!

FAQs

Q. Can we use a solar powered fan outdoors?

The solar fans are appropriate for outdoor usage. If you are travelling for a remote vacation, solar powered fans are the best on-the-go cooling options. 

Also, if you are going out camping where there will be no electricity, these fans are useful.

Q. What is the average price of a solar fan?

The average price of a solar powered fan is around USD 575 – USD 775 (Approximately Rs. 45,673 – Rs. 61559). 

Besides, the installation expenses for such fans depend on the type of the fan itself.

Q. How to select the ideal solar powered fan?

To select the most suitable solar fan, you should evaluate every product concerning its installation requirements, cooling capacity, and additional features. 

Also, you must go through reviews for the selected models before finalising the ideal one. It helps to know their usability and weak points. Lastly, look for fans with a longer warranty period.