Solar Fans

[SED]

I am thinking of building a large pole barn to house multiple open air chicken coops under and was thinking of adding some ceiling mounted fans in it to circulate air on hot days. Can you wire fans, maybe something like a cieling fan, on the inside of it and have them wired straight to solar panels (no batteries) so when the sun goes down and it cools off they would automatically stop since they would not be getting any sun?

 

[tiffanyg2]

I have seen these in Lowes~ they are not cheap but definately a great ideas~ wish I had the money!! http://store.sundancesolar.com/sofanwi10was.html

 

[philintheblank]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but do those solar panels needs sunlight specifically to function, or will they work if you mount it inside you coop and leave the light on??? just curious, then it doesnt matter if its cloudy or dark, the fan still turns when your coop is lit up, and if you put it infront of a south facing window, it will get sunlight too for most of the day

 

[BoltonChicken]

$180 for a four INCH fan?? I have three that size in my computer. Maybe, just maybe, this one may give relief to one very small pullet.
Six air changes per hour is only one every ten minutes. Not much in 100 degree heat. A 12" fan is not really suitable to cool down a 6 x 8' hen house
unless the ambiant temperature is below 85 degrees.

 

[LarryPQ]

I bought a 5 inch solar greenhouse fan on ebay for $55 with shipping. Works great so far....I have mine suspended in my open-air coop. That way, the chickens can stand under it if they need too.

I think it moves between 1200 and 1800 cubic feet of air per hour. I can't remember.

 

[bryan99705]

Might try looking into 12V ceiling fans for RVs, Chances are the solar systems is designed for 12V anyway. You might try checking out this site: GreenDIYenergy.com They have plans to build panels for $100 each plus info on rebates for using them

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
In principle yes (you need to do A BUNCH OF research and advice-getting from people who actually know what they're talking about in depth, in terms of sizing the panels to the fan).

In practice I am under the impression that unless your panels are considerably undersized to begin with (a bad thing, and not gonna be highly useful) you are likely to need some sort of controller to ensure that the fans don't get powered beyond what they are meant to withstand.

Am totally not an expert though... you need to talk to wiring-things-to-solar-panels people. RV fans are not going to be big enough to do much in a significant-sized coop btw... the o.p.'s idea of industrial-quality ceiling fans run by big solar panels purchased separately is much more in line with what you'd need.

Philintheblank -- the problem with putting solar panels indoors (inside windows) is that the glass blocks a nontrivial amount of sunlight and a normal-width window will chop the beginning and/or end off your daylength. So it will not work as well as if it were outdoors.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[jamband]

how big is this pole barn? ceiling fan or even greenhouse exhaust fans will do little on a decent sized pole barn......its too wide open to get the suction.. or will it have sides? I would put a ridge vent in the roof to let the hot air leave. maybe even if no wall if the roof is big enough a greenhouse type exhaust in the gables might work ok. some more details about the barn would help.

 

[speedy2020]

Costco has artic solar panel with huge fan around $250 last month.

 

[jamband]

Quote:
there are several gable, roof, etc fans that are solar powered at the big box stores for 200 and up.......I think the pole barn size is the main consideration in what fan