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Solar Whiz

$45.00

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The Solar Whiz is a powerful heat extraction fan and solar roof ventilation system.

Give us a call on (03) 8395 3030 if you'd like to talk through details and work out a quote. We can also organise installation in Melbourne Metro areas and around our Newstead store (near Castlemaine in Central Vic).

*There will be shipping surcharges associated with these bulky items. We prefer that you give us a call to get a quote, but if you do order direct from the website we'll call you to arrange payment of the extra shipping.

Roof ventilation is important for home cooling in summer and great for reducing moisture levels and condensation in the roof space in winter. The ease of installation and flexible design that suits Australian roofs make the Solar Whiz suitable for a wide variety of uses.

They are effectively the same principle as the traditional passive whirly-bird roof ventilators, except many times more effective thanks to the solar powered extractor fan. By extracting the hot air from the roof and replacing it with cooler outside air the roof cavity temperatures are dramatically reduced.

How Ventilation Can Cool Your Home

Eliminating the heat build up in your roof space with a roof ventilator reduces the heat load on your ceiling insulation and slows the heat from penetrating into your living space. This results in lower internal temperatures and could save you hundreds of dollars on cooling costs by improving the efficiency of your existing air conditioning systems. They are especially effective with ducted air-conditioning systems, where the ducts can be running through incredibly hot roof spaces and gaining a lot of heat along the way. This will result in less efficient cooling, higher running costs and even totally ineffective cooling at the end of long duct runs.

In a hot Australian Summer roof cavity temperatures can easily reach 60-70C or more. Your (hopefully excellent) insulation helpes reduce the flow of this heat into your home, but these kind of extreme temperatures will still push quite a bit of heat through.

Other Uses

Apart from cooling your roof cavity, the Solar Whiz can also be ducted into interior spaces to help extract hot or stale air. The obvious uses for this are attic rooms, holiday homes, workshops or sheds, offices, plant rooms and a whole host of other industrial ventilation applications. The gable mount versions can also be used for underfloor ventilation to help manage moisture buildup and rising damp issues.

Sizing a Solar Whiz System

There is a range of sizes and styles of Solar Whiz available. The main factor to consider is the volume of the space that needs ventilating. See the rough guide below for recommendations.

The other factor to consider is good airflow. If you have a very long and narrow roof then a single unit in the middle will leave the ends still stagnant and hot. You're likely better off installing a smaller unit at each end. Likewise with L shaped houses or other shapes that prevent even airflow.

You need to consider where the replacement air is coming from (see Eave Vents below) and try to get as much of the space to be ventilated between the inlet (eave vent etc) and the outlet (Solar Whiz). If the air inlet is right next to the outlet then the air will flow straight from one to other and leave the rest of the space still.

Models

The SW-RAF700 extractor fan is suitable for small rooms and ideally cabins/portables/sheds which will provide enough roof ventilation for a standard pitched roof area up to around 10 squares or 90 square meters.

The SW-RAF900 extractor fan will provide enough roof ventilation for a standard pitched roof home up to around 16 squares or 150 square metres.

The SW-RAF1400 extractor fan would be suitable for those who want extra roof ventilation power and improved results or people with larger homes up to about 25 squares or about 225 square metres.

The more powerful SW-RAF2100 extractor fan is suitable for extra large homes up to about 33 squares or 300 square meters – it is also ideal for smaller commercial applications where significant amounts of air need to be moved. For example warehouses, factories, office buildings, sheds, stables, etc.

SW-RAF700 – Moves 700 m3/h (Cubic Metres of Air Per Hour)

Model	SW-RAF700
Capacity	700 Cubic Metres per Hour (m3/h)
PV Wattage	10 Watt
Fan Decible	<40 Decibels (dBA)
Dimensions	460mm × 260mm × 225mm
Weight	6kg
Night Operations	Yes, with Constant Current Module (add-on)

SW-RAF900 – Moves 900 m3/h (Cubic Metres of Air Per Hour)

Model	SW-RAF900
Capacity	900 Cubic Metres per Hour (m3/h)
PV Wattage	10 Watt
Fan Decible	<40 Decibels (dBA)
Dimensions	560mm × 360mm × 330mm
Weight	10kg
Night Operations	Yes, with Constant Current Module (add-on)

SW-RAF1400 – Moves 1400 m3/h (Cubic Metres of Air Per Hour)

Model	SW-RAF1400
Capacity	1400 Cubic Metres per Hour (m3/h)
PV Wattage	20 Watt
Fan Decible	<45 Decibels (dBA)
Dimensions	560mm × 360mm × 330mm
Weight	11kg
Night Operations	Yes, with Constant Current Module (add-on)

SW-RAF2100 – Moves 2100 m3/h (Cubic Metres of Air Per Hour)

Model	SW-RAF2100
Capacity	2100 Cubic Metres per Hour (m3/h)
PV Wattage	35 Watt
Fan Decible	<60 Decibels (dBA)
Dimensions	560mm × 360mm × 330mm
Weight	14kg
Night Operations	Yes, with Constant Current Module (add-on)

Your average whirlybird moves approximately 100 m3/h (very dependent on weather conditions), so Solar Whiz roof ventilator moves 7 times to 21 times more air.

The Solar Whiz extractor fan provides natural ventilation and roof cooling by replacing the hot air with cooler air pulled in through roof vents, under the eaves or other openings to the roof space. This normally enables you to maintain roof temperatures relatively close to the ambient temperature – and as a “flow on” effect reduces the need for alternative home roof ventilation.

On top of heat management, Solar Whiz assists with…

Moisture extraction,
Mould & fungi prevention,
Air conditioning improvement,
Exhaust control (for steam or smoke).

Accessories

Thermostats

The Fixed Thermostat is the standard accessory required for systems that are used to simply ventilate a roof cavity. Make sure you add one to your order if this is what you are doing. It switches the fan on automatically once the roof cavity temperature reaches around 30 degrees and will switch it off again once it has cooled down. This allows some beneficial heat to build up in your roof in Winter and saves wear and tear on the fan when roof cooling isn't necessary.

The Adjustable Thermostat is a wall mounted adjustable sensor and switch that provides complete control over when your Solar Whiz operates. During periods of exceptional heat, this could ensure Solar Whiz begins operations earlier, preventing heat buildup. Alternatively, you can deactivate the system to retain heat in Winter. These are ideal for ventilating habitable areas where you want to be able to sense the temperature in the room rather than at the fan and also where you may want to set the temperature much lower than the fixed thermostats ~30C.

Eave Vents or Roof Cowls are critical to ensure a good flow of fresh air to replace the hot air that has been extracted. A tile roof without sarking often has sufficient gaps between the tiles to allow adequate airflow. A tight tile roof or a metal roof requires added ventilation. This is usually done with Eave Vents, where a hole is cut into the eaves lining and a (bushfire rated) cover is installed. (Be very wary of asbestos cement sheet eaves linings!)

If you don't have eaves (e.g. a lot of modern houses, terrace houses that are joined to neighbours etc) then the best solution is usually roof cowl air inlets. These are fairly expensive to install though, as they are time consuming to cut the holes and get the flashing and waterproofing right.

The Night Operation Kit (also known as the Constant Current Module) is a useful addition that allows a Solar Whiz to be run during low-light hours such as heavily overcast days or after sundown. It plugs into a mains power outlet in the roof cavity and provides power when the solar panel isn't supplying enough. The thermostat will still determine when the fan switches on and off, meaning the fan can continue to run after sundown until your roof cavity or room drops below the set temperature. This is ideal for a tile roof, where the tiles can hold a lot of heat and keep radiating it long after sundown.

Model	ELEC124D
Components	Constant Current Module 24V 3A Power Supply
Weight	<1 kg

Suitable for all domestic sized units

Vents and Ducts

We also have a range of ceiling vents, ducts and attachments that make the Solar Whiz a very versatile system suitable for many situations. Ask us for assistance choosing which parts suit your needs.

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