Should I have a solar attic fan installed instead of a hard-wired one?

Question

I like the idea of using solar instead of electric. But how can you turn it off in an emergency like a house fire? If it stays on, wouldn't it fuel the fire? Also, my house faces west & the fan should be on a southern exposure. Can it face west instead? Who would install it? An electrician or ???

Answer 1

A hard-wired fan will be more reliable, if you can run power to it.  We got a solar fan, but the panel burned out after just 2 years.  Solar fans are pretty weak, nothing like the tornado that comes from a plug-in attic fan.

Answer 2

This article, http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/rea... recently appeared in the newspaper.  The author has done some testing and analysis and decided they are not a real good idea, for the reasons listed in the article.