Solar Fans for Greenhouses
Ventilation Requirements & Exhaust Snap Fans

Snap Fan is a family of DC powered high efficiency ventilation fans that operate directly from solar panels giving you the cooling effect needed when the sun is at its hottest.  Snap Fan is made in the USA.

Snap Fan is an ideal greenhouse fan and is also frequently used for other agricultural and horticultural ventilation, cooling and exhaust requirements.

Snap Fan Use In Greenhouses

Ventilation requirements in greenhouses vary with the weather and time of the year.  If you are using your greenhouse year round, ventilation needs can range from 100 percent air volume exchange per minute during the Summer to only 10 to 30 percent air volume exchange per minute from Fall to Spring.

A single fan cannot usually meet these ranges of air movement requirements.  It takes at least two fans, preferably one pushing and one pulling.  We have some other ideas about how you can expand the variability of you Snap Fans if you are willing to use 12 volt solar panels wired in series to make 24 volts during the peak of the Summer, and change the connections over to 12 volts during the times of the year when slower fans speeds will meet your requirements.

Here are some basic rules of thumb calculations for greenhouse air volumes:

• Medium to Large Greenhouses - Floor Length Feet x Floor Width Feet x 8

• Small Greenhouses Less Than 5,000 Square Feet - Floor Length x Floor Width x 12

Your Snap Fan selection should be based on the fan CFM capacity at .1 inches H2O.  Here's an example:

Small greenhouse 20 x 16 feet x 12 = 3,840 Cubic Feet

2 each 16 inch Snap Fans and 1 each 20 inch Snap Fan would make a good working combination with 2 fans pushing and one fan pulling would give you a good range of possible air flows.

See the fan specifications down the page for your fan selection.  Also see our Vari-Cyclone solar ceiling fans and our solar ceiling fan case study from Australia.

Snap Fan Performance Factors

Snap-Fans  have excellent performance and durability. This fan will provide you with many years of service with little maintenance, provided a few simple precautions are adhered to:

• Proper Placement - be sure to place the fan in a suitable location to adequately maximize air movement. Typically Snap-Fans are placed close to a room's ceiling to both exchange and circulate warm interior air with cool air from outside.

• The Elements - shelter your Snap-Fan from inclement weather and natural hazards such as, but not limited to, wind, water, rain, hail, dust, ice, snow and nesting birds. If you do not plan on using your Snap-Fan during wet, frozen winter months please remove Snap-Fan and store in a dry location until ready for use.

• Marine Hazard - Snap-fan must not be placed within 500 feet from saltwater environments as corrosion will prematurely wear out even the best of electronic equipment. Do not place this product directly or indirectly in contact with water, condensation, spray, or mist as such an environment will dramatically shorten the life span of this product.

• Caution - the blades of the Snap-Fan are built tough and they spin at high rates of speed, so extra precaution must be used when choosing a location to install your fan. With each installation site decision check to make sure the spinning fan blades are out of reach of humans and animals.

• OSHA requires finger guards for fans located less than eight (8) feet from the ground.

Completely Rebuildable

Constant use and abuse from nature will eventually wear some Snap Fan parts and components.  Replacement parts for every component are available. With simple tools and elementary mechanical skills you will be able to replace these parts with confidence.

Download the Snap Fan Installation and Exploded View Specification Document

Download the Snap Fan Installation Instruction Manual

Snap Fan 12 Inch

Download Specs for 12 Inch Snap-Fan
Download 12 Inch Fan Mounting Hole Diameter
Download 12 Inch Fan In Gable Example

Snap Fan 16 Inch

Download Specs for 16 Inch Snap-Fan
Download 16 Inch Fan Mounting Hole Diameter
Download 16 Inch Fan In Gable Example

Snap Fan 20 Inch

Download Specs for 20 Inch Snap-Fan
Download 20 Inch Fan Mounting Hole Diameter
Download 20 Inch Fan In Gable Example

Snap Fan 24 Inch

Download Specs for 24 Inch Snap-Fan
Download 24 Inch Fan Mounting Hole Diameter

Snap Fan 28 Inch

Download Specs for 28 Inch Snap-Fan
Download 28 Inch Fan Mounting Hole Diameter

Solar Powering Your Snap Fan

Snap Fans will operate on voltages from 12 to over 30.  The life of the motor brushes is shortened at higher voltages but they are easily replaceable.  One thing is for sure: these fans move more air with less energy than any comparable ventilation fans.

With Snap Fan you can purchase the fan only, or Snap Fan provides a kit for each fan size which includes the fan, finger guard, solar panel, breaker and breaker box and 15 feet of cables with quick disconnects.

We can almost always power your Snap Fan more cost effectively than the factory kit.

We can help you configure your Snap Fan and solar components to meet the requirements of your applications including the ability to use 24 volts and 12 volts to power your fans.

Please contact us for more information and assistance.