The Tribune

By Joshua Key

Supergreen Solutions

Is winter over already? Are we prepared to beat the heat this year? On a hot summer afternoon, you probably would not consider propping open your refrigerator door to cool off your kitchen. Neither would you run your air conditioning while wearing warm jackets in January. No one would think about throwing away money like that, right? But I find that many of my fellow Bahamians do just that all summer by cranking up their AC in homes that are poorly ventilated.

So my advice to homeowners and businesses, as the warmest part of the year starts to bear down on us, is to consider an improvement with many benefits – a proper roof ventilation system. With summer almost upon us, now is the perfect time to tackle this quick, easy and affordable way to make your home or business more comfortable and energy efficient.

There are several products on the market that are great at extracting the hot, moist, stale air that builds up in the roof cavity. Some of these products include fitting a few wind driven roof vents (often called whirlybirds). These products can extract up to 90 cubic yards of air per hour.

Another option is to fit one or two of the thermostatically-controlled, electrically powered vents. These units can draw up to 530 cubic yards of air per hour. However, these versions typically require BEC to work.

Better still, conscientious Bahamians are turning to new solar-powered roof vents such as the Solar Star by Solatube, or the Solaro Aire by Solaro. These units can extract up to 1,320 cubic yards of air per hour.

My prediction is that these solar-powered roof ventilation fans will become increasingly popular as a way to draw heat up and out of the building.

These quiet solar ventilation systems run entirely for free from the sun. and pay for themselves through improved energy efficiency for the entire home or business. Consider the benefits of having sufficient ventilation:

• Inadequate roof ventilation causes air conditioning units to work overtime, forcing your BEC bill through the roof (excuse the pun).

• Properly ventilated roofs make an entire home feel cooler and more comfortable.

• Excessive heat and moisture build-up in the roof can cause significant damage to critical roof structures. Proper ventilation can extend the life of the roof..

You can improve the quality of your home or business while reducing your bills. Why not take the first step? Ask your local energy efficiency specialist to show you a few of these ventilation options. Then you can make the best choice for saving money on the power bill and cooling your home this summer.

• NB: Joshua Key is general manager for SuperGreen Solutions Bahamas, located on Wulff Road next to FYP. SuperGreen Solutions is one of the main advisors, suppliers and installers of domestic and commercial energy efficient solutions.