Repeated freezing and thawing is keeping roofers on their toes

By Susan Glaser, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2007

... Home design is as much to blame as other factors, says Douglas Bruell, owner of North Coast Home Insulation. "We have these massive roofs, small gutters and two feet of snow," he said. "The gutters can't handle it. Everybody has a problem."

City codes shouldn't allow such elaborate roof lines without also requiring proper ventilation, he says...

Going for the green

Environmental movement catching on in NE Ohio

By Jennifer Daddario, Cleveland Jewish News, November 22, 2007

...

Douglas Bruell, an energy consultant at North Coast Insulation and Ventilation, has been installing attic vent fans for more than 25 years. But this year, he began offering clients solar-powered attic fans.

The fans remove heat from the attic by acting as a vent, Bruell explains. Heat in the attic during summer months can travel down to living areas, increasing cooling costs. Without an attic vent fan throughout the year, water vapor can accumulate in the attic and cause mold and mildew.

Electric fans help battle these issues, Bruell says, but they deplete energy resources and can cost about $10-$20 per month to operate. Solar-powered attic fans, in contrast, cost nothing to operate.

Solar fans are more expensive to purchase and install, Bruell admits, but they come with operating-cost savings and a tax incentive. The federal government’s energy bill gives consumers tax credits on equipment that “uses solar energy to generate electricity for use in a dwelling unit.”

Bruell spent nearly seven years looking for the right fan to handle Cleveland’s weather. Finally, he chose SunRise Solar fans, a Chicago-based company. The fans cost between $560 and $595.

When Kerry Koltzman, a Solon resident, was getting his roof replaced this summer, he realized he needed to include vent fans in order to stop water damage on his roof.

Bruell suggested the solar-powered fans instead of electric fans and came over to Koltzman’s home to demonstrate the product. “He pulled the fan out of the box, and as soon as sunlight hit it, it started spinning,” Koltzman recalls. “I said, ‘Okay, I’ll take whatever I need.’”

Bruell and his crew installed nine solar fans. The difference was immediately noticeable. “The house is more comfortable than before,” Koltzman says. “The attic is nowhere near as hot as it used to be.”

Koltzman is happy with his decision to go solar. “Even on a cloudy day, the fan still moves,” he says. “On every front, it seemed to be the right thing to do.”

http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2007/11/22/news/local/acover1123.txt