Connellsville resident first in state to install solar heat pump
CONNELLSVILLE 鈥� A Georgetown Manor resident has determined he would save an estimated $1,300 a year on electricity by installing a solar heat pump that is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
Mike Adam of 1308 Concord Drive said he decided to upgrade from an electric furnace he previously had in his 1,300 square-foot home to solar heat, since it would be more economical.
鈥淚 was looking for something cost effective,鈥� said Adam, who is retired and on a fixed income.
Terry Lent, owner of Tri-County Mechanical of Brownsville, started installing the pump in July known as the SunSource Home Energy System, manufactured by Lenox Industries.
鈥淭he payback is great on the investment,鈥� Lent said.
According to Lenox, the system creates and uses solar energy, reducing the need for electricity from the local utility provider.
Lenox added the system uses energy from the sun to reduce the electricty consumed by a residential heat pump or air conditioner.
In return, it is able to use the energy to operate other devices in the home that consume electricity, such as lighting and appliances when the heating and cooling system is not running.
Any excess energy that isn鈥檛 needed is sent back to the utility company earning the customer a credit.
Lent said compared with a geothermal unit that costs $26,000 the $32,000 SunSource qualifies for government tax credits, as well as credits from the electric company that would reduce the overall price to about $21,000.
鈥淚 spoke with an engineer from Lenox in Ohio and he said I should recoup my investment in five to seven years,鈥� Adam said.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported the typical household pays $2,200 a year on utility bills with between 50 and 60 percent of the energy costs coming from heating and cooling the home.
Lent said the system at Adam蘑菇视频 house includes 13 solar panels mounted on the roof that stick up about three-and-a-half inches and weigh about 30 pounds each.
The panels use clean sustainable energy from the sun to run the home蘑菇视频 central heating and cooling system.
Lent said Adam is already hooked into a performance monitorning website the homeowner can access any time to see how much energy is being used.
There is no charge for the website for the first five years, Lenox indicated. Adam said so far he is pleased with the solar heat pump. However, if there is a power outage, he would still be affected. Adam said right now he is waiting for the electric company to install a special meter that unlike traditional meters, will spin backwards.
With an annual electric bill of $2,400 Adam said the solar heat pump will provide him with big savings.