Lennox International Inc. announced its new Lennox SunSource® Home Energy System, which it describes as a revolutionary advancement in residential heating and air conditioning design, transforming how people heat and cool their homes. It fully integrates solar power in harnessing renewable energy to reduce the electricity used by the entire heat pump or air conditioning system, and to operate other devices in the home that consume electricity – such as lighting and appliances – when the system is not running.
If the system generates more power than the home uses, the excess power is sent back to the utility company for a possible credit on the homeowner’s utility bill. Families can also monitor real time and historical information about the power generated by the solar modules, including environmental benefits like the amount of carbon offset by the solar energy production.
Homeowners can start small with just one solar panel and expand the system over time to as many as 15 panels per outdoor HVAC unit. The Solar Ready feature of the heat pump or air conditioner lets homeowners include the solar panels when a Lennox system is installed, or at a later date.
"Eventually all of the most efficient air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured by Lennox will be sold as ’solar ready,’ just as many of today’s TV sets come ’HD ready,’ said John Hurst, Vice President, Product Management, Lennox International Residential Heating & Cooling.
