Lennox Introduces New Home Energy System That Uses Solar Power as an Energy Source for Central Heating and Cooling and Beyond

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennox Industries, a leading provider of customized home heating, cooling and indoor air quality products, today introduced the patent pending SunSource™ Home Energy System – a new solar-powered central heating and cooling system that reduces overall household electricity consumption without the costs associated with traditional solar installations – at the International Builder's Show in Las Vegas.  

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100121/DA41326)

The new SunSource Home Energy System not only harnesses solar energy from the sun to reduce the electricity consumed by a residential heat pump or air conditioner, but also is able to use that solar power to operate other devices in the home that consume electricity, such as lighting and appliances, when the heating and cooling system is not running.  In addition, if the SunSource system generates more power than is used by the home, that power will be sent back to the utility company, which may entitle the homeowner to a credit on their utility bill.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical U.S. household pays $2,200 a year on utility bills, and the bulk of those energy costs – between 50 and 60 percent – comes from heating and cooling the home.

"With the new SunSource Home Energy System, homeowners can reduce the energy consumption associated with heating and air conditioning, while also significantly cutting their overall utility bills," said John Hurst, vice president, product management at Lennox.  "Lennox is the first heating and air conditioning manufacturer to harness solar energy for central heating and cooling and beyond, and the new SunSource system is really a gateway to the future of innovation in the HVAC industry."

The SunSource Home Energy System is composed of:

• A solar-ready, high efficiency Lennox air conditioner or heat pump that has been specially enhanced to serve as the platform for this new home energy system.
• A Lennox solar subpanel that provides the connection between utility-interactive solar power system and the HVAC unit.
• One to 15 roof-mounted solar modules that harness clean, sustainable energy from the sun and use it to run the home's central heating and cooling system as well as other appliances – the more modules, the more homeowners can reduce their utility costs.
• A communications system that allows homeowners to monitor each solar module's operation and energy production online, as well as other environmental benefits such as the amount of carbon offset.

"The most efficient air conditioners and heat pumps manufactured by Lennox will automatically come 'solar ready,' just like many of today's television sets are automatically sold as 'HD ready,'" said Hurst.  "Consumers who purchase these systems will have the option to integrate a solar package at installation or at a later date.  And because the system is expandable, homeowners can start small with a couple of solar modules and add more in the future, for a total of up to 15 solar modules per outdoor unit and added energy savings."

Energy Savings and Tax Credits Equal Real Cost Savings for Homeowners

As an example, a consumer who lives in a typical 2,000-square-foot home in Corpus Christi, Texas, can reduce the electricity usage associated with heating and cooling his or her home by approximately 12 percent annually by installing a Lennox high-efficiency air conditioner(1) with two solar modules and by 86 percent by installing the air conditioner with 15 modules.  In Tulsa, Okla., the homeowner would see around a 25 percent reduction in air conditioner electricity usage with two solar modules, and about a 180 percent reduction (meaning more energy production than air conditioner consumption) with 15 modules.  The savings increase even more in sunnier areas of the country.

In addition to the costs savings and incentives offered by many local utility companies for using high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and/or renewable energy sources, the new SunSource system makes homeowners eligible for federal and some state solar tax credits.  In fact, these benefits, when combined, can cover up to 94 percent of the cost of the solar modules, including installation(2).

The new Lennox SunSource Home Energy System will be available with several products from the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection, which is the company's line of premium heating and cooling products, offering the quietest, most efficient operation and a premier level of performance.  The Lennox SunSource Home Energy System may be paired with Dave Lennox Signature Collection air conditioners and heat pumps beginning in May 2010.  

Summary of Key Features and Benefits of the Lennox SunSource Home Energy System

• Uses renewable energy to reduce a home's ongoing utility costs
• Helps protect the environment by generating and using renewable energy
• Allows homeowners to monitor information online related to the power generated by the solar modules in real time and on a historical basis, as well as ongoing environmental benefits like the amount of carbon offset by the solar energy production
• Solar modules can be installed when outdoor heating and cooling system is installed or at a later date
• Solar modules are expandable, based on the homeowners desires, with one to 15 modules per outdoor unit being installed on the home's roof at once or over time

For more information or to obtain a price quote for customized installation of the SunSource system, homeowners can contact their local Lennox dealer, visit Lennox.com or call 1-800-9-LENNOX.

About Lennox Industries

Lennox Industries is a leading provider of customized home heating, cooling and indoor air quality products that are designed to deliver customized comfort, efficiency and functionality, with the most innovative and reliable features available.  Lennox is also the first heating and air conditioning manufacturer to harness solar energy for central heating and cooling – and beyond.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have selected Lennox as an ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year four out of six years for its outstanding contribution to developing and promoting energy-efficient products.  For more information about Lennox home comfort products, visit www.Lennox.com or call 1-800-9-LENNOX.

(1) Energy savings calculations are based on a Lennox XC21-036 air conditioner, which has a 20 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating).

(2) Depends on local and state incentives in homeowner's area.  Typical incentives range between 30 percent and 94 percent of the cost of the solar modules, including installation.

SOURCE Lennox Industries