Hybrid solar and geothermal systems offer exceptional energy savings, and maximum tax credits as well. Most solar heating applications depend on heating water inside a very well insulated panel collector so heat can be gained in the middle of the winter. With a hybrid solar-geothermal system, the outdoor temperature has almost no effect on the amount of solar energy collected. The secret to this type of advanced system is the hydronic heat pump, a standard piece of equipment for all geothermal applications.
Typical Solar Heating Systems
In the typical solar heating system, water is circulated through a solar collector on the roof or on a rack in the yard. When the outdoor temperature is below 40 degrees, which is the majority of the winter time, the amount of heat actually gained from such solar collectors is just enough to heat your hot water, and very little else. There is value to such a system as it will heat your hot water, but it will just not produce enough heat to reliably provide heat to your house as well.
The Hybrid Solar-Geothermal Difference
In all geothermal systems, a heat pump facilitates the movement of heat from one place to another. With the heat pump, heat can be easily retrieved from 30-50 degree places and made available at 100+ degrees for space heating. Geothermal systems are regularly designed to operate all the way down to 25 degrees for their heat input temperatures.
When we add this "secret" of the geothermal system to solar heat collection, suddenly what was only a very marginal heat gain in the middle of the winter becomes VERY significant. By using the geothermal heat pump with solar panels tied in in the winter, the heat gained from each panel is multiples of a normal solar panel system. With the geothermal heat pump combined with solar panels, the panels will gain very useful heat on even the coldest days, as the inside of the panel will easily be way over 20 degrees any time the sun is shining.
Hybrid Solar-Geothermal Tax Advantage
In North Carolina, combining solar and geothermal applications takes on substantial extra significance. In addition to the major federal tax credits for geothermal, NC gives a 35% tax credit for 'active solar heating' applications. Therefore, all of the components and labor associated with the solar panels, the heat pump, the controls, and the piping, other than the ground loops themselves, will also qualify for the 35% state tax credit.
The net effect is that you will get almost a 50% tax credit on your complete Hybrid Solar-Geothermal System!
Contact us for a set of all the tax literature available from North Carolina.
