Lennox unveils a New Home Energy System that uses solar power as an energy source for central heating and cooling and beyond. State-of-the-Art SunSource™ Home Energy System provides simplest way for homeowners to bring solar power into the home and save on utility bills.

Lennox Industries, a leading provider of customized home heating, cooling and indoor air quality products, introduces 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.

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.

"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 International. "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."

• 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."