California Solar is Beating Natural Gas – How About Long Island?
If you’re on Long Island, there’s a good chance that you use natural gas for heating. Or, you might have a fuel-oil furnace. In California, residents are dropping natural gas for solar energy. The latest report from the Energy Information Association shows that California solar generation is close to overtaking natural gas in total kWh.
Could you switch from gas heating to a heat pump and solar on Long Island?
Is it Worth Going All-Electric at Home?
If it’s time to upgrade your gas heating system on Long Island, you could consider switching to an electric heat pump. Cold-weather heat pumps are more efficient and are more affordable to run when you install solar panels.
Solar panels can significantly offset your energy bills by generating electricity during the day and exporting any excess energy to the grid. Anything you don’t use will spin your meter in reverse. If you end the billing period with a positive balance (the net difference), it will go onto your PSEG account as credit, offsetting your bill in the following month.
When you factor in an electric heating system, you will use more electricity than you did with gas, but your solar panels could offset this. You can eliminate a gas bill and leverage the potential of your solar panels. You could even install a solar battery to store more energy during the day to help cover your consumption in the evenings.
Are Solar Panels Enough to Offset an Electric Heat Pump?
Power Solutions is the most trusted solar installer on Long Island. We are prepared to help you calculate the benefits of solar with an electric heat pump.
- We will need to know what type of heat pump you are considering, so we can evaluate its potential energy consumption.
- We will design a solar panel system that adequately offsets your normal electricity usage, including the heat pump (and its function as an air conditioner during summer).
- Our calculations look at various factors, like expected average monthly home energy consumption, your budget, the necessary size of the solar panel array, and other factors, like whether you want to install a solar battery.
- You might need a slightly larger array to offset an electric heat pump. The average home on Long Island has around 7kW of solar installed. A home with a heat pump could potentially need 9kW.
- The upfront cost of a larger system is higher, but it can generate more electricity and increase the long-term savings.
We don’t leave anything up to chance. Our team will prepare a detailed cost/benefit analysis so you can determine if a solar home and electric heating is the right way forward for your needs.
Can You Get Incentives for a Solar Panel Installation and Heat Pump?
You can get a New York State Tax Incentive for your solar panel installation on Long Island. It’s worth 25% of your total solar bill, up to $5,000.
You will likely also qualify for incentives on a heat pump from your HVAC installation team. New York’s Clean Heat Program can provide a significant discount on qualifying cold-climate heat pumps.
Solar Gives You an Alternative to Fuel-Based Heating
California and New York are two very different energy markets. New York has colder winters, and here on Long Island, we spend more on heating our homes. However, there are some parallels. Switching to solar, as many Californians have, can give you an alternative to fuel oil or natural gas, and a carefully designed system can ensure that you generate savings over time and enjoy a solar “payback” period within the first ten years.
You don’t need to commit to anything today. You can start with a ballpark estimate. We will follow up with a detailed consultation, energy savings evaluation, and cost/benefit analysis. We provide the information. You make the choice. Request your free home solar estimate today.
