If you already have solar panels on your Chicago-area home, adding a heat pump could be the smartest energy upgrade you make. Together, solar panels and a heat pump can cut your heating and cooling costs by 60–80% — and in some cases, bring them close to zero. Here’s how it works and what it costs.
Why Solar + Heat Pump Is the Perfect Combination
Solar panels generate electricity. A heat pump runs on electricity. When you pair the two, your solar system directly powers your heating and cooling — instead of paying ComEd for every kilowatt-hour.
Think of it this way: a gas furnace will always cost you money to run because it burns fuel. A heat pump powered by your own solar panels can heat your home for essentially free during daylight hours.
The Numbers
- A typical Chicago home uses 40–60 million BTUs for heating per year
- A heat pump needs roughly 4,000–6,000 kWh of electricity to deliver that same heating
- A 6–8 kW solar array in Chicagoland produces 7,000–10,000 kWh/year
- Result: your solar system can cover most or all of your heat pump’s energy needs
How It Works: Step by Step
Step 1: Assess Your Solar Production
We’ll look at your current solar setup — panel count, wattage, orientation, and annual production. Most Chicagoland solar installations produce enough excess energy to cover a heat pump’s electrical needs, especially if you’re on a net metering plan with ComEd.
Step 2: Size the Heat Pump
We perform a Manual J load calculation to determine the exact heating and cooling capacity your home needs. This ensures we install a heat pump that’s properly sized — not oversized (which wastes energy) or undersized (which can’t keep up).
Step 3: Install and Integrate
The heat pump connects to your home’s electrical panel, which is already fed by your solar system. No special wiring between the solar panels and heat pump is needed — they work together through your electrical panel.
Step 4: Optimize With Smart Controls
We can set up your thermostat and heat pump to prioritize daytime heating (when solar production peaks) and pre-heat your home before evening. This maximizes the percentage of heating powered directly by solar.
What If My Solar Panels Don’t Produce Enough?
Even if your solar array doesn’t cover 100% of the heat pump’s energy use, you’ll still save significantly compared to a gas furnace. Here’s why:
- A heat pump is 2–3x more efficient than a gas furnace, so it uses less total energy
- Any solar production offsets electricity you’d otherwise buy from ComEd
- Net metering credits from summer overproduction help cover winter energy use
Bottom line: even partial solar coverage makes a heat pump cheaper to run than any gas furnace.
What Does It Cost?
If you already have solar panels, the cost is simply the heat pump installation:
- Heat pump system (installed): $8,000–$18,000
- Federal tax credit (30%): -$2,000 to -$5,400
- ComEd/Nicor rebates: -$500 to -$1,500
- Net cost: $5,000–$14,000
With MMDS financing ($0 down, up to 18 months no payments/no interest), your monthly payment is often less than what you’re saving on energy bills. That’s a net-positive upgrade from day one.
Does My Electrical Panel Need an Upgrade?
Most homes with solar already have a 200-amp panel, which is typically sufficient for adding a heat pump. If your panel is older (100-amp), we may recommend an electrical panel upgrade — which MMDS can handle as part of the same project.
Dual Fuel: The Best of Both Worlds
If you want a safety net for the coldest Chicago nights, we can configure a dual fuel system: the heat pump runs on solar-generated electricity for 90%+ of the year, and your existing gas furnace kicks in as backup only when temperatures drop below a set threshold (usually 5–10°F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to modify my solar panel system?
No. The heat pump connects to your electrical panel, not directly to the solar panels. No modifications to your solar system are needed.
Will adding a heat pump affect my solar warranty?
No. The heat pump is a completely separate system. Your solar panel warranty remains unchanged.
Can I add a heat pump if I’m leasing my solar panels?
Yes. Since the heat pump connects to your home’s electrical panel (not the solar panels themselves), it works regardless of whether you own or lease your solar system.
What about battery storage?
A home battery (like Tesla Powerwall) can store excess solar energy for nighttime heating. This is optional but can further reduce your grid electricity costs.
Get a Free Solar + Heat Pump Assessment
MMDS specializes in heat pump installations for homes with existing solar systems across Skokie, Wheeling, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Glenview, Northbrook, Evanston, and all of Chicagoland.
Call (847) 221-6280 or schedule online for a free assessment. We’ll evaluate your solar production, calculate your savings, and recommend the right heat pump system — with $0 down financing available.