According to Energy Star, heating and cooling account for more than 50 percent of home energy use, and the U.S. Department of Energy reports that the average American family spends about $2,000 annually on home utility bills. Solar panels can reduce those numbers, but they don't have to do it alone. By combining solar panels with geothermal energy systems, energy professionals can keep buildings comfortable while reducing costs in the process.

The Marriage of PV Solar and Geothermal

As exciting as the prospect of free power sounds, not all solutions are created equal.

Photovoltaic solar is the most viable option for a solar-geothermal combination. New advancements make PV solar more effective than solar thermal, which uses a water-based solution that cannot handle freezing conditions without constant maintenance. While solar thermal may work better in some cases, PV solar is the superior choice for the average home.

PV solar panels work by converting photons from sunlight into direct current. That DC electricity passes through an inverter to become alternating currents, which powers appliances. AC electricity travels to the breaker panel, which then directs the electricity to outlets and appliances in the home. Any excess energy goes back to the grid and may qualify for net metering, which creates additional savings for the homeowner and utility provider.

Because geothermal systems need only a small amount of energy to draw power from the earth, solar panels can provide everything necessary to get the system moving. Each system provides what the other lacks, so dual-system homes have everything necessary to cover their own heating and cooling costs. Modules on PV solar panels do not include moving parts, so these panels typically last more than 30 years and require little to no maintenance.

What Energy Professionals Should Know

To cool a home, geothermal systems use 30% to 60% less energy. Thus, houses need fewer solar panels to do the same work. This marriage of sustainable technologies empowers energy professionals to provide better solutions to more people.

Additionally, geothermal solutions provide continuous power when combined with solar. Neither system needs the other to function, but together, they cover each other’s gaps and lead to improved savings and reliability.

Geothermal systems require only one unit of electricity for every five units of heat they produce, because 80% of their heat production comes from the earth through a ground loop system. Transferring that energy from the earth to the home requires a small amount of output, which the PV solar panels collect and convert on their own.

Thanks to rapid improvements in battery technology and power storage, new systems like these are growing ever more feasible for average homeowners. To prepare for the future of power, staying educated on solar and geothermal technology will make all the difference.