Quote Originally Posted by JWB
Well, I guess solar may not be the best option...thanks for the info guys. What kind of electricity costs do heat pumps incur?

(I'll be running my central air congruently and that's an AC user!)
Well, a heat pump's effeciency depends of a lot of factors such as the outsife ambient temp, how much of a temp increase you are looking for, etc. It is also depenedant on where you live and whether you just need a season stretcher or year round heat but as a general rule of thumb a heat pump will cost more than gas or electric on initial purchase but over the years will literally pay for itself with lower operating costs. If solar is not an option for you then you should definately explore heat pumps. As for the cost to run them, realize that they are basically the same thing as your central AC unit and are sized in BTU's and have energy efficiency ratings,etc. Some of the units are even reverse cycle and can both heat and cool and can acutally work in freezing weather! (wouldn't have believed it until I saw my Aquacal Icebreaker heating the pool with an ambient air temp of 31 Degrees!)

Best advice I can give you is to start looking and comparing and talking to as many people as you can. Find out what works well in YOUR area! Talk to some solar companies, they might be able to come up with alternative panel placement that could work for you, also!