Echo’s Combined Solar PV & Solar Thermal Systems Now Available in North Carolina

May 8th, 2012 by Zachary Shahan

A Khosla-backed startup called EchoFirst has developed “Echo solar power systems” that combine solar PV with solar thermal technology. The solar thermal technology captures the heat from the solar PV panels. The heat is then used for heating water or for thermal energy for home heating and cooling.

Research Triangle, North Carolina home that could come with an Echo solar system.

Echo solar systems are being offered on the East Coast for the first time via Meritage Homes and Southern Energy Management (the systems were first made available in the Southwest and Texas). For now, Echo systems are available for residents of the Research Triangle region in North Carolina.

The Echo systems reportedly deliver twice the energy of a typical solar PV setup. The solar thermal supplement “enables Meritage to offer homes that use 70%-80% less energy than a standard code-built home in the US,” the company writes. “Additionally, the systems include Energy Star-qualified thermostat controls designed to automatically reduce heating and cooling bills by at least another 10 percent, along with mobile phone-enabled remote thermostat control.”

Images via Echo & Meritage Homes

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Tags: echo, echo north carolina, echo solar north carolina, echo solar system, meritage homes, meritage homes solar, north carolina, North Carolina solar, north carolina solar panels, Research Triangle, Solar PV, southern energy management, southern energy management solar

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

wattleberry

Can’t understand why this superb type of system isn’t promoted as the standard arrangement. But it seems to be ignored all the time in favour of the PV-only panel.
- http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  yeah, think this is one of those late bloomers that’s going to pop onto the scene in a big way one day. many companies working on such solutions. will see.
Solarpower

It’s very true, solar panels these days are now easy to assemble. This is due to a wide available of guides as well as the kits for the whole solar panel module. Perfect for starting small scale and then scaling it up to be able to power the entire home using solar energy.