The short answer is yes, solar panels can heat a house. It involves two distinct technologies with different price tags and efficiencies. For smaller, targeted heating needslike a workshop, greenhouse, or even a chicken coopa simple Solar. Active solar heating systems use solar energy to heat a fluid -- either liquid or air -- and then transfer the solar heat directly to the interior space or to a storage system for later use. If the solar system cannot provide adequate space heating, an auxiliary or back-up system provides the. Solar heating utilizes the energy stored in solar panels to power your home's air and water heating systems. Solar heaters work by directly turning sunlight into heat. To heat your home on solar panels only, you will need to install 19 solar panels to power electric heating, or 7 solar panels to power a heat pump with a coefficient of performance (CoP) of 3. Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United States Energy Information Administration as low-, medium-.