Pocono News Section

PA Green Report for Monday, January 21

PA Green Report for Monday, January 21 - Monday, January 21, 2008 at 6:15PM EST

Reported by: Kristi Capel
Monday, Jan 21, 2008 @06:15pm EST
In this cold weather, heating is a major expense for many households. It also accounts for about 56% of the energy used inside a home. That's why many people are looking to Mother Nature for help.

Dave Fulmer said, "There are so many things that are free. The wind, the sun and geothermal, I said it would just be great to combine all that."

So, he did. Fulmer has built a home that's powered by the sun, the wind, and the earth. "There are no fossil fuels in it. No wood, no propane, no coal, no gas, because I'm going to make my own electricity to heat and cool the house and maintain the house," he said.

The earth surrounding Dave's home will trap heat in the winter. In summer it will keep the house cool. Solar panels bring in more energy.

Dave certainly represents one end of the spectrum. Of course there are meaningful things you can do without building a brand new green home.

You could start by performing an energy audit. Drafts and leaks can waste vast amounts of energy and they're not just around windows and doors. They can be found around electrical outlets and switchplates, fireplaces, and attic doors. Just by eliminating drafts many people can reduce their energy use by up to 30%.

It's also important to make sure your insulation levels are up to today's standards.

Regularly inspecting your furnace is also a good idea. Of course there are big-time projects that can have even more impact.

Bill Vanhee has been selling geothermal heating systems for 30 years. "The last two years we have seen a huge increase in interest. We've gone from 12-15 units a year to we're probably going to be doing 35-40 units a year,” he said.

Homeowner Alan Sleeman says it's good for the environment and his wallet. "I found that even though it costs more initially, it would pay back in about 5 years’ time,” he added.

The bottom line on heating is this: you can think as big or little as you like, but any action is better than none at all.

Converting one million homes to "geo-exchange" -- instead of oil or natural gas -- would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 9 billion pounds.