It Is Good To Be Green

Some high end homes are being powered by alternative energy sources that enable them to be completely off the energy grid. Using creative architecture to passively capture solar energy, technology such as solar cells and wind turbines to generate electricity, and geothermal heat pumps to provide both heating and cooling from the constant temperature of the underground, these homes are demonstrating that being environmentally green doesn't mean being frumpy.

In sunny environs like Florida installing solar cells cuts down on the use of energy allowing near self-reliance.

"They are becoming more and more cost effective," says Joe Wiehagen, senior
research engineer for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.
Depending on local incentives and energy costs, solar power can cost the same as
utility power in the long run. "And when you buy a solar system, you're buying
all your fuel costs for the next 20 to 25 years." Joe and Carrie Piazza bought
their house on No Name Key, Fla., in 1999, spending about $40,000 to install a
power system that includes solar panels, controls, batteries and a generator.
But last year, the couple's fuel bill was just $1,000.

New wind turbine designs allow great views while capturing air movement when they stick only a few feet above treetop level. Yet being green isn't just about using alternative means of power, it also depends on using less energy in the first place.

Being energy-independent isn't just a matter of throwing
truckloads of money into solar panels and diesel generators, experts say. A
thoughtfully designed house can use a small fraction of the amount of energy a
normal house would without compromising comfort. "What the whole energy
efficiency industry is moving towards is more of a well-sealed building,"
Wiehagen [a senior research engineer for the National Association of Home
Builders Research Center] says.
New insulating technologies mean less energy loss, he
says. High-performance windows with triple panes of glass and special coatings
may cost two or three times as much as regular windows, but they keep energy in
while maintaining a clear view. Tankless water heaters heat and distribute water
instantaneously instead of storing it hot. All of which mean you can have solar
power and the hot tub, too.

I'm all far zoning regs that would require using solar shingles for part of the roof. Using the bright summer sunlight to power the air conditioning for entire rows of suburbia would help prevent the increasingly common brownouts that are occurring nationwide. Since it is such a pain to build power plants due to environmental regs maybe the trick is to have the house make some juice of it's own.