| Building a 'green home' really sounds like a | | | | homes today are self sufficient using only this |
| wonderful idea, but which of the "green | | | | source of power, generating more than enough |
| technologies" are best to use? There are quite a | | | | needed electricity using one or two windmills to |
| few... there is perhaps the most well known, solar | | | | generate it all. The power that they generate is |
| power, which can actually be split into two | | | | stored in cells such as the batteries found |
| categories; active solar and passive solar power. | | | | powering forklifts and the like, and from there, |
| Then there are wind-generated power and | | | | the constant flow of electricity to the home is |
| hydro-electric power (as in the use of | | | | regulated. Many have built their own windmills, and |
| water-wheels turned by a running stream, for | | | | have very cheaply acquired these battery cells |
| example). There is also geothermal power as well, | | | | used, and have recycled them for use with their |
| which uses the heating and cooling qualities of the | | | | wind-powered generators. |
| ground in applications for home energy use. But | | | | But when building a green home, perhaps the first |
| which of all of these is best to use? | | | | power source that may come to mind is solar |
| That's a bit of a trick question, actually, because | | | | power. Using solar power today is vastly cheaper |
| the best way to achieve efficiency is to cover all | | | | than it was decades ago, and the power output |
| angles. In building a green home, it's best to | | | | of today's photovoltaic cells ("solar panels") is quite |
| diversify your sources of energy, create | | | | superior to that of those from the seventies |
| redundant systems, and even have some | | | | when solar power had its first big burst of |
| systems help out or complement others. After all, | | | | popularity. People today are even making their |
| it's free energy... why not grab all of the | | | | own solar panels as weekend projects, spending |
| opportunities available? Let's look at what | | | | less than a couple hundred dollars on easily |
| geothermal power can do - with a network of | | | | procured parts to create a single 2x5 foot panel |
| pipes set underground below a house's foundation, | | | | which can power a desktop computer, |
| you can have water running through them, | | | | air-conditioner and a small garage refrigerator. A |
| collecting the Earth's heat, circulate it within the | | | | person might only need three or four of these to |
| home to provide heat and hot water, and with | | | | power everything needing electricity in a small |
| the use of heat pump generators, even produce | | | | home today, and decades ago an entire roof |
| electricity from it. | | | | array was needed that would cost well over ten |
| Another angle to consider when building a green | | | | thousand dollars to procure. |
| home is the use of the power of the wind. Many | | | | |