First, an apology:

I had promised Snave that I would discuss wind energy, and I hope to in a few days. However, I'm still focused on my previous topic, and wanted to expand upon some highly mature technologies that could lead to huge savings in energy. The two technologies in particular are geothermal heat pumps/water heaters and earth-sheltered homes. I will address the geothermal heat pumps and water heaters first.

I lumped geothermal heat pumps and water heaters in the same category since they're essentially the same technology applied differently, and, according to an industry group, an increasing number of professional installers are doing both. I'll get back to that later, but for now, I'll instead link to the Department of Energy's page on this topic. Granted, these are 1996 dollars, but Keith Swilley of Panama City, FL, homeowner spent only $253 in one YEAR on heating and cooling costs, and the PDF is available on the aforementioned site. At the 1996 rate of $0.06/kWh in Panama City, FL, this works out to a total of just over 4200 kWh per year consumed for heating and, more commonly in this climate, cooling. I cited this example because that city is just a bit to the east of me, and the climates are about as close to identical. Put another way, we're both on the Gulf Coast and within the same network television viewing area, albeit on different ends. Let that sink in for a moment: 4200 kWh per year for heating and cooling in one of the hottest, most humid climates in the U.S. Add to this the fact that this type of heat pump is even more efficient at heating homes than it is at cooling homes, and you get some truly startling numbers for those who live farther north. I promised a link to an industry site for geothermal heat pumps, so I've chosen their FAQ page. Since this industry site is also referenced on the DOE page, I believe this site can be trusted to provide accurate and reliable information, as well as additional resources not available on the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.

Next is the concept of earth-sheltered homes. Since this is one of the cases where Wikipedia serves as an excellent and well-organized resource for information, here is a link to their article. If executed well, this can provide an energy savings approaching 80%, but the key term is "executed well." Perhaps the most famous example is Bill Gates' house, a feat as ambitious as it was funny in one of its side-effects: The permits required pushed his hometown to a Linux-based document management system. I may finally stop laughing about that in a few years. Still, the concept behind earth-sheltered homes is sound, and may partially or totally eliminate the need for any type of artificial heating or cooling, though ventilation and moisture control are issues that are particularly critical for this type of construction. Should I have the resources to build my dream home, this will probably be the type of home I will build.

As an additional bonus, I have included an additional link to a page devoted to screw-in fluorescent light bulbs, detailing their environmental benefits. Energy efficiency isn't just about the big things. Sometimes, it can be about something as simple as screwing in a light bulb. It's easy, and depending on usage, the return on investment can be as little as two to three weeks even before you factor in the savings caused by not having to replace the incandescent bulbs as often Please look to the left of the page for more information.