Harvesting Energy From Your Own Backyard (NAPSA)—Each spring and summer, homeowners spend hours in their yards, encouraging grass to grow, flowers to bloom and vegetables to sprout. And every year, more of these homeowners are also harvesting energy from their yards—the free solar energy that is stored year-round just beneath the Earth’s surface. The experts at WaterFurnace say geothermal systems capture this free energy by using a series of pipes (an Earth loop) buried in the ground. These pipes carry a mixture of water and alcohol that runs through the pipe in the Earth. The Earth serves as a “heat sink,” a place to deposit the heat removed from the home. Geothermal systems date back to 1912, and since 1980, more than 1 million of these systems have been installed. Today, the Department of Energy and the Protection Agency recognize geothermal systems as the most environmentally friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient way to heat and cool a home. Experts at WaterFurnace recommend the installation of an Envision Series geothermal system, citing savings with the WaterFurnace system as high as 70 percent for heating, cooling and hot water costs. In addition to homeowner savings, however, the systems offer important environmental benefits: They use solar energy, a free, unlimited energy source. (The lot surrounding a typical suburban home contains 10 times more energy than is required over an entire heating season.) Bright Idea—Homeowners can use the sun to cool their homes. The systems emit no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhousegases. Geothermal systems help reduce the peak demand loads on electric utilities. The systems reduce the need for natural resources such as coal or gas used to generateelectricity. Geothermal systems help minimize the threats of acid rain, air pollution, the greenhouse effect and global warming. The systems also help interested homeowners achieve Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) standards (established by the U.S. Green Building Council) that measure a structure’s sustainability. Geothermal systems can be installed in a variety of homes— new or old, large or small, in warm climates or cold. To learn more, visit www. waterfurnace.com or call (800) GEO-SAVE.
