The earth absorbs almost 50% of all solar energy and remains a nearly constant temperature of 50°F to 70°F depending on geographic location. Working with an underground loop system, a geothermal unit utilizes this constant temperature to exchange energy between your home and the earth as needed for heating and cooling. In winter, water circulating inside a sealed loop absorbs heat from the earth and carries it to the unit. Here it is compressed to a higher temperature and sent as warm air to your indoor system for distribution throughout your home. In the summer, the system reverses and expels heat from your home to the cooler earth via the loop system. This heat exchange process is not only natural, but is a truly ingenious and highly efficient way to create a comfortable climate in your home.

Care for the Earth: Geothermal qualifies as renewable energy - a typical two bedroom house-sized installation is equivalent to taking two cars off the road or planting one acre of trees. Work toward the preservation of the environment by minimizing present environmental problems like acid rain, air pollution, and the destruction of the ozone layer.

Less Foreign Oil: We can reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources because geothermal systems use far less of our natural resources. We must be serious about the economics and future of foreign oil. Geothermal is much more than a bumper sticker solution to our energy crisis. It provides a serious answer to an increasingly profound problem. America's dependence on foreign oil has increased from 30 percent in the 1970s to nearly 60 percent today. In September 2001, the same month that the terrorists attacked the United States, we imported more than 1.2 million barrels of oil a day from Iraq. Last year we paid Iraq a record $4 billion for its oil.

We can be a part of a solution by using less fossil fuels. World energy consumption is expected to increase 40% to 50% by the year 2010, and the global mix of fuels--renewable (18%), nuclear (4%), and fossil (78%)--is projected to remain substantially the same as today; thus global carbon dioxide emissions would also increase 50% to 60%.

We need cleaner air. Carbon emissions in North America reached 1,760 million metric tons in 1998, a 38 percent increase since 1970. They are expected to grow another 31 percent, to 2,314 million metric tons, by the year 2020. (U.S. Department of Energy).

Human beings have used geothermal energy in North America for at least 10,000 years. Paleo-Indians used hot springs for cooking, for refuge and respite. Hot springs were neutral zones where members of warring nations would bathe together in peace. Native Americans have a history with every major hot spring in the United States.

Small wind-powered electric systems sized for homes, farms, and small businesses as an industry has experienced major growth in the past decade. These turbines, which are defined as 100 kilowatts in capacity and below, have seen their market expand significantly with growth targets continuing at a 18-20% rate through 2010. The U.S. is the leading world producer of small wind turbines, the vast majority of which are manufactured on U.S. soil. These machines are used by individuals to lower their electric bills, become independent of their electric grid, and to avoid the unpredictability of traditional energy prices.

The state of Connecticut allows municipalities the option of offering property tax exemptions for certain renewable energy systems including wind turbines. Adoption of this exemption varies from one municipality to another. The exemption, which applies to wind facilities that begin operating on or after July 1, 1998 and are used in residential applications, may apply for tax exemptions up to the total value of the equipment. Contact your local tax assessor's office for more information.

Wind turbines are one of the oldest forms of renewable energy use in the world. From medival wind mills that milled grain, to traditional farm wind mills that pumped water for livestock and irrigation, to the modern alternator driven electric wind generator, wind turbines have helped mankind for centuries.

With good, consistent wind flow, wind energy is one of the most economical forms of alternative energy available today... If your wind flow fluctuates, wind turbines can still be an excellent addition to a solar system, providing more consistent year-round power.

Wind turbines have been used for household electricity generation in conjunction with battery storage over many decades in remote areas, but increasingly, U.S. consumers are choosing to purchase grid-connected turbines in the 1 to 10 kilowatt range to power their whole homes. Household generator units of more than 1 kW are now functioning in several countries, and in every state in the U.S.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has released several studies on the small wind turbine market in the U.S. and abroad, showing that the U.S. continues to dominate the Small Wind industry. According to another organization, the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), it is difficult to assess the total number or capacity of small-scaled wind turbines, but in China alone, there are roughly 300,000 small-scale wind turbines generating electricity.