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Earth, Wind and No Fire
by Jason Miller

For centuries, humans have consumed the natural environment to heat and power their homes. We've chopped down trees, scraped away the countryside and drilled deep to gather and process petroleum-based fuels such as oil, natural gas and propane. These fuel sources are nonrenewable, even with aggressive replacement strategies in place. What will we do when we run out of things to burn?

Using technology that has, in some cases, been around for decades, pioneering power-seekers are creating renewable energy systems that borrow from the elements, rather than consuming them. In general, these systems are more efficient, cleaner and less invasive than their conventional competition. Even with often-daunting start-up costs, a number of homeowners are considering renewable energy systems that respect the natural world as viable alternatives to traditional energy systems. Foremost among the options are geothermal, micro-hydroelectric and wind generators.

Geothermal
Geothermal systems address the need for a comfortable interior environment. They use the relatively constant temperature of the earth (55 degrees) to help heat and cool a home.

The system incorporates a series of pipes or coils, which are buried deep in the ground behind or beneath a home. The pipes are filled with liquid that is circulated to a heat pump, where the heat energy is removed and transferred to the home. During the summer months, this heat energy helps to cool your home; when winter's chill arrives, that same energy helps to warm you.

Because they simply move heat that already exists (rather than burn fuel to produce heat), geothermal heat pumps outperform electric heat systems and are more than three times as economical as the most efficient fossil-fuel furnaces.

Not surprisingly, the installation cost of a geothermal system is usually around 15 percent higher than the installation cost of a traditional heating system. Over time, however, the savings are substantial. During the winter months, you should save 20 to 70 percent on your heating bill. Summer savings will be less impressive, but could be up to 25 percent. The system can also heat your bath water and save you up to 50 percent in the process.

Because of these savings, geothermal heating systems usually pay for themselves within five years. Maintenance costs, too, are lower than for traditional systems, since the plastic piping will last 50 to 75 years.

A geothermal system might be especially attractive to asthma and allergy sufferers; since it doesn't burn anything to create heat, the indoor air quality can be markedly improved–free from airborne pollutants such as carbon monoxide and sulfur.

Micro-hydroelectric
Otherwise known as "small hydro," residential hydroelectric systems produce electricity using the same principles as large, town-powering dams, but on a much smaller scale. If you have a watercourse on or near your property, a small-hydro system might be a viable alternative power source. A typical small-hydro system pipes water to an impulse wheel, which is connected to an alternator. The alternator charges a bank of batteries. The electricity then flows to an inverter, which changes the current from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), and sends it into the home.

For homeowners living far from a utility line, a small-hydro system can be a necessity. Daryl Hall, whose family lives at the end of a road (literally!) in rural British Columbia, has enjoyed the benefits of a small-hydro system for over a decade. "Our system supplies a surplus of electricity. On some nights, we leave the lights on so it has somewhere to go!" he says.

If you think a micro-hydroelectric energy system might be a good fit for your family, do your homework before you plunge in, says Fred Howe of Thomson and Howe Energy Systems Inc., in Kimberley, British Columbia. "Every renewable energy system is custom-made, since your region and electrical-use patterns are utterly different from any other customer. The first things you need to learn are the flow (gallons per minute) and the head (the vertical drop of your watercourse)."

Investigate potential legal restrictions–local, state and federal–on the development of your site and the use of the water. Determine the cost of developing the site and operating the system. You may also want to contact your local power utility and learn the amount (if any) it will pay for any extra electricity you might generate.

Hydro systems are the most inexpensive of all renewable energy systems. The factors affecting cost are varied, and include pipeline length and machine size; a custom system can cost between $5,000 and $30,000. Maintenance won't be a bother until the leaves drop in autumn or high spring runoff clogs your intake area.

The benefits of small-hydro systems are many. No monthly power bills arrive. Electricity flows into the battery bank 24 hours a day. The relatively small source of power can meet all the daily electricity needs of an average family. Howe states another benefit simply: "What's it worth to you to never have a power outage?"

Wind generators
Apart from the obvious differences in the actual energy-gathering method, wind generators are quite similar to small-hydro systems. The wind generator (a propeller with two or three blades) is placed on a tower usually sixty to eighty feet in the air. The wind blows, the propeller turns, the alternator hums, the batteries charge and so on.

Again, the wind-generator system will be custom-made to your unique needs and location. Bob Schultze of Electron Connection, a renewable-energy contractor in Hornbrook, Calif., stresses the importance of knowing enough about your surroundings to make a wise decision. "You have to get the machine high and into 'clean air' (free of turbulence from the ground, trees, rocks or outbuildings), twenty to thirty feet above anything within 500 feet of the machine."

To reach clean air, wind-generator towers can be eighty feet high, and that will cost you. Add to that the more expensive machinery that sits at the top of the tower, and you have a renewable-energy system that can range from $10,000 to $50,000 and more. The final price tag will reflect your needs and desires. Your savings will closely parallel those realized by small-hydro users.

If the idea of a renewable energy system intrigues you, proceed with care. Examine your regional environment and your family's electricity needs. Determine the legal and financial obstacles. Decide what type of energy system is most appropriate. Then hire a competent renewable-energy designer, someone with a proven track record of energy-system installation. In time, you will kiss those monthly power bills goodbye, and perhaps sleep a little easier knowing you're borrowing from the natural world instead of stealing from it.

Resources
These manufacturers, organizations, publications and Web sites can teach you more about renewable energy systems.

Geothermal Heating
Econar Energy Systems Corporation
GeoThermal Information Office
Ground Loop Heating and Air Conditioning

Small-Hydro and/or Wind Energy
Electron Connection
Home Power Magazine
U.S. Department of Energy