Earth Equity News

Californian Homeowners Relying Increasingly on Small Scale Alternatives: Wind, Geothermal and Solar. By Chip Jacobs, LATimes, February 7, 2010. "Not long ago, people who wanted to generate their own green energy at home had to content themselves with rooftop solar panels. But new technologies -- and hefty government subsidies -- are now allowing homeowners to tap the wind, the Earth and other renewable sources in their own backyards... Here's a look at three technologies that some California residents are using now to cut utility costs while turning their homes into truly green houses... 1) Roughly 10,500 small turbines were sold to homes, farms and businesses nationwide in 2008... 2) Thousands of homeowners in the eastern U.S. already rely on geothermal heat pumps. People who live in warmer Sun Belt states could especially benefit from them...3) California leads the nation in using photovoltaic panels to generate clean electricity. A cheaper and more practical way to harness the sun's energy is for heating water. Solar water heaters typically require just a few small rooftop panels; they work even in chilly Northern climates. Yet the technology is little used in California, despite its abundant sunshine."