Green Tech Saves That "Other" Green

Everywhere you look, you see references to “green this” and “green that”. Since I work in the real estate field, I have some thoughts on all of this “green” talk.

Green tech uses some new and some old technologies to save you real cash. For example, the growing use of Geothermal Heating & Cooling in new home construction. This one area of Home Tech that can save you thousands of dollars! And if you live in the South, that can be your savings in just the first two years!

A friend of mine uses Geothermal for his newly constructed SIPs home - and his power bills during the hottest months of July and August should have been in the $40 dollar range - and that's to cool a two-story home. Better, is he get's hot water from the same system without using additional energy.

Then there’s solar panels which is both an old and new technology. Old in the sense that it’s been around for a long time. And, new in the way newer development technologies are creating more efficient and useful panels. A recent (circa 2007) breakthrough with solar panels comes from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Available now, you can purchase flexible roll up solar charger panels. The company that manufactures and developed rollable solar chargers is PowerFilm Inc. Be sure to watch the short video where they shoot the solar panel - and it still works!

Find out if your state offers any incentives for using solar power. Here’s another source of info on “Green Power”.