With apologies to my dearly departed friend, songwriter and lyricist Joe Raposo, "It's not easy being green". Of course, the song as he intended it was a lesson in equality and anti-racism, but the message also works for the environment. I truly agree that every step, no matter how small, we take to help mother earth (Gaia, Gæa or Gea for the initiated) has the potential to make a difference.
Those of us that would truly like to go green are not always given an easy task. I tried to go solar, and all the solar companies with whom I spoke said that although my roof area was more than adequate, I would have to cut down all the old growth trees that partially shade the house in the late afternoon. (That just "ain't gonna" happen). Most factory automobile choices have a negative payback, and the "home built/ home modified" auto choices seem to require more effort than I have available to me.
My next choice was heating and the desire to be cool . . . (Not "hey dude, thass cool", but as in air conditioning) As I have a large, 100 year-old, architecturally correct, Dutch Colonial with no ductwork, central air is an issue. (Think of a 40 year marriage ending in divorce because I "ruined the walls"). Geothermal seemed to be the way to go, but due to the cost of extensive, creative ductwork that would keep me in a state of marital bliss, payback was a bit too long. I would have to live to 84 to break even.
BUT WAIT ! ! ! The federal government just agreed to give me 30% of the total cost as a tax credit. That makes for payback in the foreseeable future. Well, I finally got off my, . . . uh . . . seat(?) and decided to "just say no" to heating costs and take one more step in my effort to go green. I contacted seventeen (yes, seventeen) Geothermal "experts" in the area, and only heard back from three. Of the three, all came to visit the scene of the crime and promised to send their report/ proposal shortly. (Two of them lied) I only received one report in three days, and the others took 4-6 weeks, and that was only after I called repeatedly. Guess which I chose? My next contribution will talk about the process and benefits, and then I will follow up with the install as it happens. Wish me luck
BG