My hubby and I try to live as environmentally responsible as possible. My friend and I are diligent about recycling. My friend and I grow numerous of our own fruits and vegetables, using rainwater for irrigation and making our own compost for fertilizer. My friend and I use public transportation, walk or ride our bicycles whenever possible. My friend and I have installed solar panels to deliver for our electrical needs. Our most high-priced and worthduringvestment was a geothermal heat pump to handle year round temperature control. The cost of the underground loop and excavation to implement it made the project far more high-priced than a conventional heating and cooling system, however, geothermal heat pumps are considered the most environmentally friendly occasion by the EPA. This is because the system makes use of the free, renewable energy source supplied by the sun. The underground temperature remains constant at all times, no matter the weather. There is heat energy available in our own backyard. The loop draws from this heat energy and transfers it to the heat pump and into the home. The process avoids burning fossil fuels. There are no yellowhouse gas emissions, fumes or carbon monoxide to worry about. In the summer, the operation reverses to pull heat out of the indoor air and create a cooling effect. The geothermal heat pump achieves efficiency ratings of 400%. For every device of energy needed to run the heat pump, it produces four units of energy. Because of our solar panels, operation is virtually free. My friend and I also added a vale that uses the heat pump to deliver an especially energy efficient supply of tepid water.