Buzzword: Earth Energy

What it means. Earth energy is the newfangled name for the time-honored tradition of tapping the earth’s underground energy to heat or cool a building by running various liquids through a network of buried pipes. You’ll often see the term as part of an earth-energy system, or EES.

“Geothermal had always been the name for our earth-energy process, and it was confusing because everyone was expecting to see hot water coming out of the ground,” says Mark Morelli of Santa Rosa, California-based Air Connection, Inc. “Then my company shifted to calling it a ‘GeoExchange’ system, but ‘earth energy’ makes it easier for people to relate to what we do.”

“Earth energy certainly reflects what an EES does, which is to use the heat of the ground to both heat and cool your home,” says Greg Dudley, a sales manager at Earth Energy Technology & Supply in Marietta, Oklahoma.

Why the buzz? As Americans seek alternatives to fossil-fuel-generated energy, interest in renewable energy has grown—Morelli and Dudley report that their businesses have boomed in the past year—as has its profile. Al Gore in mid-July called for Americans to wean themselves of electricity generated by fossil fuels.

Earth-energy systems are one way to decrease our fossil-fuel reliance. In its most-efficient form, an EES takes the form of a ground-source heat pump. Throughout the U.S., the temperature just a few yards below the surface hovers around 55°F. Running groundwater, an antifreeze mixture, or a refrigerant through pipes and into the pump in your home will produce heat for home heating and hot water. Reverse the flow during cooling season, and the system will remove excess heat from your home and cool your indoor spaces. (See the illustration, courtesy of the California Energy Commission, above.)

While EES are not mainstream, people are talking about them. Members of the Consumer Reports HVAC forum, for instance, are discussing earth energy, with posters sharing information and links, like this one to the California Energy Commission’s Web page on geothermal heat pumps.

A typical EES will run two to four times as much to buy and install as a conventional oil- or natural-gas-fired heating-and-cooling system. But given the rising carbon-based fuel prices and the lower annual operating costs for an EES, a system could conceivably pay for itself within a few years in the best-case scenario, according to industry experts. Payback time will vary depending on a number of factors. High costs of electricity and installation (drilling is pricier in rocky soil) and a colder climate will increase how long it takes to break even.

What’s more, petroleum-based polyethylene pipes used in many earth-energy systems are getting more expensive and, and installers are likely to pass on that cost to you. And unlike solar-power systems, earth-energy systems don’t benefit from the wide array of utility rebates and state and federal tax incentives, although the earth-energy industry is lobbying to change that.—Gian Trotta

Essential information: Use the heating and cooling cost calculators on GreenerChoices.org. And look for our special section on saving energy at home in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, on sale and online in September. And watch our video on ceiling fans, right, for some basic energy-saving information this summer.

Buzzword: Alpha Geek

What it means. Alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet, has spawned a lot of power-hungry personality types, including alpha males and alpha moms. The latest members of the Order of Top Dogs, alpha geeks, are perhaps not as tough as those other alphas though they do typically have a strong interest in cutting-edge technology.

Alpha geek term first gained traction in office culture as a way to describe the person with the most technological know-how. (You know, the coworker you seek out when you can't figure out how to download pirated files through your company's ironclad firewall.)

Alpha geeks strut their stuff outside the corporate world, too. For example, your Apple-crazed friend who happily waited in line overnight to buy the new iPhone 3G is an alpha geek, as is your cousin who's been LinkedIn since early 2004 and sends out annoying invites to join LinkedIn to you and the rest of your family.

Why the buzz? Electronics aficionados are the most likely to be alpha geeks, but home and garden enthusiasts can be AGs, too. Consider cooking technology. An alpha geek will adore induction cooktops, which continue to impress our engineers and whose prices appliances are dropping.

Alpha geeks are surely joining the steam revolution, a technology that has found its way into many appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, and even ranges. Steam modes are supposed to improve performance, although our engineers haven't found steam a noticeable improvement.

Outside the home, alpha geeks will probably know the pros and cons of zero-turn-radius mowers, or "ZTRs," as they no doubt call gear like the Cub Cadet shown above. They're also likely enamored of robotic lawn mowers, which are about as high tech as any outdoor power equipment can be. Note that one of the two models we tested was not acceptable.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: See our Kitchen-Planning Guide for the latest on cooking technologies and our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide for what's new for the outdoors.

Hawaii to require solar water heaters in new homes

Late last month, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to require solar water heaters in new homes. With few exceptions, solar water heaters will be required in all newly built single-family homes beginning January 1, 2010.

"This solar power legislation is another important step in our long-term plan for energy independence in Hawaii," said Governor Linda Lingle. "In addition to solar, it is critical that we continue to develop innovative energy solutions that capitalize on our natural renewable resource advantages in order to achieve our goal of having 70 percent clean energy in Hawaii by 2030."

The Hawaii law allows builders to install gas-powered water heaters if the home includes another gas appliance. Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission will set standards for solar water heaters, and counties in the state will create implementation procedures. (The illustration above, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy, shows an active closed-loop solar water heater.)

Water heating accounts for 15 to 30 percent of a typical household's energy use, according to the DOE. Solar water heaters, while significantly more expensive than their conventional counterparts, can reduce water-heating bills by at least 15 to 25 percent, depending on the efficiency of the system and local climate conditions, the DOE estimates.

A typical two-collector solar water heater costs $5,000 to $7,000, installation included. But after incentives like rebates and tax credits, that cost could drop to $1,400 to $2,100, according to Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. (Download the PDF here for more details.)

For Hawaiians, who largely rely on imported fuel and pay among the nation's highest energy prices but enjoy abundant sunshine year-round, solar water heaters could bring long-term financial benefits.—Kristi Wiedemann, Science and Policy Analyst, GreenerChoices.org

Essential information: Read "Save hundreds on energy costs" for more expert advice on slashing your utility bills. Don't miss our reports on thermostats and windows for more information on products that can help you reduce energy consumption.

Buzzword: Biometrics

What does it mean? Biometrics is a science that has developed methods of using one or more unique physical characteristics—fingerprints, irises, voices, facial features—to identify and recognize people. The characteristics are recognized by a sensor and converted into digital form. In the case of iris recognition, the sensor might be a digital camera, whereas with fingerprints, a touchpad scanner would be the sensor.

Biometrics represents a brave new world in personal identification and security. While PINs and passwords are based on what you know, and keys and smart cards are based on what you have, biometrics is all about who you are. This genetic basis makes biometrics a highly secure and convenient way for people to protect their possessions, right down to their personal identities.

Why the buzz? Biometrics used to be the stuff of science fiction (think of Captain Kirk using voice recognition to control the Star Trek Enterprise), but the technology is in wide use today, frequently with personal electronic devices. A growing number of laptop computers, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510, are already equipped with biometric sensors. And, you can buy fingerprint sensors by themselves or in portable flash drives to add to any PC. In Europe and Asia, fingerprint-recognition is practically standard on cell phones. It should be huge in North America too, but not until mobile banking, whereby you'll use your cell phone to pay for items at the register, goes mainstream.

Similarly, door locks of the future might rely more on biometrics than conventional keys or security codes. At the 2008 International Builders' Show, my colleagues and I encountered many companies displaying keyless locksets. We haven't tested the devices, but the KwikSet SmartScan (shown being programmed; watch the product-preview video to see how the SmartScan works) and the New Biometric Solutions Biolock are two that caught our eye.

Even the government is keen on biometrics. In a 2006 speech on immigration reform, President Bush told a crowd at the Yuma Sector Border Control Headquarters in Arizona, "We need a tamper-proof ID card [for all temporary workers] based upon modern biometrics."€ Elsewhere, biometric-driven security measures are already in place. For example, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes a photograph and fingerprint image of most foreign visitors entering the country, and the Transportation Security Administration is testing out retinal scans and fingerprint identification at airports.

We're not sure if biometrics can make the country safer, but the technology could be a boon to home or computer security.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our list of essential steps to avoid identity theft. If you're not ready to invest in biometric locks for your home, our coverage of door locks has plenty of information on the traditional kind.