(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 18, 2013 ) NSW, Australia -- Dan and Christine Fisher sought out to live an eco-friendly lifestyle when they put in LED Christmas lights for the holidays and made the choice to purchase a Toyota Hybrid.
For five years now, the Fishers have renovated their Ballast Point home with ecologically minded care, in order to promote efficiency.
The goal of the couple is to reach net-zero, which is the point when a home is using no more energy than it is creating.
"We're trying to minimize our carbon footprint," Dan said.
Now, the Fishers are close to reaching their net-zero goal in the new year. They recently completed the installation of a 32-panel set up of solar panels on their second-story.
They are amongst a small but ever-expanding number of individuals who are converting to solar power. The technology converts the rays from the sun into usable electricity and heated water.
Many power companies have noted the increase in solar customers. There are 310 solar customers compared to only four in 2006, according to the Tampa Electric. Progress Energy, who services 35 counties within the Florida area, has noted a similar rise in customers. There are more than 200 serviced by the company spanning the state.
The Fishers began their trek to a green life when the couple took a journey to Naples, Italy, where Dan was stationed as a U.S. Navy officer for two years. Recycling was a mandatory affair, but it was not just reusing product that was part of the green life. Residents were encouraged to hang clothes, rather than use dryers.
"If you threw anything out that was recyclable," Christine, 43, said, "you got fined."
The couple returned to Florida after his tour with a new understanding of their carbon footprint
But the couple soon realized the house was "one big carbon footprint," Dan said. "The size of Bigfoot." The electric bills were $400 in a single month.
So the couple began making the transition to green.
"For me, it was mostly the bills," Dan said. "For Christine, it was about getting this house to be environmentally friendly, a place to live."
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