The 59-acre (24 hectare) site will also boast a solar thermal hot water system to pre-heat the water for the heating system, and a biomass boiler that will provide heat using locally-sourced wood chips.

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The 12, 700-square-foot Energy Star-certified house was crafted from low-toxic materials, withstood air tightness tests on the insulation, and has a water furnace geothermal system that provides hot water, radiant floor heat and air conditioning.

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Solar thermal heat is ideal as an auxiliary system to existing furnaces and hot water systems -your furnace or water heater operates exactly the same as it always has, coming on and running in response to thermostat settings to keep your house or water heated to the thermostat setting.

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The habitable zone is the region of a planetary system which is neither too hot nor too cold - such that water on the surface of a planet will neither evaporate nor freeze, but instead can stay liquid.

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