HOME, SWEET ECO-HOME BE KIND TO PLANET IN YOUR OWN DOMAIN.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

The control panel in Dr. Robert Cook's Simi Valley home is slightly more high-tech looking than a standard security system, and if you look closely, you might be able to spot the hot water solar collector on the roof.

There's also an electric car charging station in the garage, which Cook - who doesn't own an electric vehicle - doesn't use.

Otherwise, the white two-story house on King Palm Drive looks like just another spacious and tastefully decorated home in the Beazer Homes Heather Hills development, which was important to designers and engineers at Beazer and Southern California Edison. The home of the future need not look futuristic.

``Nobody's going to drive by and say, 'That's the Eco-House.' '' said Tony Pierce, an engineer with Southern California Edison.

Maybe not, but you're not likely to find a more energy-efficient house than Cook's. Designated a showcase home for the federal Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing initiative announced by President Clinton in 1998, the home is designed to reduce energy consumption, improve indoor air quality and have all the wiring meet the requirement for the new information age, all the while keeping its occupants comfortable.

The home's features include a special electrical wiring system that allows every room in the house to be connected via the same information network. Duct work built inside the insulation maximizes heating and air conditioning efficiency. There are double-glazed and low-emissive windows and high-efficiency heat pumps.

Total price tag for all the built-ins: $1,200. Edison officials estimate they will pay themselves off in electric bill savings in slightly more than one year.

Cook and his wife, Pat, moved in last October, and although it's too early to calculate energy savings, Edison officials are closely monitoring the house and say that everything is working correctly.

And the occupant is satisfied. A former veterinarian and consultant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cook said he was looking for a home in the area and was intrigued with the idea of seeing new technology at work. Although he knows what his house contains, Cook admits he is not entirely sure how everything does what it does.

Edison engineers can talk about photovoltaic attic fans and low-emissivity windows, but the bottom line is, ``What we're trying to do is keep the outside environment outside and the inside environment inside,'' Cook said.

In addition to the built-in features, the house is also filled with high-efficiency Energy Star products - such as a refrigerator, clothes washer and dryer, and dishwasher - all of which were provided by Edison. The Cooks say they are careful about energy usage in their daily routines, but they are not fanatical.

``We could probably be better, but you can only take this so far. If we want a light on, we turn a light on. If we have only half a load of clothes to wash, we don't wait until it's full. We have to live, too.''

BRIGHT IDEA FOR SAVING ENERGY

Trying to get yourself into the 21st century in an eco-friendly and energy-conscious way? Start with a light bulb.

Not just any light bulb, but a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) recognizable by its ``ice cream twist'' shape. It will burn just as brightly as a standard incandescent, but for much longer. You'll pay more for the fluorescent bulb, but you'll also replace it less often, and the savings will be reflected in your energy bill.

Admittedly, changing a light bulb is a first step. A tour around the average home will reveal energy-saving potential in every room from the double-paned windows in your living room to the insulation in your attic to the electric car in your garage. Then, there's the appliances in your house - from your fridge to your fax machine - that can be swapped for a more energy-efficient model.

That's assuming you have the inclination and the spare cash to do the swapping. Most of us can't go that far, but that doesn't mean we need to give up on our home as an energy drain and grit our teeth every time the electric bill arrives in the mailbox.

EARTH DAY TIPS

Here's a guide - from outside your house to inside - of energy- conserving measures recommended by the Earth Day Network 2000.

Bedrooms: Attic, wall and crawlspace should be caulked and weather stripped for maximum insulation, to keep warm air warm and cool air cool. All windows in your home should be double paned or have low-emissivity coating to reduce the amount of heat that flows through glass.

Bathrooms: Install energy efficient, low-flow showerheads, designed to save 27 cents a day on water and 51 cents a day on energy.

Laundry room: Ask the store clerk about energy-saving appliances when you go to make your next purchase. Energy Star is not a brand name, but a designation applied to most household products. The label specifies that, according to the guidelines established by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, the product is designed to save energy, prevent air pollution and save money. They are carried on many well-known brand names like Sony or General Electric. An Energy Star washer uses less water and energy. The dryer will have moisture sensors that turn the machine off once clothes are dry. Use warm or cold water for laundry whenever possible, and operate only when you have a full load.

Kitchen: Use Energy Star refrigerator, microwave oven, range and dishwasher. Keep recycle bins for plastic, glass, paper cartons and cans.

Home office: Use Energy Star fax machine, computer, copier and printer, all of which will use less energy when shut down than non-Energy Star counterparts. Or activate the built-in Energy Star ``sleep'' feature on home office equipment, so that it automatically powers down when not in use.

Living room: Lighting fixtures should use efficient, long-lasting compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). A programmable thermostat will gradually raise or lower temperatures. Energy Star geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's existing temperature to transfer heat to the home in winter or cool air in summer.

Garage: Should be sealed off from the home to ensure that heat doesn't escape. Should contain an Energy Star water heater. Consider owning a high-mileage automobile.

Outdoors: Landscape with energy efficiency in mind. Plant evergreen trees on the north side of your home and leafy trees on the south side to block winter winds and summer sun. Use CFL porch lights.

For Web sites with more energy-saving tips, log on to www.dailynew.com. Similar information is featured in Power$mart, a consumer guide that can be ordered by writing to the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colo. 81009. The Energy Star hotline can be reached at [phone].

- Evan Henerson

CAPTION(S):

8 photos, 2 boxes

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Earth-friendly home; Simi Valley house builds ecology into the floor plan.

Simi Valley residents Pat and Robert Cook with their balcony made of recycled wood and fiberglass.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) The Cook house, located in Simi Valley, is a new eco-friendly, energy-efficient home.

(3 -- color) A power center regulates the energy going to appliances.

(4 -- color) High-efficiency heat pumps use non-CFC refrigerants.

(5 -- color) The Energy Star, found on utilities in the Cook kitchen, adorns products that conserve energy.

(6 -- color) The south wall of the house features a panel that powers an attic fan, which attracts heat.

(7 -- 8 -- color) Compact fluorescent light bulbs last longer than average bulbs.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) BRIGHT IDEA FOR SAVING ENERGY (see text)

(2) EARTH DAY TIPS (see text)