2218 York Road (Route 30)
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-5494
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News
Grand Opening April 21, 2007
American Hearth Store in Gettysburg to Sell Household Renewable Energy Systems
GETTYSBURG, PA – The American Hearth store in Gettysburg will add renewable energy and sustainable living products for homeowners to its new 15,000 square foot showroom on Saturday, April 21st. Owner George Chorba’s 30-year interest in renewable energy prompted the opening of this newest branch of a USA Solar Store—a network of renewable energy retailers based in Vermont.
The USA Solar Store of Gettysburg will offer customers in the region products to become more energy independent and live the “green lifestyle.” The store will sell solar panels to create electricity; solar hot water systems for radiant heating and household hot water; Energy Star and other high-efficiency household appliances; wood, pellet and bio-fuel stoves; green living books and magazines; toys; and many other items to help people learn about and use renewable energy.
“A store like this has been a personal vision of mine since the 1973 Oil Embargo,” says George Chorba, when he realized just how tenuous our society is when it comes to its energy supply. His growing concern about America’s energy security in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the spike in oil prices during the Iraq war also spurred him to look for ways to give his customers greater “energy independence.” Chorba says the residential-sized wind turbines, micro-hydro and photovoltaic (solar) energy systems will give homeowners greater peace of mind in this age of rising fuel prices and rolling brownouts.
Noting that home energy creation is one of the greatest contributors to CO2 pollution, Chorba says alternative energy is a significant step in reducing global climate change. He strongly believes the answer to our energy dilemma lies at the local level rather than the state or national level—small wind turbines and banks of solar panels instead of industrial wind farms and huge photovoltaic arrays. Small-scale, home-based solutions are key, Chorba stresses, saying that “large scale wind keeps the power company in control. A home-sized system puts the homeowner in charge.”
George Chorba has a long history with renewable energy. He took solar engineering courses in Houston years ago while working as a stone mason—a career that eventually lead him to open the American Hearth store in Gettysburg in 1993. Shortly after adding a passive solar addition to his home last year, Chorba read an interview with USA Solar Stores founder Dave Bonta in Alternative Energy Retailer and realized he wanted to join Bonta in “getting renewable energy out there for the individual.” He saw what Bonta was doing and it immediately clicked—this is how he wanted to take his commitment of renewable energy to the next level. He immediately called the magazine’s editor who put him in touch with Dave. The two immediately began drawing up plans for a new Solar Store in Gettysburg. In six months it became a reality. “I was already in the alternative energy market with my wood, corn and pellet stoves, and I felt that solar, wind and hydro power was the next logical step,” Chorba says.
“When buying solar or other renewable energy systems, the first step is to reduce your energy needs through efficiency and conservation,” says Chorba. “Once we’ve helped you reduce the energy you use with energy-efficient appliances and other simple techniques, we can then custom design an affordable system tailor-made for your home or business,” he says. The initial cost of installing green energy such as solar or wind may seem prohibitive, but Pennsylvania state grants, loans, tax exemptions and incentive programs—such the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program or the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Grant Program for schools, businesses and farms—combined with generous federal tax credits, can reduce the cost of renewable energy systems by thousands of dollars.
“Some people think using green energy means living a primitive lifestyle. That’s no longer true,” says USA Solar Store president Dave Bonta. “With basic conservation, energy efficiency and an increased awareness of your true power needs, you can have all the conveniences of modern life—and feel good about it,” he says.
The USA Solar Store of Gettysburg is located at 2218 York Road (Route 30). For more information call (717) 334-5494 or email
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