Long Island homes on national solar tour

The free, self-guided National Solar Tour attracts thousands of visitors each year to energy-efficient homes across the country. Those touring some of the 70-plus locations featured on Long Island during the Oct. 3 event will also find geothermal pumps, airlock entries, wind-deflecting berms, heat reclaiming equipment, passive solar design, radiant heated floors that circulate hot air or water, alternative and renewable building components, composite construction (waste wood with no formaldehyde binders) that will not rot or warp and many more energy-efficient, money-saving and "green" techniques.