John Edwards is defending the energy efficiency (or lack thereof) of his new mansion:
"The house was built from the beginning, both in its location for passive solar and the use of active solar, to help provide some of the energy for the house," said Edwards, in an interview with The Associated Press. "It doesn't provide all of the energy, but it provides some."
Edwards said he hired a design expert during construction of the home to suggest energy efficiency options.
"We actually had an expert come in and design how to make it energy efficient," said Edwards. "He came in and said this is the way to set up the systems. He came in and figured out how to make it efficient."
Edwards also said his family was taking efficiency to the smallest detail.
"Elizabeth, I saw her climb up, I literally saw her with piles of fluorescent light bulbs changing them out," said Edwards. "We are also committed to making the house carbon neutral."
That is, as efficient and neutral as one can heat and air condition 28,200 square feet of living space.
And they didn't move in that long ago. Why didn't they start out with the fluorescent bulbs? No Hired Help to Change the Light Bulbs?
