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The Cool Down is mainstream America's guide to a cleaner, cooler future, making it easy for people from all walks of life to help themselves while helping the planet.
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News
Homeowner with new roof avoids solar, gets told panel weight is 'negligible"
11+ hour, 19+ min ago (539+ words) "I'd personally prefer not to have them roof mounted or on the ground …" Rather than mount solar on a newly replaced roof, one homeowner asked Reddit whether a prefabricated carport could carry solar panels or if the project would require…...
New Hampshire turns capped landfill into 1.6 MW solar site, giving dead land new life
3+ hour, 32+ min ago (603+ words) The array is expected to produce enough electricity to equal the usage of 500 homes in New Hampshire. An old landfill in Derry, New Hampshire, is being put to work as a solar power site, a change the town expects will…...
Homeowner eyes new gutters after roof-edge solar turns medium rain into a 'waterfall"
4+ hour, 8+ min ago (618+ words) Once panels are added, rain and snow may no longer travel across a roof the same way. A rooftop solar setup is supposed to lower utility bills, not send a sheet of rain pouring over the side of the house....
Vermont trims Green Mountain Power's rate hike to 5.5% after customer backlash
5+ hour, 44+ min ago (603+ words) "Something has to give. Please consider the less fortunate people in Vermont." Green Mountain Power customers will face an electricity rate increase, but not as large as the utility originally sought, after Vermont officials reduced the request amid objections from…...
Pacific Northwest family warned about $1,150 backup solar plan amid winter clouds, watt limits
5+ hour, 56+ min ago (615+ words) A smaller system may still make sense if the real goal is limited to phones, flashlights, and radios. A Pacific Northwest family looking for a basic blackout backup plan got blunt feedback online: In the region's winter weather, even a…...
US Army backs nuclear microreactors small enough to ship by truck, boat, or plane
17+ hour, 43+ min ago (713+ words) The U.S. Army is directing major funding toward transportable nuclear reactors that can move by road, sea, or air. The push suggests microreactors may be edging closer to practical use. If the project stays on track, at least one military base…...
Homeowner eyeing 500-liter tank to heat water at cheap rates gets pointed in a different direction
7+ hour, 8+ min ago (608+ words) "I think you're over complicating this." Before opting for solar panels, one homeowner thought they had found a smart way to keep energy bills down in the meantime. The proposed overhaul centered on a 132-gallon (500-liter) attic tank that could…...
UK homeowner eyes more plug-in batteries as power prices rise, learns they can't feed the grid
7+ hour, 20+ min ago (422+ words) Rising power bills have pushed one homeowner in the United Kingdom to consider adding more plug-in battery capacity, but the answer isn't just about the math. Even if time-shifting electricity looks attractive on paper, grid-connection rules can determine whether those…...
UK homeowner debates DIY solar, batteries, and heat pump before boiler replacement
7+ hour, 32+ min ago (551+ words) Going solar is one of the best ways to save money on home energy, but getting the numbers right is key. One U.K. homeowner weighing a boiler replacement found himself confronting a much bigger question. The man asked Reddit's r/SolarDIY…...
Heat pump or electric tank? For a family of 5, solar changed the answer
8+ hour, 20+ min ago (664+ words) The price equation can change when rooftop solar is involved. When a family of five in Australia lost its bottled-gas hot water system, the replacement question opened up a bigger home energy debate of whether to go for a heat…...