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The cheaper, easier way to power your home.
The What: Plug-in solar! For the first time, solar energy is cheaper than fossil fuel energy. Or, to paraphrase Bill McKibben, it’s cheaper to power our lives with energy from heaven than energy from hell. And now, with plug-in solar panels available (you can even buy them from IKEA), it’s never been easier to install solar, even if you’re renting your home or apartment. Plug-in solar is sometimes called “balcony solar” for its ease of installation on balconies. It has already taken Europe by storm and it’s making its way to the U.S. (Canada, sadly, is lagging.)
The Why: Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy doesn't just turn down the global thermostat — it cuts pollution, and with it, the health issues and healthcare costs that come along for the ride. What’s more, renewable energy is typically produced much closer to home, reducing our reliance on foreign energy. Because sunlight doesn’t have a spot price, energy costs are fixed after installation, which effectively eliminates price shocks. Plug-in solar is accessible to renters and low-income households. And finally, the solar sector already employs more workers in the U.S. than the entire fossil fuel electricity sector. Go solar for the win!
The How: The helpful folks at EnergySage offer a handy guide to whether plug-in solar is right for you and, if so, whether it’s legal where you live. PlugInSolarUS offers a similar resource tracking plug-in solar laws across all 50 states, with guides, savings calculators, and state-by-state updates. So far, just two states in the U.S. — Utah and Maine — have legalized it, though many more are considering it. You can urge congress to make it legal here.
The More: We are living in a golden age of solar (and wind) energy. To better understand how these renewable energies are key solutions to combatting climate change, click here.
And for a fun read on how solar engineering has turned an ironclad physics principle on its head, check out Mike Sowden’s Fun in the Sun installment of his always fun, always funny, sometimes sunny newsletter, Everything is Amazing.
Glowingly,
Dot
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