thecooldown

In Australia, 20,000 homes show how a battery slashes grid use when the evening peak hits

As utility bills rise, and solar panels and home batteries improve, more and more homeowners are considering clean energy technologies. And new data from Australia, a country that's seen widespread ...
thecooldown

In Washington, a 2025 tax bill unwound the tech-neutral clean energy credits homeowners use

A major tax change in Washington could eventually show up in family budgets through electricity prices, local clean-power projects, and the pace of new energy investment in nearby communities. The ...
The Cool Down

In Britain, brick homes trap heat overnight, and one woman says 'sometimes I can't breathe'

Britain's homes were built to hold in warmth — an advantage in the winter that is becoming a serious problem in summer ...
thecooldown

From Florida to Arizona, gardeners share the August crops that set up a thriving fall garden

August can feel like the point in the growing season when even the most enthusiastic gardeners start to lose steam, but a new multi-climate gardening roundup is reminding viewers that late summer is ...
thecooldown

CityNerd puts train travel up against flying on time, cost, and carbon

For travelers trying to decide whether to fly or take the train, the option that looks fastest on paper is not always the most practical in real life. A newly released video from independent ...
thecooldown

GM says 250,000 EVs could feed the grid, if owners get 'appropriate compensation'

A parked EV could become part of the power system instead of waiting unused for its next drive. GM says hundreds of thousands of its electric vehicles are already equipped to send electricity back to ...
The Cool Down

Gardener from Virginia saves leggy kale seedlings and says 'you do not have to start over'

A Virginia gardener is reminding people that weak-looking seedlings are not always a lost cause. In a fall-gardening video, ...
thecooldown

In the UK, plug-in balcony solar goes legal later this month, with payback in 3 to 5 years

Plug-in balcony solar is expected to become legal in the U.K., which could give people in rented homes and apartments a way to make some of their own electricity without putting a full system on the ...
The Cool Down

In China, a tandem solar cell hits 29.71% efficiency and shores up perovskite stability

Researchers in China say they have developed a tandem solar cell that converts 29.71% of sunlight into electricity while ...
thecooldown

In Kansas, Coffeyville's AI data center push meets calls for a legal moratorium

In Coffeyville, Kansas, opposition to AI data center growth is coalescing around an online campaign that wants local officials to pause new development until stronger protections are in place. The ...
thecooldown

Heat pump conversions were once about tech, now contractors face a policy maze and pricier power

Electrification is gaining popularity across the United States, but are state and local programs prepared for the backend of that trend? As electrification gains traction, heat pumps are no longer a ...
The Cool Down

Washington grocers defend EPA refrigerant delay, saying a faster shift could cost $1.7 million

Supermarket and food retail groups are asking a federal court to uphold the EPA’s decision to extend the timeline for converting commercial refrigeration equipment.