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The falling costs of renewables has helped shift political winds around power generation

Solar energy panels for a well pump in Wilcox, Arizona. Credit: Bruce Gifford Getty Images

Bob Burns didn’t always love renewables. Shortly after he was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2012, the conservative Republican voted to kill what remained of the state’s subsidy for rooftop solar installations.

But last week Burns managed something only a few blue-state climate hawks have pulled off: He helped pass a rule calling for the state to eliminate carbon emissions from its power grid by 2050.

In doing so, Arizona becomes only the seventh state to pass a law requiring its utiliti...

Insulation can help to keep the heat inside your house during the winter and keep it out during the summer months. And this can help to reduce the energy bills in your Texas home. According to Energy.gov, you should be insulating on several levels of your home.

In the attic, you should insulate unfinished attic spaces, between the studs and knee walls, between studs and rafters, and ceilings with cold areas overhead.

Next, you should insulate exterior walls – and this includes those walls between the living spaces and storage areas, unheated garages, and shed roofs – in addition to foundation walls.

Floor insulation is also important, and unheated garage and central crawl spaces sh...

Zero energy homes (or net zero energy homes) are growing in popularity. Whether you’ve heard of them or not, they’re here to stay, according to Julio Daniel Hernadez, CEO of EnLight.Energy, which provides home energy monitoring, energy efficiency upgrades and solar power production.

“Cities worldwide are setting their clean energy goals and committing to becoming net-zero energy towns,” said Hernandez.

He says some countries (for example, Iceland, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Norway, Austria, Brazil, and Denmark) are at – or very close to – 100 percent renewable power. But this isn’t just a trend in other countries.

“Six cities in the U.S. – Asp...

A new year means a fresh start, a time for change. While this mindset typically applies to self-improvement, it’s equally as important for your home. As the New Year begins, this is the perfect opportunity to explore how you can implement a more eco-conscious approach in and around the house.

There are many different things you can do – some big, some small – to start making a difference. Some are minor lifestyle adjustments while others are long-term investments that will ultimately save both money and valuable resources. To help you get started, we asked experts on eco-friendly living for their best tips for creating a greener and healthier home.

1. Embrace green-certified ...

As consumers, we sometimes display an unrealistic faith that the products we buy are safe, effective, and economical. Many of us trust that companies have our best interests at heart and that the government will protect us from harm. And it seems that the bigger the price tag, the more naive we can be. Housing is our biggest expense – whether renting or buying – and yet we drive our heads into the sand and blindly believe that it won’t hurt us physically or financially. If you’re buying a new home, don’t be tempted to purchase a home that you will later regret owning when you can find – or even demand – one with optimum energy efficiency, comfort, c...

The past few decades saw huge developments in the use of solar power. These grid panels can use solar energy and turn it into electricity. Many neighborhoods have at least one house with solar panels installed on the roof.

Someone may have passed by your house offering solar panels for your home. These solar company representatives can be found just about everywhere. You may not have explored the use of solar power for your home since you are not familiar with how the whole system works. You may have also thought it is expensive.

Many people feel the same way. They are not using solar energy simply because they are not sure how much they have to spend on it. They may also be wondering when the...

This article was originally written by Sarah Hancock here for bestcompany.com

Are you thinking about making the switch to solar? Maybe you'd like to lower your electricity bill, or perhaps you want to reduce your carbon footprint. The good news is that, in many situations, installing solar panels on your home or business can be an extremely economically and environmentally beneficial decision. However, solar isn't the right fit for everyone, so it's important to do your research before putting up a significant investment.

In an effort to provide helpful information for home and business owners like you, as well as shed light on a somewhat confusing and ever-evolving industry, Best Company ask...

There’s no doubt about it, the “green economy” has gone global, as more and more sustainable-minded individuals and organizations have embraced the notion of a clean, environmentally friendly economy that promotes health, wealth, and well-being. The green economy is a thriving economy, as well—with overall global trade in environmental goods pegged at $1 trillion annually, a figure that should grow to $2-to-$3 trillion by 2020, according to United Nations Environment.

I first became interested in zero energy buildings in 2003. There were several things that pulled me into the concept, and probably the most compelling aspect was the scale of the change. At the time, I was managing a municipal green building program and we were struggling to convince developers to make relatively minor incremental changes like using Low-E windows or high-efficiency furnaces. The notion of zero energy was such a radical leap forward. The other big thing that was intriguing to me, let’s face it, was that it was cool.

Zero energy as an aspiration, on-the-ground reality, and the climate solution movement intersection is at an interesting point in its history. Zero energy i...