Energy efficiency news.
Rebate updates, policy changes, and technology developments — aggregated from 50+ sources, AI-enriched, and scored for relevance.
Blue wafers are fundamentally undermining U.S. solar manufacturing
There's a debate in the solar industry over what counts as "made in the USA," and it centers on something most buyers never think about: what condition the silicon wafer is in when it arrives at a U.S. factory. A raw, unprocessed "gray wafer" needs extensive work to become a solar cell, including forming the internal junction that lets it actually convert sunlight into electricity. A "blue wafer" already has that junction formed overseas and just needs finishing touches here. Critics argue that finishing an already near-complete cell shouldn't get the same treatment as building one from scratch, since federal tax credits and incentives are meant to reward real domestic manufacturing capability, not just the last few steps. For homeowners, this matters mainly because it could affect how reliable "domestic content" claims are on solar equipment tied to tax credits. If a panel is labeled U.S.-made but much of the real manufacturing happened abroad, the incentive calculations behind it could later be challenged, which creates uncertainty for the credits, pricing, and contracts tied to that equipment. Nothing in this changes what any single household needs to do right now. It's a heads-up that the rules for what counts as domestic solar manufacturing are still being sorted out, and that the label "U.S.-made" doesn't yet have one consistent meaning across tax, customs, and trade law. If you're weighing solar for your home and rebates or tax credits factor into the decision, it's worth knowing that "domestic content" claims may get more scrutiny going forward.
What to Do if You Lose Your Google Business Profile
This is trade news about how HVAC contractors market themselves, not something that changes what you pay or which upgrades qualify for rebates. The gist: Google Business Profiles, the listings that show up when you search for a local contractor, are one of the main ways homeowners find HVAC companies. One contractor, NW Mechanical, had its profile suspended for months and says it lost between $300,000 and $500,000 in business as a result. Changes to how Google manages its ad system for local services are reportedly causing more of these suspensions. For you as a homeowner, this doesn't affect any energy-efficiency program, rebate, or piece of equipment. It's a reminder that when you search online for someone to install a heat pump, handle weatherization work, or do any other home upgrade, the list of companies you see is shaped by Google's own systems, which can shift or knock a business's listing offline without much warning. A contractor you've used before and trusted could temporarily vanish from search results through no fault of their own workmanship. If you're in the middle of researching contractors for an upgrade, it's worth keeping in mind that online visibility and actual quality aren't always the same thing, and a company's Google listing being hard to find, or a newer company showing up prominently, doesn't necessarily reflect how good their work is. Checking references or asking neighbors who've done similar projects remains as useful as ever.
Repeatability: The Missing Link in Better Housing
This piece makes an argument about home construction, not an announcement of new products or programs, so there's nothing here that directly changes what a homeowner should do. The point is that builders already know how to make homes durable, comfortable, and energy efficient, but most houses are still built as one-off projects, with new plans and details each time. That makes it harder to catch mistakes, refine techniques, and steadily improve results. The writer points to history as a counterexample. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold more than 70,000 kit homes through mail-order catalogs, with standardized designs, labeled parts, and details worked out by in-house architects and engineers. Builders put up the same houses repeatedly, improving the process each time, and many of those homes are still standing. Postwar developments like Levittown followed the same logic: simple, repeated layouts that let houses go up faster and cheaper, rather than each one being custom. For a homeowner, the takeaway is mostly background context rather than something to act on. If you're comparing builders or renovation approaches, it helps to know that repeated, standardized designs have a long track record of being durable and affordable, while highly customized, one-off construction can carry more risk of things not being fully worked out. There's no product, rebate, or deadline attached to this story.
IRA-stimulated U.S. solar manufacturing capex to reach $12.2 billion by end 2026
U.S. companies are spending heavily to build solar panel factories at home. Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, spending on solar panel manufacturing plants and equipment in the U.S. is on track to hit $12.2 billion by the end of 2026 — more than half of all the money spent on U.S. solar manufacturing since 2001. Spending has topped $2.5 billion every year since 2023, with a record $4.14 billion in 2024, led largely by First Solar (building factories in Alabama and Louisiana) and Qcells (investing in Georgia). The buildout is spreading across the country. Ohio led panel production before the law passed, thanks to First Solar's plants there. Now Texas has become the new hub, with several companies making panels there. Other clusters are forming along the Gulf Coast (Louisiana and Florida) and across the Southeast (Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas). For homeowners, this is a sign that more solar panels are being designed, built, and assembled domestically rather than imported. That matters because U.S.-made components can affect eligibility for certain tax credits and rebates tied to domestic manufacturing rules, and a stronger local supply chain could mean steadier availability and pricing for solar equipment down the line. The report itself is aimed at industry analysts, but the trend it tracks — more American factories making solar hardware — is part of the backdrop for anyone weighing a home solar installation in the next few years.
Heliene taking commercial delivery of U.S.-sourced solar glass from Stewart Glass
A company called Heliene, which makes solar panels in Minnesota, is now getting solar glass made in the U.S. from a new supplier called Stewart Glass, which converted a former architectural glass plant in Ohio to produce it. The plant opened its first production line in March 2026 and plans a second line in June 2027. This matters for homeowners because U.S.-made solar panels are becoming more important for keeping solar projects affordable and eligible for incentives. Federal rules increasingly reward projects that use "domestic content" — components made in the U.S. — and avoid materials tied to certain foreign suppliers. Glass has been a missing piece: Heliene could previously source most panel parts domestically but not the glass. With Stewart Glass now producing it, panels can carry a higher share of U.S.-made content, which can affect whether a solar installation qualifies for certain financial benefits. For now, this is a supply-chain development rather than something that changes prices or availability overnight. Heliene has committed to buying a set volume of glass from Stewart each year and has been involved in testing it for quality and durability. The company says it can't use all of Stewart's output itself, so other panel makers are likely to buy from the same supplier, which could help bring costs down over time as U.S. glass production scales up. Homeowners considering solar may start seeing more panels marketed as having higher U.S.-made content as a result.
No future quarterly declines predicted for US energy storage installation market
The U.S. battery storage market hit a record 18.9 GWh installed in the second quarter of 2026, according to a new report from the American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie. Home battery installations (the residential sector) reached 676 MW, the fourth-largest quarter on record, though that was down 15% from the previous quarter. California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Arizona and Illinois remain the top markets for home batteries, together making up 88% of residential storage installed in the quarter, but all five saw declines compared to the prior quarter. Looking ahead, the report projects the residential storage market will shrink about 4% in 2026, due to the elimination of a federal tax credit, homeowner hesitation, and shifts in how companies offer battery leasing or ownership deals. After that, the market is expected to rebound, growing at an average of 9% a year between 2027 and 2031. One trend worth noting for homeowners: pairing solar panels with battery storage is becoming more common. Nationally, 46% of residential solar installations in the second quarter included a battery, up from 41% a year earlier. That suggests more homeowners installing solar are choosing to add storage at the same time, even as the overall battery market cools this year. Battery prices, meanwhile, continue to trend downward across the industry, which could help offset some of the near-term slowdown for homeowners considering a system.
Aurora Solar updates platform to include home electrification and new financing tools
Aurora Solar, a company that makes the software many solar installers use to design and price home systems, has updated its platform to cover more than just solar panels. Installers can now include heating and cooling systems, EV chargers, and battery storage alongside solar in a single proposal for your home. The idea is to give you a fuller picture of how solar, electrification, and storage could work together, rather than pricing them out separately. The update also adds new financing options, including more prepaid leases and prepaid power purchase agreements (PPAs), where a third party owns the system and you pay for the electricity or a set lease amount rather than buying the equipment outright. Aurora says this shift reflects how solar is actually being sold now: industry survey data cited in the announcement found that almost two-thirds of solar sales professionals expect more than half of their 2026 projects to use this kind of third-party ownership. Aurora also points to growing interest in deals tied to virtual power plants, where your payments could be reduced if you let a company use your battery to supply power back to the grid during peak demand, similar to programs already running with some battery providers in Texas. These changes come as the federal tax credit for homeowner-purchased solar (Section 25D) has already ended, and the separate credit developers use for leased or PPA systems (Section 48E) is set to expire in about 14 months. Despite that, homeowner interest in solar remains high, partly because electricity prices keep rising.
IWBI Hosts Its Third-Annual Healthy Building Policy Summit in D.C.
The International WELL Building Institute is holding its third annual Healthy Building Policy Summit on September 29 in Washington, D.C., at Georgetown University. The event brings together policymakers, public health experts, and building industry leaders to talk about how buildings affect health — things like indoor air quality, brain health, school environments, and community resilience. Speakers include a Harvard public health researcher, officials from a federal health research agency, and executives from companies that make HVAC and building technology. For homeowners, this is more of a policy and industry gathering than something with immediate, direct effects on your house. The discussions center on shaping future policy around healthy indoor air and building design — the kind of work that can eventually influence building codes, funding programs, or standards, but nothing here changes rules or offers rebates right now. The one concrete development is the launch of a "Global Framework for Action," a roadmap from the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air meant to push governments, businesses, and institutions to treat healthy indoor air as a standard expectation in buildings. It's aimed at large-scale, long-term change in how buildings are designed and regulated, not at individual homeowners. If you're interested in indoor air quality in your own home, there's no new program or incentive here to act on — just a sign that policymakers and industry groups are paying more attention to the issue, which could shape future guidance or funding down the line.
Thermostats Change the HVAC Sales Plan
More heating and cooling companies are pitching smart thermostats as the hub for a whole home comfort system, not just a temperature dial. The idea is that one thermostat can coordinate several things at once: ventilation, humidity control, and air filtration, instead of you managing separate controls for each. One example mentioned is American Standard's Gold Smart Thermostat, which reads temperature and humidity and makes small fan-speed adjustments to help manage humidity, and can work alongside add-ons like a whole-home air cleaner, a humidifier or dehumidifier, or an energy recovery ventilator (a device that swaps stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air while recovering heat or coolness in the process). The pitch to homeowners is that this coordination happens quietly in the background, so you get more consistent temperature, cleaner air, and balanced humidity without having to constantly adjust settings yourself. You'd still need to handle basics like changing filters and routine service to keep things running well. There's also a benefit on the service side. These connected thermostats can send equipment data, like runtime, humidity readings, and fault codes, back to the contractor before a technician even shows up. That can mean a tech arrives already knowing what's wrong and with the right parts, potentially cutting down on repeat visits. If you're considering a new HVAC system, this points to a broader trend: installers may increasingly offer a bundled thermostat-plus-air-quality package rather than just a furnace or air conditioner on its own.
Trump is backing a diesel export ban. How much would that do?
Diesel prices have hit record highs this month, with the national average reaching $6.52 a gallon. President Trump said this week that he backs banning diesel exports as a way to bring prices down, though the White House had earlier said no such ban was under consideration. Diesel powers the trucks, trains, and ships that move goods around the country, so even homeowners who don't drive a diesel vehicle feel the effects through higher prices on everything that gets shipped or trucked in. Prices have climbed nearly 80 percent since the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran began, disrupting oil shipping routes and cutting into global fuel supply. One tracker estimates the increase has already cost American households almost $400 each. Supporters of an export ban, including some Republican lawmakers, argue that keeping more diesel at home would ease prices for farmers, truckers, and consumers. Critics, including oil industry groups and some in the administration, say U.S. diesel prices are set by global markets, not domestic supply alone, and that a ban could backfire by discouraging production. Democrats have called for similar bans in the past but have mostly stayed quiet this time. One energy policy expert suggested a partial cut to exports, rather than an outright ban, could still meaningfully lower prices in the short term. For now, no policy change has been made. If diesel costs keep affecting shipping and delivery prices, homeowners may see the ripple effects in the cost of goods and services rather than at a gas pump directly.
Trump’s coal crusade is failing
The Trump administration is fighting on two fronts to roll back federal climate rules and prop up coal power, with mixed results. This month the EPA rolled back a Biden-era rule that limited carbon emissions from power plants, arguing it lacks the authority to regulate heat-trapping gases. The move also aims to make it harder for future administrations to write similar rules. Separately, the administration has been using an old wartime law to order aging coal plants to keep running rather than shut down as planned. But a federal court just rejected one of these orders, telling the Energy Department that its attempt to force a Michigan coal plant to stay open was heavy-handed and had no solid legal basis. For homeowners, none of this changes anything immediately about your electricity bill, your utility, or available upgrade incentives. It's a signal about the direction of federal energy policy: less pressure on power plants to cut carbon emissions, and an uneven, legally contested push to keep old coal plants online longer than utilities had planned. Whether any of it actually changes what kind of power plants get built or retired over time is still an open question. Separately, new polling on climate messaging found that most Americans respond poorly to the word "crisis," which may shape how these issues get talked about publicly going forward, though that's more about political rhetoric than anything that affects your home directly.
Aurora Solar updates services, expands to UK
Aurora Solar, a company that helps solar installers design and price home solar systems, is updating its tools and expanding into the United Kingdom. The changes mostly affect how installers put together solar proposals, but they touch on a few things that matter if you're considering solar or related upgrades for your home. Proposals from Aurora-using installers can now include other electrification options alongside solar, such as heat pumps or other HVAC equipment, EV chargers, and battery storage. So if you're shopping for solar, you may see these bundled into quotes more often. On the money side, Aurora is adding prepaid leases and power purchase agreements (arrangements where you pay for the power a system produces rather than owning it outright) as financing options for homeowners, in addition to whatever financing your installer already offers. The company also runs a Solar Marketplace, where homeowners can get estimates for solar and battery storage projects from local installers. That marketplace remains available as a way to compare options in your area. None of this is a new incentive or rebate program — it's a company updating its software and services, which mainly affects the tools installers use to design and quote systems. If you're already exploring solar or storage, it may be worth asking your installer whether they use Aurora and what financing options, including the new prepaid lease or power purchase agreement choices, are available to you.
sub slab and basement insulation
This is a homeowner forum post, not a news story, so there's no program or policy update to report. A homeowner near the New Jersey shore who is rebuilding is asking for advice on foundation and wall insulation for a high-performance, near-passive house. The site sits between rivers and close to the ocean, with a water table at 6 feet and a planned footer depth of 4 feet. The poster is weighing two exterior wall assemblies, both using continuous rigid mineral wool insulation (comfortboard) outside the framing, either with 2x4 or 2x6 studs, plus mineral wool batts inside the wall cavity. The goal is a wall that lets moisture pass through while a humidifier and dehumidifier manage indoor humidity, since the household keeps the house humid for a piano and instruments and to help a child's eczema. For the foundation, they're asking whether the high water table means using rigid foam board (XPS) instead of mineral wool below the slab, how deep the insulation should sit relative to the footer, and whether mineral wool against poured concrete is still discouraged. This is a technical construction question aimed at getting engineering-level answers from other builders, not a decision an average homeowner needs to weigh in on. If you're planning a similar rebuild, the specifics here (foam type, depth, and vapor control near a high water table) are the kind of details worth discussing directly with your own architect or foundation engineer, since local soil and water conditions vary a lot by site.
Lampost EV Charging Joins Curbside Charging To Open Urban Charging Bottlenecks
A startup called Voltpost is expanding a way to charge electric cars using street lampposts and other existing poles, instead of building new charging stations from scratch. The company mounts a charger about 10 feet up a pole, out of easy reach for vandals, with a retractable cable that drivers pull down to plug in. Because the poles already have power connections, installation takes hours instead of the days needed to dig trenches for a standalone charger. Voltpost just added 14 new charging ports in New York, including in Albany, Saratoga Springs, and the historic Village of Cold Spring, funded partly by the state energy agency NYSERDA. The company also opened a free public charger in Brooklyn during Climate Week and has projects running in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, and Washington, DC. A new partnership with installation firm InCharge Energy will help maintain the chargers and cut down on outages. None of this changes anything for homeowners who already charge in a driveway or garage — most EV drivers still prefer plugging in at home. But it matters for the many renters and other households without a home charging spot, since street-pole charging is aimed at exactly that gap. As gas prices rise and EV prices and range keep improving, more curbside charging options like this could make an EV a realistic choice even for people who can't install a home charger.
It’s time for utility bill reform
A recent opinion piece argues that electric bills have become a way for states to fund public programs that have little to do with actually generating or delivering power. The writer, from an energy industry group, says costs for things like renewable energy standards, energy efficiency programs, low-income assistance, electric vehicle initiatives, and other state policies are often folded into electric bills without being clearly labeled. That makes it hard for homeowners to see what part of their bill pays for actual electricity service versus what pays for other government goals. The piece claims these hidden costs can make up as much as a quarter of a typical bill, depending on the state. The argument is that this setup hurts lower- and middle-income households the most, since everyone needs electricity regardless of income, so folding public program costs into bills acts like a flat tax that hits people who can least afford it. The writer suggests these programs would be fairer if funded through state budgets and general taxes instead, where lawmakers would have to debate and justify the spending openly, rather than quietly building it into monthly power bills. This is a policy opinion piece, not an announcement of a new law or program, so nothing changes right away for your bill. But if you have ever wondered why your electric bill includes charges beyond basic power supply and delivery, this explains one reason: state-level programs, which vary widely, are often baked into the rate itself. It is worth checking your own utility bill or your state's public utility commission website to see how these charges are broken down where you live.
2026’s Top Women in HVACR: Thirteen Leaders Share Their Success
An industry group has named its 2026 list of top women working in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR), spotlighting thirteen leaders in the field. The recognition points to a workforce trend worth knowing about if you're planning a home energy upgrade: the trade is growing. Federal labor data cited in the honor cites projected 40,100 job openings a year in HVACR through 2034, with employment expected to grow 8.1% over the decade, adding 34,500 jobs. The field's 2024 median annual wage was $59,810. For homeowners, this isn't a program or rebate announcement, but it does speak to something practical: as more people, including more women, enter HVACR careers, the pool of technicians and installers who service furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps should keep expanding. That matters if you've ever struggled to book a timely appointment for a repair, replacement, or an efficiency upgrade like a heat pump install. The honorees themselves work across the industry in roles from business ownership to engineering to sales, showing the range of paths within HVACR work. There's no specific action for homeowners here, no deadline or rebate tied to this story. It's simply a sign that the workforce responsible for keeping home heating and cooling systems running, and for helping homeowners transition to more efficient equipment, continues to grow and diversify.
Offshore wind job training built for a boom is facing down a bust
The offshore wind industry, once expected to expand rapidly along the East Coast, has stalled under the Trump administration's opposition to wind power. New leases and permits were frozen, tax credits and grants were rolled back, and the government has paid some developers to abandon offshore leases entirely. No new offshore wind farms have broken ground since Trump took office, and roughly 6 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity is now online or under construction — less than a third of what the Biden administration had approved. This slowdown mainly affects communities near current or planned wind farms, especially in the Northeast, where training programs built to prepare workers for an expected boom are now scaling back or shifting focus. Programs in New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland are steering trained workers toward broader clean-energy and grid-related jobs, since the skills overlap with solar, battery storage, and grid infrastructure work. Some offshore projects already under construction, like Sunrise Wind off Long Island, are still expected to finish around 2027, but future projects remain on hold. For homeowners, this doesn't directly change home energy upgrade programs or rebates, but it signals a slower buildout of offshore wind power on the grid in the near term. Experts say demand for clean energy workers remains strong overall, and industry watchers expect offshore wind could rebound eventually as electricity demand and costs keep rising.
California tightens oversight of data center energy use, grid costs
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed seven bills meant to make data centers pay more of the costs they create on the state's power grid, rather than passing those costs on to regular utility customers. The laws require data centers to cover the cost of grid upgrades needed to serve them, pay a larger share of wildfire mitigation and liability costs, and go through environmental review. One bill directs state regulators to make sure data centers pay for transmission and distribution upgrades tied to their power use, since lawmakers say the rapid growth of these facilities threatens to push electricity rates higher for everyone. The laws also require data centers to report their energy and water use, disclose that information to local governments, and lose access to broad environmental exemptions they previously had during permitting. Separate provisions push data centers to use onsite clean energy and require water supply assessments and scarcity plans before projects can move forward. California has 296 data centers, the third-most of any state, and the new rules are meant to give communities more say over projects and prevent the cost of serving them from landing on households. For homeowners, this matters mainly because utility bills reflect the cost of building and maintaining the grid. When large power users like data centers get billed directly for the infrastructure they need, less of that cost gets spread across ordinary ratepayers. Whether this leads to noticeably lower or more stable electricity rates in California will depend on how regulators apply these rules over time.
Other New England states back Maine’s RTO adder complaint
New England states are pushing federal regulators to strip Maine utilities, including Central Maine Power, of an extra fee they collect for belonging to the region's grid operator, ISO New England. That fee, a 0.5% bonus on the return utilities earn, was meant to encourage voluntary participation in these regional grid groups. But Maine now requires its utilities to join, so the states argue the bonus no longer makes sense and just adds cost to electric bills. In 2024, this extra charge added about $6 million in costs across New England, with Maine customers covering roughly $700,000 of that. Maine isn't alone. Connecticut and Maryland have filed similar complaints after passing their own laws requiring utility participation in regional grids, and New Jersey has a similar law as well. The utilities involved argue the states are overstepping into territory that belongs to federal regulators, and a utility trade group warns that pulling the incentive could create uncertainty just as more investment in the power grid is needed. For homeowners, this fight is about a small slice of what shows up on electric bills: transmission charges, which help pay for the wires and equipment that move power across the region. New England's transmission rates are already among the highest in the country. If regulators side with the states, utilities in Maine, Connecticut, and Maryland could lose this fee, which might modestly ease upward pressure on transmission costs. Homeowners elsewhere in New England could see effects too, since the disputed fee is charged across the whole region, not just to customers in the state that passed the law.
Solar growth accelerates in ERCOT and MISO as data centers drive demand
The U.S. is on track for a big jump in solar power over the next two years, and the growth is heaviest in Texas and the Midwest. Federal energy forecasters expect solar generation to grow 21% in 2026 and another 18% in 2027, as the country's overall electricity use climbs as well, pushed up largely by data centers and manufacturing plants rather than homes. In Texas, the grid operator ERCOT is expected to see solar output grow enough that, in 2026, it will pass coal for the first time on an annual basis, with solar climbing further in 2027. Texas and the Midwest grid (MISO) together account for much of the national solar growth. MISO, which covers a large swath of the central U.S., says it's entering a period of demand growth it hasn't seen in decades, with data centers driving much of the increase. MISO estimates data centers alone could need about 20 gigawatts of power by 2030, a significant jump from its current system-wide peak demand. For homeowners, this is mostly background context: it signals that the grid supplying your area may be adding more solar power and facing higher overall demand in the coming years, largely from big commercial and industrial users like data centers rather than residential growth. Whether this affects your own electricity costs or reliability will depend on where you live and how your local utility responds to these regional trends.
North Carolina regulators deny Duke Energy gas turbine request over ‘staggering’ cost, uncertain need
North Carolina regulators have rejected Duke Energy's plan to build a new natural gas power plant at its Smith Energy Complex in Richmond County. The proposed unit would have cost $584 million, which state utility staff called "staggering," and would have added 255 megawatts of gas-fired generation. Regulators said Duke had not shown the project was actually needed, and questioned how much of the demand behind it was really coming from data centers rather than households and businesses. This matters for homeowners because new power plants like this one get paid for through electric rates. When a utility builds an expensive plant, customers typically cover the cost over many years through their bills. Regulators specifically flagged concern that data center growth — not ordinary household demand — was driving the request, and pointed to Duke's pledge (part of a White House ratepayer protection commitment) not to shift data center costs onto other customers. The commission said Duke hadn't shown enough detail to prove it would honor that pledge for this project. For now, the plant will not be built, and Duke says it is reviewing its options. A related decision on Duke's broader long-term power plan for the state, which will shape future generation and cost decisions, is expected later this year. Homeowners in Duke's North Carolina service area won't see costs from this specific project on their bills, but the bigger question of who pays for new power plants tied to data center growth remains unresolved.
What’s next for the 100% renewable energy movement
Big companies are still working toward 100 percent renewable electricity, but the timeline for many has stretched out. HP, which first pledged to hit that goal by 2025, pushed its deadline to 2040, pointing to limited supply of qualifying renewable power and tough market conditions in some regions. HP currently covers 66 percent of its electricity with renewables, up from 62 percent the year before. HP isn't alone. A report from the corporate renewable energy group RE100, covering more than 400 member companies, found many are running into higher costs, limited power supply, and policy obstacles, especially in South Korea. Across all RE100 members, average renewable coverage rose to 59 percent this year, up from 53 percent, and about 70 companies now cover at least 90 percent of their electricity with renewables. Nike recently announced it reached 100 percent. Meta is the only company to have left the RE100 initiative so far. None of this changes what's available to homeowners directly, but it reflects a broader trend: demand for renewable power, and the grid upgrades and clean energy projects that come with it, is still growing, driven partly by corporate energy security goals. A newer, stricter effort called the 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition, launched by companies including Google and Unilever, is testing whether businesses can match their electricity use with carbon-free power hour by hour, rather than just over a full year. That's a more technical, forward-looking goal that could eventually shape how utilities plan power supply, but it remains a small pilot effort for now.
Tesla Semi wins 2,500-truck order, doubling US electric Class 8 fleet
This is trucking news, not something that directly touches most home upgrade plans, but it signals where electric vehicle adoption is heading. Tesla has been named the lead truck supplier for the largest electric heavy-duty truck order in US history: 2,500 Class 8 trucks (big rigs) bought through a new buying group called ZET SCALE, formed by the freight nonprofit Catalyst Mobility and the Smart Freight Centre. Microsoft and PepsiCo are among the shippers backing the deal. Kenworth, Volvo, and RIDE are secondary suppliers, so not all 2,500 trucks will be Teslas. The order alone would roughly double the number of electric Class 8 trucks currently on US roads, and the alliance says it eventually wants more than 10,000. The trucks will go to freight hubs in cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and the New York area over the next few years. Separately, IMC Logistics, a large drayage (short-haul port trucking) operator, is adding 50 Tesla Semis to its California fleet, split between shorter-range and longer-range models, roughly doubling its zero-emission truck count. None of this changes home energy programs or rebates. But it does show electric trucks moving from pilot projects into large-scale commercial orders, with financing programs now built to reduce the risk for fleet buyers, which is often what slows adoption of new vehicle technology.
Lower energy costs, community benefits drive 30% battery growth rate: RMI
A new report from the think tank RMI finds that large batteries connected to the power grid are doing real work to keep electricity flowing and costs down. In California, grid batteries supplied 13% to 19% of total power during the tightest moments of 2024, avoiding more than $29 million in peak energy costs. In Texas, batteries covered 6% to 9% of generation during the grid's tightest hours in 2025, though a rule change in December 2025 made it harder for batteries to help stabilize the grid there. RMI also found that battery projects bring in real money for the towns that host them. A large battery project in Medway, Massachusetts, is expected to generate about $46 million for the town over 20 years. In Nevada, one battery facility will pay $3.4 million a year to local governments, and another solar-and-battery project will pay $170 million in taxes over its lifetime. The report also points to health benefits: swapping older gas "peaker" plants (backup plants that run only during high-demand periods) for batteries could save an estimated $5.3 million a year in health costs in one New York county and $3.8 million in a Texas county. None of this changes anything for an individual homeowner right now, but it's a sign that large-scale battery storage is becoming a bigger, more permanent part of the grid, even as tariffs and new federal rules on foreign-made components create uncertainty about how fast that growth continues.
PureSky Energy builds Illinois community solar project for low-income residents
A new community solar farm in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, is now up and running, built specifically for lower-income households. The 1.98-megawatt project, called McLean 1, comes from developer PureSky Energy and was built through the Illinois Solar for All program, which subsidizes solar access for income-eligible residents. Community solar works differently than putting panels on your own roof. Instead, you subscribe to a share of a shared solar farm, and you get credited on your electric bill for the power it produces. Through this program, subscribers get guaranteed savings equal to 50% of the value of their solar credits, so there's a built-in discount rather than a variable one. The project also uses pollinator-friendly landscaping around the solar arrays, meant to support local plants and insects rather than just bare gravel or turf. If you live in Illinois and meet the income guidelines for the program, you can look into enrolling by contacting PureSky Energy directly or checking pureskyenergy.com. This won't apply if you're outside Illinois, but it points to a broader option worth knowing about: many states now run their own community solar or "solar for all" programs aimed at renters and homeowners who can't install panels themselves, often with income-based savings guarantees. It's worth checking what your own state offers, since the details, savings percentages, and eligibility rules vary by location.
ACP, state wildlife agencies launch guidelines for utility-scale solar development
A national trade group for solar and wind developers has teamed up with state wildlife agencies to create voluntary guidelines for building large, utility-scale solar farms without harming wildlife. The American Clean Power Association worked with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Energy and Wildlife Action Coalition on the new guidelines, which cover six stages of a solar project: building relationships between developers and state agencies, early site evaluation, detailed site design, construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning. The idea is to catch potential problems, like disrupted animal migration routes or damaged habitat, before they cause costly delays. One example cited is the Soda Mountain Solar Project in San Bernardino County, California, which was blocked more than a decade ago over concerns about desert bighorn sheep migration paths. That project is now moving forward again after a recent recommendation from the California Energy Commission. The new guidelines also include a communication framework meant to help state agencies and developers coordinate on science-based decisions while leaving room for state-specific rules. This news is about how big solar farms get planned and permitted, not about home solar panels or rooftop systems, so it does not change anything for homeowners considering their own upgrades. The guidelines are voluntary and do not replace existing environmental permitting laws at the federal, state, or local level. Their goal is simply to smooth the process for large-scale solar projects, which supporters say could mean fewer delays and more clean power reaching the grid over time.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Celine Gameiro
This is a profile of Celine Gameiro, an HVAC industry executive, and it's not likely to change anything about your own home upgrade plans. Gameiro is Vice President of Systems Engineering at Carrier, overseeing residential, commercial, and data center climate systems across the Americas and globally. She started her career in Portugal working on gas water heaters before helping lead the shift toward heat pumps — the increasingly common heating and cooling systems that move heat rather than burn fuel, often qualifying homeowners for rebates. Over 14 years at Bosch and then at Carrier, she moved into engineering leadership roles focused on making heating and cooling systems more efficient. The piece is part of a series recognizing women in the HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) industry, and much of it covers her career path, the challenges women face in engineering leadership, and her advice for women considering the field. She talks about the satisfaction of building products and teams that improve comfort and energy efficiency, including work on heat pump adoption. For a homeowner, there's no new program, rebate, or technology announcement here — no dollar figures, deadlines, or specific products to act on. It's a look at who is shaping the engineering behind the equipment you might eventually install, rather than news that affects a decision about your own house right now.
After Court Rules Against Coal Orders in Michigan, Trump Administration Renews Illegal Operation Extension in Indiana for a Fourth Time
The federal government has extended, for a fourth time, an order forcing two coal-fired power plants in Indiana to keep running past their planned retirement dates. The plants, Culley and Schahfer, were first ordered to stay open in December 2025. This comes after a federal appeals court struck down a similar order for a coal plant in Michigan, ruling it illegal. Indiana's governor praised the new extension, while critics argue it will raise costs for utility customers in the state. The financial impact is already showing up in bills. NIPSCO, which owns the Schahfer plant, is asking customers to cover $38 million for just the first three months the plant was forced to keep running, including $2.8 million that would go straight to executive profit. CenterPoint, which owns the Culley plant, had actually asked federal regulators not to reissue the order, saying the aging plant would need significant investment to keep operating reliably. For homeowners, especially those in Indiana served by NIPSCO or CenterPoint, this is worth watching because forced coal plant operation tends to show up as added charges on electricity bills rather than savings. A legal challenge to these orders is already underway in federal court, following the successful challenge in Michigan, so the outcome could still change. If you're in an affected utility territory, it may be worth keeping an eye on your monthly bill and any rate case filings tied to these plants.
A clean energy source is buried under the desert, but it takes water to use it
Geothermal energy is booming across the West, driven largely by tech companies wanting round-the-clock clean power for data centers. Google recently agreed to buy 396 megawatts from Fervo's upcoming Cape Station plant in Utah, enough to power about 430,000 households, and Meta has backed geothermal projects in New Mexico. Geothermal taps heat from underground rock, but most methods need water to work, and these projects sit in some of the driest parts of the country. Traditional geothermal draws on naturally occurring hot water underground, which limits where it can be built. Newer "enhanced geothermal" methods use oil-and-gas-style fracking to circulate water through hot rock, but this loses water underground in the process. At one Nevada site, 30 percent of injected water was lost. A company called XGS Energy has developed a closed-loop system that recycles the same water repeatedly, using almost none, but experts say this approach may produce less power per well and could struggle to scale up to the size data centers need. Fervo's Utah project uses salty groundwater rather than drinking water, but water scarcity remains a real constraint on how far geothermal can expand. This story mostly plays out at the scale of power plants and state energy policy, not individual homes. But it matters for anyone in a state pursuing clean-energy goals, since geothermal is increasingly seen as a steady complement to solar and wind on the grid. California, for example, is requiring utilities to secure more "clean firm" power like geothermal as it works toward a fully clean electricity system by 2045.
Public companies produce most U.S. crude oil and natural gas
This is a look at who actually pumps the oil and gas that heats homes and fuels power plants across the country. New federal data show that publicly traded companies made up just 2% of the roughly 12,000 crude oil and natural gas producers in the Lower 48 states in 2025, but they produced 68% of the oil and gas. Big public companies tend to hold better drilling land, use more advanced technology, and operate at a scale that lowers their costs, which is why a small number of firms produce so much. The 12 companies with the most wells run anywhere from 10,000 to over 50,000 wells each, while most operators, 64% of them, run 10 or fewer wells and produce very small amounts. This pattern varies by region. In Appalachia (the Northeast) and the Permian Basin (New Mexico and Texas), public companies dominate production even though they're a tiny share of the operators. The exception is the Haynesville region, which spans Texas and Louisiana and is rich in natural gas. There, private companies actually produce more than half the output, led by a handful of large private operators. For homeowners, this doesn't change anything directly about your utility bill or your house. It's background on the structure of the oil and gas industry, useful mainly for understanding who controls the supply that feeds into national energy prices and, indirectly, the case for reducing reliance on that supply through home energy upgrades.
Pila Energy brings mesh home battery to NYC residents
New York City homeowners now have two new ways to get battery backup power without the construction work traditional whole-home systems require. Pila Energy makes a plug-in mesh battery that works like an appliance: you plug it into a standard 120-volt outlet, no electrical work or permitting needed. That matters in NYC, where code restrictions have made whole-home batteries hard to install. The battery is listed at $1,499 for 1.6 kWh of storage, and it can keep essentials like a refrigerator, Wi-Fi router, window air conditioner, or medical device running during an outage. The first new option is a pilot with Brooklyn SolarWorks, a rooftop solar installer with a decade of experience on the city's trickier buildings. Homeowners with solar panels can pair them with a Pila battery to store extra power generated during the day and use it later when electricity rates are highest, plus keep essential devices running if the grid goes down. Some Brooklyn and Queens households are already doing this. If you don't have solar or aren't part of that pilot, there's a second option: Pila Neighborhoods, a national program that lets neighbors on the same block or in the same building organize together to unlock group discounts on batteries. The idea is that as more households nearby sign up, the price drops for everyone, and a cluster of batteries can add some resilience to a whole block, not just one home.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Wendy E. Altom
This profile isn't news about rebates or upgrades, but it's worth knowing who's behind the industry that installs and services home heating and cooling systems. Wendy E. Altom is CEO and co-owner of HVAC Experts in Odessa, Texas, a company she helped grow after joining in 2018. She came from a 14-year career in public education before shifting into HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) work, eventually learning the trade hands-on as a technician while also running the business side. Altom talks about building training programs and career paths within her company, including plans for a "career academy" that would take new hires from entry level up to management. She also describes efforts to make the trade more welcoming to women, such as translating training materials and surveys into English and Spanish and pushing back on assumptions that women in HVAC offices are just "the boss's wife" rather than owners themselves. For a homeowner, the takeaway is less about a specific program and more about the workforce trend behind it: companies like hers are actively trying to recruit and train more people, including more women, into HVAC careers covering everything from technician work to dispatch, sales, and management. That matters because a stronger, better-trained pool of technicians and company leaders can mean more availability and expertise when you need someone to service, repair, or upgrade your home's heating and cooling system.
Star Wars-inspired art museum from George Lucas is covered in solar glass
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the George Lucas and Mellody Hobson-founded museum in Los Angeles, has opened with a roof made almost entirely of solar glass. Spanish company Onyx Solar supplied more than 32,000 square feet of photovoltaic glass panels for the roof, generating up to 279 kW of power at peak output. Designed by MAD Architects, the curved 300,000-square-foot building has no flat surfaces or right angles, with a green (planted) roof on one slope and the solar glass roof on the other. The solar panels are made from high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon cells, finished in black to match the building's look, and many were custom-shaped to fit the curved roofline. An electrical contractor, Baker Electric, installed the panels using specialized mounting hardware. This kind of system is called building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV, where solar cells are built directly into a building material like glass or roofing, rather than added on top as separate panels. This is a large architectural showcase project, not a residential product, so there is nothing here for a homeowner to sign up for or install. But it's a sign of where solar glass technology is headed: Onyx Solar has also installed similar systems at a former Bell Labs building in New Jersey. As these materials get more use in high-profile buildings, they may eventually become more available and affordable for smaller-scale projects, including homes.
Planted raises $31.8 million for robot-built solar deployment
A solar startup called Planted has raised $31.8 million to expand its use of robots that build large solar farms. The company, based in Oakland, California, uses software and automated machinery to install solar panels on land that would normally be too costly or difficult to prepare, including slopes up to 27%. Instead of grading the land flat, its mounting systems follow the natural shape of the ground. Planted's design packs panels close together rather than spacing them out in the wide rows typical of standard solar farms. This lets it fit about twice as much solar power onto the same amount of land as conventional systems, while using far less steel for the mounting structures. The company says this approach also speeds up installation, and it plans to roll out a new robot called Sage in late 2026 to further cut the time it takes to build a solar array. This is large-scale, utility and community solar development, not something that applies to home rooftop panels. But it points to where big solar projects may increasingly be built: on land that developers previously skipped because it was hilly or expensive to prepare. Planted has already completed an 11 megawatt community solar project near Chicago and expects to reach 100 megawatts of installations in 2026, with plans to eventually offer sites that also include battery storage for large energy users. For homeowners, the practical effect could be more nearby community solar options in areas with uneven or marginal land, though nothing in this funding announcement changes what is available to sign up for today.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Sarah Ghirardo
This profile highlights Sarah Ghirardo, Director of Marketing Pro at ServiceTitan, as one of the industry's recognized 2026 Top Women in HVAC. Her work focuses on how technology, including artificial intelligence, can help heating and cooling contractors run their businesses more effectively. This is an industry recognition story rather than news about equipment, rebates, or upgrades, so it doesn't point to any specific action for homeowners. Ghirardo's comments do offer a glimpse into where the trade is heading. She talks about using AI not to replace the technicians who show up at your door, but to help contractors better understand homes and neighborhoods, aiming for what she calls smarter, more efficient, and more resilient communities. She also emphasizes mentorship and bringing more women into technical and leadership roles across HVAC companies, arguing the field needs more varied backgrounds and skills, from engineering to software to customer service. For a homeowner, the practical takeaway is limited: this is a look at the people and culture shaping the companies that install and service home heating and cooling systems, not an announcement of a new product, incentive, or program. If you're evaluating a contractor or company for an upgrade down the road, it's worth knowing the industry is actively investing in technology and training aimed at improving customer experience, even if this particular piece doesn't name a specific tool or offer tied to your own home.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Brianna Ford
This is a profile of Brianna Ford, founder of All In Heating and Air, a Louisiana-based HVAC company, as part of an industry list recognizing women in the heating and cooling trade. She left law school to work her way up in the HVAC business, eventually earning her contractor's license through the Louisiana State Board and starting her own company. For homeowners, the piece is less about a specific product or program and more a look at who's running HVAC businesses today. Ford talks about training entry-level hires into full technicians quickly, and about pushing back on assumptions that women in the field are just "supporting" a husband's business rather than running it themselves. She also describes building career paths for women beyond office roles, including moving customer service staff into technician and installer positions. Her future plans include getting licensed to operate in Mississippi and Alabama, with a goal of running All In across three Gulf Coast states. None of this points to a new rebate, technology, or deadline that affects your own home directly. It's a reminder that the contractor knocking on your door or answering your service call might increasingly be a woman-owned or woman-led company, and that the industry is actively trying to recruit more women into both office and field roles, which could shape who you end up hiring for future heating and cooling work.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Romita Verma
This is a profile of Romita Verma, a Lead Instructional Designer at Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, recognized as one of the 2026 Top Women in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration). She entered the industry in 2020 through a learning and development role and later worked with ASHRAE, a professional society for the field, before joining Heatcraft. Her work focuses on making technical training, especially in refrigeration, easier to understand for the many different people who work in the industry, from technicians to counter salespeople. Verma talks about the challenges women face breaking into HVACR, including assumptions that steered her away from hands-on work, and the isolation of often being one of few women in industry rooms. She says the field has become more welcoming and encourages more women to enter, both in technical and non-technical roles, arguing the industry needs to do a better job showing women the career paths that already exist. For a homeowner, this piece is not about a specific rebate, program, or technology change. It is a personal profile highlighting the people behind the industry that installs and services home heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment, and reflects broader efforts to bring more women into HVACR careers as demand for heating, cooling, and refrigeration work grows with more extreme temperatures.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Amy Lynn Miles
This is a profile of Amy Lynn Miles, operations manager and co-owner of Carlsbad Heating & Cooling in New Mexico, named one of 2026's Top Women in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) by trade publication ACHR News. It's part of an industry recognition series, not a policy or product announcement, so it doesn't carry direct action items for homeowners. Miles started at the company about 15 years ago answering phones and scheduling, and worked her way into leadership, overseeing daily operations and helping the business move from paper records to field service management software. She's also hands-on technically, programming and cutting fittings on the company's CNC machine. Under her, the business was named New Mexico Small Business of the Year in 2020. In the interview, Miles talks about the challenges women face in a male-dominated trade and argues the industry needs more visibility for women in ads and trade materials, plus earlier outreach to students so they know HVAC offers careers beyond fieldwork, including management, design, sales, and manufacturing. She says she'd like to help start a local technical academy to give young people hands-on training in the trade. For a homeowner, this piece is mostly background on who works in the HVAC industry and how it's changing, rather than news about equipment, rebates, or costs affecting your own home.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Mary Johnson
This is a profile of Mary Johnson, owner and CEO of AirBear Heating and Cooling SC, named one of the 2026 Top Women in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration). She came into the trade after years working construction and watching customers get taken advantage of, and says her goal is to change the industry by educating homeowners rather than just selling them equipment. Johnson describes running a young company — her business just launched this year — where she handles everything from answering phones and running estimates to training technicians and checking on installations. She talks about the difficulty women still face being taken seriously in the field, including an incident where an insurance adjuster refused her help in an attic and then fell through the ceiling. She wants to see more outreach to young women in middle and high schools to show them the trade is open to them. For homeowners, this piece is less about a product or program and more a window into who's running the crews and companies that show up at your door. It's a reminder that HVAC businesses vary a lot in size and philosophy — some, like Johnson describes hers, emphasize education and long-term relationships with customers over pushing sales. There's no rebate, deadline, or technology news here that affects your house directly; it's a personal profile tied to an industry recognition list.
Op-Ed: Tesla Already Knew China-to-Canada Worked
This is a Canadian car-market story, not a home energy one, but it touches electric vehicles, so here's the gist. Canada had slapped a 100% surtax on Chinese-made electric vehicles in October 2024, on top of its normal 6.1% tariff. In January, Ottawa rolled that back, setting an annual quota of 49,000 China-made EVs that can enter at the lower 6.1% rate. Tesla, which builds cars at a factory in Shanghai, was ready to take advantage: in May it began selling a Shanghai-built Model 3 in Canada for about C$39,490 (roughly US$28,800), well below prices Tesla had been charging since it shifted supply away from China after the surtax hit. That price is notable because this Tesla doesn't qualify for Canada's federal EV purchase incentive, since China has no free-trade deal with Canada — so the low sticker price comes purely from cheaper manufacturing and the reduced tariff, not from a subsidy. Industry reporting says Tesla has been the biggest user of the new quota so far, ahead of Chinese automakers themselves, largely because it already has stores, service centers, and charging infrastructure in Canada. For a US homeowner shopping for an EV, none of this changes anything directly — it's a Canada-specific tariff and pricing situation. But it's a sign that automakers, including American ones, are increasingly building EVs wherever costs are lowest, and that trade rules can swing sticker prices sharply depending on where a car is assembled.
Dual-axis tracker company MODMEC is looking to break into the U.S. market
A Poland-based company called MODMEC is trying to enter the U.S. solar market with a new kind of tracking system for large solar installations. This isn't something for a home rooftop — it's aimed at utility-scale or commercial solar projects — but it points to where solar technology is heading, which can affect electricity costs and grid reliability where you live. The system uses "dual-axis tracking," meaning the solar panels move to follow the sun in two directions instead of one, which is how most large solar farms currently track the sun. MODMEC says its design produces more power during late afternoon hours, when electricity demand often spikes and power is most valuable, while keeping installation and upkeep costs closer to simpler single-axis systems. In tests in Poland, the company's tracker produced 33.7% to 40.3% more energy than a fixed system over five days, averaging a 36.1% boost. Compared to single-axis tracking, the company estimates it can deliver up to 11% more energy after 4 p.m. The company has a patent in Poland and a pending U.S. patent, and it's now looking for a U.S. partner to test and certify the system here. For homeowners, this doesn't mean a new product to buy or install. But if technologies like this reach the broader grid, they could help utilities better match solar power to times when demand is highest, potentially easing the kind of afternoon and evening demand spikes that drive up electricity prices.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Adrienne Huy
This is a profile of Adrienne Huy, Chief Operations Officer at Morris-Jenkins, a home services company that handles HVAC (heating and cooling), plumbing, and electrical work. She's featured on a list recognizing women in the heating and cooling trade industry. Before joining HVAC in 2020, she spent over a decade working in the gas and electric utility industry, and has worked her way up through roles in contact centers and support services. The piece is mostly about her career path and views on women in the trades, not about new products, rebates, or programs. She talks about what drew her to the field, the satisfaction of helping families when their home systems break down, and her belief that the industry needs more visible encouragement to bring in more women. She also describes her current role overseeing HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and support teams like dispatch and the contact center at her company. For a homeowner, there's no direct action here — no new rebate, technology, or deadline to note. It's a look at the people behind the companies that install and service home heating and cooling equipment, and a reminder that the trade is actively working to diversify its workforce. If you're curious about who might show up at your door for a repair or installation, profiles like this offer a glimpse into the career paths and company cultures shaping the industry, but they don't change anything about your home or your options for upgrades right now.
Electric Porsche Boxster spotted plugged in at Tesla Supercharger in California
A prototype electric Porsche Boxster was recently seen charging at a Tesla Supercharger in Carson, California, giving the clearest look yet at a car Porsche hasn't officially confirmed. The upcoming 718 Boxster/Cayman is expected to replace the gas-powered convertible and coupe, which ended production in 2025. Porsche's new CEO said earlier this year the electric version is still coming, even as the company has slowed some of its other EV plans. The spotted car had a charging port that plugs directly into Tesla's NACS connector, without an adapter. That's notable because most current Porsche EVs have two separate charging ports: one NACS-style plug for fast charging and a second J1772 plug for slower home or public Level 2 charging. If the Boxster ends up with a single NACS port that handles both types of charging, it would simplify things for owners, since NACS is the same connector Tesla uses and that many other automakers are now adopting. It's unclear yet whether this single-port design will apply to just this smaller sports car or to other Porsche models down the road. For homeowners who charge at home, this doesn't change anything yet. Porsche has not announced pricing, availability, or a release date for the electric Boxster, and the company says it's still deciding whether to build it at all. But the charging-port detail is a small clue about where EV charging standards may be headed as more automakers converge on NACS, which is already the plug used at Tesla's Supercharger network and increasingly at home charging equipment sold today.
LG Introduces High-Efficiency Chiller for AI Data Centers
LG Electronics has unveiled a new large-scale chiller built specifically for AI data centers, the kind of massive computing facilities that generate a lot of heat and need constant, high-volume cooling. The chiller uses magnetic bearings instead of oil-lubricated parts, which cuts friction and improves efficiency, and it includes a "free-cooling" feature that uses outdoor air to ease the load on the compressor. LG says this design uses about 30% less energy annually than older water-based free-cooling systems. This is industrial-scale equipment, sized for facilities that need hundreds of tons of cooling capacity, not something that applies to a house. It has no direct bearing on home heating or cooling systems, rebates, or upgrades a homeowner might be considering. The broader context is that data centers built for AI are becoming bigger and hotter, pushing manufacturers like LG to develop more efficient industrial cooling gear. That trend is worth knowing about if you're curious where HVAC technology is headed, but it doesn't translate into a product, incentive, or decision point for anyone weighing a home heat pump, insulation project, or other residential energy upgrade.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Liliana Morales
This is a profile of Liliana Morales, a Chicago HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) instructor and solo operator, featured as one of this year's Top Women in HVAC honorees. Morales runs RR Tradeschools and founded Chicago HVAC Chicks, a group supporting women entering the trade. She trained at a HVAC technical institute in Chicago and has worked four years as a service technician and solo operator, plus a year and a half teaching. Morales talks about being told HVAC was "a man's trade" before finding a Facebook community, HVA-Chicks Coalition, that showed her women could succeed in the field. She says the most rewarding part of her work is watching her students diagnose and fix problems on their own. She also describes having to repeatedly prove her technical skill to skeptical clients and friends, something she says changes once people see her work firsthand. For a homeowner, this isn't news about equipment, rebates, or upgrades to your house. It's a personal profile highlighting the people behind the trade, part of an industry effort to recognize women working in heating and cooling and encourage more to enter the field. There's nothing here that changes what an HVAC project might cost or how to find a rebate, but it does put a face on the workforce that installs and services the systems homeowners rely on.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Megan Kaye-Hatzinger Leick
This is a profile of Megan Kaye-Hatzinger Leick, senior channel marketing manager for AprilAire and Santa Fe, part of a series recognizing women in the heating and cooling (HVACR) industry. She has worked in the field for more than 20 years, starting in customer service in 2005 before moving into sales, product coordination, and marketing roles. She also serves on the Women in HVACR Education Committee and speaks at industry events. In the piece, Leick talks about what has kept her in the field: seeing how heating and air-quality products genuinely improve people's health and comfort at home, whether through better indoor air quality or more efficient equipment. She notes that early in her career she was often one of the few women in the room and focused on building credibility through consistent, solid work. She encourages more women to consider careers in HVACR, pointing out that the field has room for people with technical, sales, marketing, or leadership strengths, not just hands-on repair skills. For homeowners, this isn't news about a product, rebate, or technology change — it's a personal profile marking industry recognition. It doesn't affect any decisions about upgrading a furnace, heat pump, or air sealing in your own house. It's simply a look at the people working behind the scenes on the equipment and indoor air quality products many homes rely on.
Massive UK study finds high-mileage electric cars more durable than petrol
A large study of UK vehicle inspection records finds that electric cars hold up better over time than gas-powered ones, especially at higher mileage. The study used Britain's MOT test, an annual roadworthiness check on brakes, suspension, tires, and exhaust, to see which cars stayed on the road. Early on, gas and electric cars fail at similar rates. But past 40,000 miles, gas cars start failing more often, and the gap grows: by 120,000 miles, gas cars are about 7.5 percentage points more likely to have failed than electric ones. Electric cars had fewer suspension and brake problems overall, since regenerative braking (using the electric motor to slow the car instead of the brake pads) means less wear on brakes. One exception: electric cars over 10 years old had more brake trouble than gas cars, likely because the brakes sit unused so often that they corrode. Electric cars also wore through tires faster, especially models that were originally designed as gas cars and simply had a battery added, making them heavier than the chassis was built for. Purpose-built electric models fared better on tires. The study did not track battery health, since that isn't part of the MOT test. A separate, larger study on battery health found EV batteries typically keep about 90% of their capacity even after 90,000 miles. Together, the findings suggest that if you're weighing an electric vehicle for your next car, durability and long-term upkeep look at least as good as, if not better than, a comparable gas model.
2026 Top Women in HVAC: Suzanne Morrison
This profile highlights Suzanne Morrison, Installation Manager at ACE Hardware Home Services, as one of the industry's 2026 Top Women in HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration). She started in the field over a decade ago in a part-time office role and worked her way up through installation coordination to management, building a career around customer relationships, problem-solving, and quality installations. Morrison talks about the challenges women face in HVAC, including having to prove their knowledge before getting the same recognition as male colleagues, and how she has pushed past being underestimated by letting her preparation and results speak for themselves. She also points out that HVAC careers extend well beyond fieldwork with tools, covering engineering, sales, marketing, operations, project management, and leadership. She sees mentorship and early exposure to the industry as key to bringing more women into these roles. For a homeowner, this piece is less about a specific upgrade or rebate and more a look at who is shaping the industry that installs and services home heating and cooling systems. It does not cover new technology, incentives, or program changes that would affect a home directly. It is part of a broader series recognizing women in HVAC leadership, offering a glimpse into the people behind the trade rather than news you'd need to act on for your own house.
The Philippines Is Taking Its Electric Love Bus Beyond Metro Manila
The Philippines is expanding its "Love Bus" electric minibus program beyond Metro Manila, a public transit effort that pairs electric vehicles with local government and private-developer partnerships. A new free route now runs daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. along the Robinsons Galleria to Eastwood corridor, connecting Ortigas with C5, Arcovia, Bridgetowne, and Eastwood. The buses, called COMET, are built by Global Electric Transport Philippines and run on a 54-kWh battery with a claimed 100-kilometer range, a top speed of 70 kph, and a charge time of about 45 minutes to go from 20 to 90 percent. The program started with a 2025 partnership that gave people with disabilities roles in operating routes near Valenzuela, Quezon City, and Parañaque, combining transit service with livelihood support. It has since spread to Cebu and Davao, with Davao's version mentioned by President Marcos in his 2026 State of the Nation Address on electric vehicle goals. A newer agreement adds Pampanga province, again involving disability groups as operators. Property developers like Robinsons Land and Megaworld are funding vehicles and charging space to link their commercial centers, rather than running full transit systems themselves. This is a public transit initiative, not a home upgrade program, so it has no direct bearing on household energy decisions. It is worth noting mainly as a sign of how electric vehicles are being tested and scaled in hot, congested urban conditions, which can offer real-world data on battery performance relevant to EV buyers more broadly.
Why Tugboats Fit Batteries Better Than Their Power Ratings Suggest
Harbor tugboats are turning out to be good candidates for battery power, even though they need huge bursts of thrust to push and pull massive ships. The reason: most of a tug's shift is spent idling, moving slowly, or holding position, with only short spikes of maximum force. Batteries excel at delivering that kind of brief, high-power burst without needing a diesel engine sized for peak demand running constantly in between. Tugs also work repeatedly out of the same harbors, which already have heavy electrical infrastructure for cranes and other port equipment, making charging more practical than for ships that travel long distances. New hull designs add to the case. A newer style called the TRAnsverse tug, developed by Svitzer and Robert Allan, positions steering thrusters so the boat can push while shifting sideways alongside a ship, cutting the energy wasted on repositioning. Vancouver already runs two battery-electric tugs as a real-world example, and more orders are underway: Svitzer has four battery-electric tugs under construction, and another operator, Curtin Maritime, has ordered eight hybrid-electric tugs with large batteries. None of this affects homeowners directly — it's a shift in commercial shipping, not home energy. But it's a useful sign of how battery technology keeps finding new niches once seen as impractical, expanding well beyond cars and home appliances. The overall tugboat fleet is still overwhelmingly diesel, and change will likely be slow, but new orders suggest operators increasingly see batteries as a fit for this kind of stop-and-burst workload.