THE WEEKLY / SMART IDEAS FOR A GREEN WORLD
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PREVIEW ISSUE / OCTOBER 5, 2026
This week: small solar, honest math
California has signed its plug-in solar law, with a January 2027 start. The useful next question is what a small system would actually save at your home and whether a battery improves the financial result.
Read the guideExplore the launch edition
Our first collection has 12 practical reads: solar savings, road-trip EVs, whole-home batteries, phone power banks, greener data centers, city e-bikes, used-EV incentives, home wind, an off-grid work shed, electric buses, cleaner air, and smarter use of storage.
Three things to know
- Check the date and complete-system requirements before connecting equipment.
- Solar generation only becomes a saving when it replaces a billable purchase or earns a verified export credit.
- A battery can increase solar use while making the combined purchase take longer to pay back.
A number worth checking
Our editable example estimates about $221 in first-year annual savings for 800 W of solar at $0.35/kWh. A 2 kWh battery adds about $117 after modeled standby use, but adds $1,000 to the cost. These are assumptions, not promised results.
Put your own numbers into the calculatorBeyond California
Our guide separates US laws in force from those taking effect later, and includes international examples from Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Great Britain.
Your practical action
Find the energy price on your bill, estimate your daytime usage, and check how much direct sun reaches your proposed panel location. A realistic small system is more useful than a hopeful oversized one.
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