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The Cool Down

The Cool Down is mainstream America's guide to a cleaner, cooler future, making it easy for people from all walks of life to help themselves while helping the planet.

  • 2,391articles · 30d
  • 4+ hour agolatest article
  • Aug 15, 2026earliest in window
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News

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > off-grid-solar-system-100-kwh-budget

Reddit users say a $50,000 off-grid budget may fall short of a 100-kWh battery bank

7+ hour, 23+ min ago   (507+ words) "Can you do ground mount? That will save a lot of money / hassle/ permitting." A homeowner with $50,000 to spend on an off-grid power system turned to Reddit's r/SolarDIY community to ask whether they could design a setup around a…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > homeowner-water-heater-backdrafting-evidence

Homeowner spots melted plastic on 2020 water heater, asks if it's 'evidence of backdrafting"

8+ hour, 35+ min ago   (448+ words) "I am currently postpartum and having lots of anxiety after the baby." A first-time homeowner asked whether melted plastic by her water heater's draft hood might point to backdrafting, sparking an online discussion. Commenters largely said the signs looked worth…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > neovolt-battery-models-australia-rebate-suspension

7 Neovolt battery models in Australia face rebate suspension over compliance issues

13+ hour, 11+ min ago   (555+ words) The concerns do not involve safety or battery performance. Australia's Clean Energy Council plans to suspend seven low-cost Neovolt home battery models from the federal rebate program if compliance issues are not resolved by Tuesday, a move that could make…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > furnace-safety-checks-new-york-heating-season

New York fire official urges furnace checks, carbon monoxide detectors before first cold snap

1+ day, 1+ hour ago   (442+ words) "If there's some inconsistent burning, you can have CO poisoning." As Western New York heads toward heating season, Rich Silvaroli, former fire chief with the Frontier Volunteer Fire Department, said households should not wait until the first cold snap to…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > outdoors > hurricane-lowell-kauai-hotel-debris

Hurricane Lowell blasts dirt, debris into Kauai hotel as storm forces its way in

21+ hour, 20+ min ago   (544+ words) "The jarring scene shows the mess left behind as Lowell lashes the island." A startling social media clip showed what hurricane damage can look like before floodwaters even recede. Inside a Kauai hotel, wind and rain from Hurricane Lowell dragged…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-business > pennsylvania-governors-race-affordability-issues-gas-rent

Pennsylvania governor's race centers on gas, rent, and grocery bills as prices keep climbing

1+ day, 44+ min ago   (772+ words) "It's like everyone is just one accident away from not being able to live." For many Pennsylvania voters, the 2026 governor's race is not centered on slogans so much as it is on whether gas, rent, groceries, and health care will…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > uk-first-time-buyer-boiler-reality-check

First-time homebuyer asks if they should offer $10k-$20k less over 20-year-old boiler, gets reality check

1+ day, 1+ hour ago   (491+ words) "Honestly at 20 years old you were probably replacing one way or another." A UK first-time buyer asked Reddit whether missing records for a 20-year-old boiler should change how they approached a home purchase — either by prompting a reduced offer or…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > plug-in-home-batteries-germany-safety-record

After Germany visit, UK electrician says plug-in batteries are safer than critics think

1+ day, 2+ hour ago   (633+ words) "This fills a space in the market that was previously inaccessible for renewables." Many U.K. electricians have been wary of plug-in solar and battery equipment. But one electrician said that after seeing how widely the systems are used in Germany, he…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-home > flooding-in-indiantown-florida-residents-demand-answers

Florida residents demand answers after 4 inches of rain flood homes, cars, and streets

1+ day, 4+ hour ago   (621+ words) "I don't think we have seen anything like this ever here in Indiantown." After heavy rain hit Indiantown, Florida, some residents said their streets looked more like swimming pools than roads. Floodwater spread across neighborhoods, submerging roadways, entering homes and…...

The Cool Down
thecooldown.com > green-tech > old-solar-panels-performance-degradation

Homeowner with aging solar panels asks where lost wattage goes: amps, volts, or both?

1+ day, 10+ hour ago   (385+ words) Even when an older panel no longer reaches its original rating, it can still have practical value. An owner trying to squeeze a little more life out of aging solar panels raised a question many homeowners eventually face: When old…...