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From rooftop receivers to multimillion-panel arrays, solar power is changing the way everyone from private citizens to national leaders to international organizations think about power generation. And the researchers and engineers expanding and improving solar are coming up with ingenious answers to the questions it poses.

We’ve all gotten used to a world of disposable technology, in which our latest “must have” gadgets need to be replaced with upgrades, updates and—inevitably—upcharges on an all-too-frequent basis.

The boom in solar energy for homes, offices and industrial uses also means an increase in the creation of jobs all over the world and close to home. In addition to its environmental and energy cost-saving benefits, solar power also brings economic-boosting power on the local, regional and national level.

Home solar typically refers to privately owned and stationed solar panels on your rooftop or hosted on your property. Community solar gardens (CSGs) are a way to “rent” available solar as a member of a community.

You do your best to be a responsible energy consumer, but even though you turn off lights as you leave the room and dutifully turn off other appliances and devices when you’re not using them, many of those items, even when not turned on, still require a shocking amount of energy.

Every home owner has one—that long, long list of projects to upgrade your home. Your list might include a kitchen remodel, a new deck or a much-needed coat of paint on the interior walls.

It’s easy to feel discouraged when reading news about climate change, but discouragement doesn’t have to turn to inaction. In fact, people all over the world are embracing the idea of making a positive difference, and grassroots support for responsible consumption continues to rise.

One of the greatest side benefits of living a “greener” life is that many of the steps you take to reduce your carbon footprint can also help you keep a little bit more “green” in your wallet too.

For many of us, “carbon footprint” is a vague term that can make us feel guilty about our energy use, even while feeling that it isn’t controllable in any tangible way. In fact, though, there are lots of things you can do right now to make your footprint smaller and help the planet stay green and beautiful for generations to come.

If you’ve been looking for ways to make a difference, installing solar energy can help you use fewer finite resources—and save on energy costs, too.