What’s it like going solar (installing panels on your roof)?

I’ve been seeing a lot more solar panels installed on homes. Which has me wondering, what is the impact on cost, inconvenience, and utilities. Scott over on the Zero Waste Blog has the perfect, written-by-an-engineer, write-up. It is worth reading the whole thing, but here is a meaty excerpt: So what has the impact been? …

Housing recovery hits some areas – top growth in U.S. cities

Metros with the Most Construction Permits in 2011 Houston, TX – 31,271 Dallas, TX – 18,686 Washington, DC – 16,501 New York, NY – 13,973 Austin, TX – 10,239 Los Angeles, CA – 9,895 Phoenix, AZ – 9,081 Seattle, WA – 8,664 Atlanta, GA – 8,634 San Antonio, TX – 7,127 More permits were issued …

Infograph – homeschoolers are growing rapidly with better scores and graduation rates

We’ve all heard about the troubles in our public schools and maybe even know a few parents brave enough to homeschool their kids. But what are the effects of doing so? Is it only for the wealthy or those with teaching experience, and does it make your kids weird? A new infograph from college@home answers …

An eco-house in Esenada, Mexico – built into a seaside cliff

An interesting concept for a beach home is profiled in the LA Times. The house is built into a cliff using “rammed-earth,” concrete slabs, and recycled materials. D’Acosta and Turrent began their two-year construction project by digging a foundation into the cliff, then constructing a perimeter of 3-foot-thick rammed-earth retaining walls. They called the inner …