The weekly roundup from Reasons to be Cheerful begins with a milestone for renewable energy: California has paved the way for solar panels that plug into an outlet and are intended for ordinary residents. According to reporting by Grist highlighted by the site's editors, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law allowing small solar installations that connect to standard electrical outlets.
The term “balcony solar” is used for these plug-in devices. Last year, writer Peter Yeung wrote about their potential to make a major difference, and California's new law means more people — including apartment renters — can adopt them. Grist describes the technology as a way to “turn houses and apartments into a distributed network of small power plants”.
The roundup notes that other states could soon follow California's example. If that happens, plug-in solar could move from an interesting idea to a policy adopted more widely.
A different kind of energy technology also caught the team's attention: windows inspired by the way squid change color by revealing or hiding different pigments. These windows adjust their shading in response to the sun's rays. Based on simulations, researchers estimate that one version could reduce a building's energy use for heating by 75% and its overall energy use by 43%.
This matters because, in a typical building, compensating for heat entering or escaping through windows accounts for about a quarter of the energy consumed. Windows that respond to sunlight could therefore reduce the load on heating and cooling systems.
The roundup also includes several other hopeful news stories. In a warming Arctic, Inuit guardians protect communities from bears. Women can now assess their risk of breast cancer with the help of artificial intelligence. New York is expanding free tuition at SUNY and CUNY to people who already have a degree.
The edition closes with a book note: Reasons to be Cheerful founder David Byrne has released Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up. Publishers Weekly calls it “a wonderful, humbling celebration of what has been lost and regained”. The theme fits the roundup — good ideas sometimes wait for the right moment to spread.
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