#How to Install Solar System at Home

[rishikakraftsolar]

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Solar Panel Installation in 2024

Ready to harness solar energy? Check out our latest blog, The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Solar Panel Installation in 2024. This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire process, from choosing the right panels to the final installation. Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or hiring a professional, our guide ensures you're equipped with all the knowledge needed for a successful solar panel installation. Dive in and start your solar journey today.

[solarkart]

solar panels for business

1. Cost Savings

Reduced Energy Bills: Solar panels can significantly lower your electricity costs by generating your own power, which can be especially beneficial if your business operates during daylight hours. Commercial Solar Solutions

Tax Incentives and Rebates: Many governments offer tax credits, rebates, and incentives for businesses that install solar panels. In the U.S., for example, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) allows businesses to deduct a percentage of the cost of installing a solar energy system from their federal taxes.

Long-Term Investment: While the initial cost of installation can be high, the return on investment (ROI) can be substantial over time, typically within 5-10 years depending on your location and energy usage. Business Solar Power

2. Environmental Impact

Sustainability: Installing solar panels reduces your carbon footprint, contributing to environmental sustainability. This can enhance your business’s reputation and appeal to eco-conscious customers. Solar Energy for Businesses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Using renewable energy sources like solar power demonstrates your business’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact, which can be a key part of your CSR strategy.

3. Energy Independence

Protection against Rising Energy Costs: By generating your own electricity, your business is less vulnerable to fluctuations in energy prices.

Reliability: Solar panels paired with battery storage systems can provide energy security, ensuring your business remains operational even during power outages.

4. Brand Image and Marketing

Green Branding: Businesses that go solar can leverage their eco-friendly initiatives in marketing campaigns, potentially attracting new customers who value sustainability.

Differentiation: In competitive markets, showcasing your commitment to renewable energy can set your business apart from others.

5. Considerations

Initial Investment: The upfront cost can be substantial, though financing options, loans, and leasing arrangements are available to mitigate this.

Roof Space: Sufficient roof space or land is required to install solar panels. The amount of space needed depends on your energy consumption.

Local Regulations: Check local zoning laws and building codes to ensure compliance with regulations regarding solar panel installations. Best solar panel Company in India for home

6. Steps to Implement Solar Panels for Your Business

Energy Audit: Conduct an energy audit to determine your current energy consumption and identify opportunities for energy savings.

Consultation with Experts: Engage with solar energy providers to evaluate your site, calculate potential savings, and design a system tailored to your business’s needs.

Financing: Explore financing options, such as solar loans, power purchase agreements (PPAs), or leasing, to fund the installation. Best solar panels for business in India

Installation and Maintenance: Once installed, solar panels require minimal maintenance but should be regularly inspected to ensure optimal performance.

Switching to solar energy is not only a smart financial decision but also a step towards a more sustainable future for your business.

www.solarkart.co.in

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[solarrochesterny]

Unlocking Solar Power: 4 Key Factors to Consider in Rochester, NY

Factor 1: Why You Want Solar?

Choosing solar power is a personal decision influenced by your values and needs. Whether you're motivated by economics, environmental concerns, technology enthusiasm, or simply being an early adopter, Sunzera, your solar installation partner in Rochester NY, is dedicated to understanding your unique preferences. We tailor our services to ensure solar meets your expectations on your terms.

Factor 2: Got Sun?

To harness solar energy effectively, you need ample sunlight. Optimal placement involves a roof facing south with a moderate slope. Avoid shading from trees, buildings, or other structures. Ground-mounted systems can also be strategically placed in areas with a clear view of the sky. Sunzera ensures your solar panels are set up for maximum efficiency over the long term.

Factor 3: Your Electric Bills

High electric rates and grid dependence make solar an attractive choice. Sunzera assists in analyzing your electric bill, focusing on your monthly usage, electric rate, and additional charges. By understanding these elements, we determine the right-sized solar power system for your needs, aiming to offset costs and provide a substantial payback.

Factor 4: You and Your Property

Ownership of the property where the solar system will be installed is crucial. For financing or leasing options, a good credit score is beneficial. To leverage tax credits, review your last year's tax returns. Sunzera guides you through these personal considerations to ensure a seamless transition to solar power.

In Rochester, where sunlight, lower costs, and credits/refunds align, going solar is not just an environmental choice but a practical one. Sunzera's commitment to affordability and personalized solutions makes the transition to solar an accessible and rewarding journey. Embrace the sun, reduce costs, and empower your property with clean, sustainable energy.

[jupitersolar]

Solar Water Heating Systems

Overview of Solar Water Heating Systems and their benefits

Solar water heating systems are an efficient, cost-effective way to heat water for residential or commercial use. These systems capture solar energy and convert it into heat, which is then stored in a storage tank for later use. Solar water heating systems offer a number of benefits, such as reducing energy costs, reducing environmental impact, and being relatively easy to install and maintain. Additionally, in many locations there can be installed and are available to help offset the cost of installing a solar water heating system. Ultimately, solar water heating systems make good financial sense, and can help you save money in the long run.Buy Jupiter Solar,www.jupitersolars.in, best solar water heater company in Bangalore,Karnataka.

Benefits of Solar Water Heating Systems, including reduced energy costs and environmental impact

Solar water heating systems offer a number of benefits, including reduced energy costs and environmental impact. By capturing solar energy and converting it into heat, solar water heating systems provide an alternative to expensive electric or gas water heaters. Solar water heating systems also reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources, helping to protect the environment. Additionally, solar water heating systems are relatively easy to install and require little maintenance, making them a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for both residential and commercial applications.

Discussion of the components of a Solar Water Heating System

A Solar Water Heating system typically has three main components: the collector, the storage tank, and the circulation system. The collector is the component of the system that absorbs the energy from the sun, and is typically installed on the roof of a building. The storage tank is used to hold the heated water, and the circulation system pumps the water from the collector to the storage tank.

The collector is usually composed of several individual parts, including the absorber plate, glazing, insulation, frame, and mounting system. The absorber plate is the surface of the collector that absorbs the energy from the sun and converts it into heat. The glazing is a transparent material that is placed over the absorber plate to reduce the amount of heat that is lost from the collector. The insulation helps to retain the heat that is generated within the collector. The frame and mounting system are used to secure the collector in place.

The storage tank is used to store the heated water, and is typically made of metal or other materials that are resistant to corrosion. Inside the tank, there may be a heat exchanger, which is used to transfer heat from the water in the tank to the water that is being used. The circulation system is responsible for pumping the water from the collector to the storage tank. The circulation system typically consists of pumps, filters, valves, and other components.

How Solar Water Heating Systems work

Solar Thermal systems use the sun’s energy to heat water. This energy is stored and transformed into hot water when required.

There are many benefits to solar thermal systems:

A Solar Thermal System provides all the benefits of traditional solar collectors, but with improved efficiency. These include:

Heat capture with no fuel cost.

Heat capture in climates where it is the most useful.

Increased efficiency when the climate is suitable for both solar and thermal systems.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Solar thermal systems are most efficient when the climate is suitable for both systems to work. The system is usually split into hot and cold storage and operated at different times.

You may find a home is suitable for solar thermal as well as conventional heating, and vice versa. This is why you need a detailed site inspection and a solar thermal heating system assessment before choosing a system for your home.

How to choose the right Solar Water Heating System for your home or business

Choosing the right solar water heating system for your home or business involves considering a number of factors, such as the size of your home or business, the climate you live in, and your budget. Buy the best solar water heater in Bangalore from  Jupiter Solar,www.jupitersolars.in,

First, determine the size of the system you need. You'll need to consider the amount of hot water you will need on a regular basis, how many people live in the home or work at the business, and the climate you live in. Depending on the climate, you may need to invest in a system with higher efficiency ratings.

Next, consider your budget. There are several types of solar water heating systems , and the price will depend on the size and type of the system. Also consider the installation costs, as these can vary significantly.

Finally, consider the maintenance and repair costs. Solar water heaters require periodic maintenance and repairs, so you'll want to factor these costs into your budget.

It's also important to remember that solar water heaters are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Be sure to do your research and talk to an expert to determine the best system for your home or business.

Tips for successful Solar Water Heating System installation

When installing a solar water heating system , there are several tips that can help ensure a successful installation and a long-lasting, reliable system.

First, make sure to choose a location that receives plenty of direct sunlight. It is best to mount the solar collector perpendicular to the sun’s rays, so the collector should be in a location where it will receive the most sun exposure throughout the day.

Second, make sure the system is properly sized. You should consider the amount of hot water you will need and the climate you live in to determine the size of the system you need.

Third, consider the cost of installation and maintenance. Solar water heating systems are generally more expensive to install than conventional water heaters , so it is important to factor in the cost of installation and any ongoing maintenance costs.

Finally, make sure the system is installed properly.  Hiring a professional to install the system can ensure that it is installed correctly and will work as intended.

Conclusion

Solar water heating systems offer many benefits , including reduced energy costs, lower emissions, and increased efficiency when compared to traditional water heating systems. Components of a solar water heating system include solar collectors, storage tanks, and circulation pumps. Installation of a solar water heating system is relatively simple and can be done with DIY projects or with a professional. Maintenance of a solar water heating system involves regular cleaning of the solar collector and occasional maintenance of the circulation pump.

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - July 22-28

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. Four new cheetah cubs born in Saudi Arabia after 40 years of extinction

“[T]he discovery of mummified cheetahs in caves […] which ranged in age from 4,000 to as recent as 120 years, proved that the animals […] once called [Saudi Arabia] home. The realisation kick-started the country’s Cheetah Conservation Program to bring back the cats to their historic Arabian range. […] Dr Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the NCW, said: […] “This motivates us to continue our efforts to restore and reintroduce cheetahs, guided by an integrated strategy designed in accordance with best international practices.””

2. In sub-Saharan Africa, ‘forgotten’ foods could boost climate resilience, nutrition

“[A study published in PNAS] examined “forgotten” crops that may help make sub-Saharan food systems more resilient, and more nutritious, as climate change makes it harder to grow [current staple crops.] [… The study identified 138 indigenous] food crops that were “relatively underresearched, underutilized, or underpromoted in an African context,” but which have the nutrient content and growing stability to support healthy diets and local economies in the region. […] In Eswatini, van Zonneveld and the World Vegetable Center are working with schools to introduce hardy, underutilized vegetables to their gardens, which have typically only grown beans and maize.”

3. Here's how $4 billion in government money is being spent to reduce climate pollution

“[New Orleans was awarded] nearly $50 million to help pay for installing solar on low to middle income homes [… and] plans to green up underserved areas with trees and build out its lackluster bike lane system to provide an alternative to cars. […] In Utah, $75 million will fund several measures from expanding electric vehicles to reducing methane emissions from oil and gas production. [… A] coalition of states led by North Carolina will look to store carbon in lands used for agriculture as well as natural places like wetlands, with more than $400 million. [… This funding is] “providing investments in communities, new jobs, cost savings for everyday Americans, improved air quality, … better health outcomes.””

4. From doom scrolling to hope scrolling: this week’s big Democratic vibe shift

“[Democrats] have been on an emotional rollercoaster for the past few weeks: from grim determination as Biden fought to hang on to his push for a second term, to outright exuberance after he stepped aside and Harris launched her campaign. […] In less than a week, the Harris campaign raised record-breaking sums and signed up more than 100,000 new volunteers[….] This honeymoon phase will end, said Democratic strategist Guy Cecil, warning the election will be a close race, despite this newfound exuberance in his party. [… But v]oters are saying they are excited to vote for Harris and not just against Trump. That’s new.”

5. Biodegradable luminescent polymers show promise for reducing electronic waste

“[A team of scientists discovered that a certain] chemical enables the recycling of [luminescent polymers] while maintaining high light-emitting functions. […] At the end of life, this new polymer can be degraded under either mild acidic conditions (near the pH of stomach acid) or relatively low heat treatment (> 410 F). The resulting materials can be isolated and remade into new materials for future applications. […] The researchers predict this new polymer can be applied to existing technologies, such as displays and medical imaging, and enable new applications […] such as cell phones and computer screens with continued testing.”

6. World’s Biggest Dam Removal Project to Open 420 Miles of Salmon Habitat this Fall

“Reconnecting the river will help salmon and steelhead populations survive a warming climate and [natural disasters….] In the long term, dam removal will significantly improve water quality in the Klamath. “Algae problems in the reservoirs behind the dams were so bad that the water was dangerous for contact […] and not drinkable,” says Fluvial Geomorphologist Brian Cluer. [… The project] will begin to reverse decades of habitat degradation, allow threatened salmon species to be resilient in the face of climate change, and restore tribal connections to their traditional food source.”

7. Biden-Harris Administration Awards $45.1 Million to Expand Mental Health and Substance Use Services Across the Lifespan

““Be it fostering wellness in young people, caring for the unhoused, facilitating treatment and more, this funding directly supports the needs of our neighbors,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. [The funding also supports] recovery and reentry services to adults in the criminal justice system who have a substance use disorder[… and clinics which] serve anyone who asks for help for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay.”

8. The World’s Rarest Crow Will Soon Fly Free on Maui

“[… In] the latest attempt to establish a wild crow population, biologists will investigate if this species can thrive on Maui, an island where it may have never lived before. Translocations outside of a species’ known historical range are rare in conservation work, but for a bird on the brink of extinction, it’s a necessary experiment: Scientists believe the crows will be safer from predators in a new locale—a main reason that past reintroduction attempts failed. […] As the release date approaches, the crows have already undergone extensive preparation for life in the wild. […] “We try to give them the respect that you would give if you were caring for someone’s elder.””

9. An optimist’s guide to the EV battery mining challenge

““Battery minerals have a tremendous benefit over oil, and that’s that you can reuse them.” [… T]he report’s authors found there’s evidence to suggest that [improvements in technology] and recycling have already helped limit demand for battery minerals in spite of this rapid growth — and that further improvements can reduce it even more. [… They] envision a scenario in which new mining for battery materials can basically stop by 2050, as battery recycling meets demand. In this fully realized circular battery economy, the world must extract a total of 125 million tons of battery minerals — a sum that, while hefty, is actually 17 times smaller than the oil currently harvested every year to fuel road transport.”

10. Peekaboo! A baby tree kangaroo debuts at the Bronx Zoo

“The tiny Matschie’s tree kangaroo […] was the third of its kind born at the Bronx Zoo since 2008. [… A] Bronx Zoo spokesperson said that the kangaroo's birth was significant for the network of zoos that aims to preserve genetic diversity among endangered animals. "It's a small population and because of that births are not very common," said Jessica Moody, curator of primates and small mammals at the Bronx Zoo[, …] adding that baby tree kangaroos are “possibly one of the cutest animals to have ever lived. They look like stuffed animals, it's amazing.””

July 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[usmansani]

Do You Need Help With Setting Up A Solar Energy System?

Do You Need Help With Setting Up A Solar Energy System?

Installing solar energy at your home or your business is a great way to save money. By producing your own power, you will no longer have to be reliant on the big energy companies. Solar power is also a green, sustainable energy source that helps the environment. To learn more about using solar, keep reading. The efficiency of a solar energy system varies a lot depending on its exposure to the…

[reasonsforhope]

African poverty is partly a consequence of energy poverty. In every other continent the vast majority of people have access to electricity. In Africa 600m people, 43% of the total, cannot readily light their homes or charge their phones. And those who nominally have grid electricity find it as reliable as a Scottish summer. More than three-quarters of African firms experience outages; two-fifths say electricity is the main constraint on their business.

If other sub-Saharan African countries had enjoyed power as reliable as South Africa’s from 1995 to 2007, then the continent’s rate of real GDP growth per person would have been two percentage points higher, more than doubling the actual rate, according to one academic paper. Since then South Africa has also had erratic electricity. So-called “load-shedding” is probably the main reason why the economy has shrunk in four of the past eight quarters.

Solar power is increasingly seen as the solution. Last year Africa installed a record amount of photovoltaic (PV) capacity (though this still made up just 1% of the total added worldwide), notes the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), a trade group. Globally most solar PV is built by utilities, but in Africa 65% of new capacity over the past two years has come from large firms contracting directly with developers. These deals are part of a decentralised revolution that could be of huge benefit to African economies.

Ground zero for the revolution is South Africa. Last year saw a record number of blackouts imposed by Eskom, the state-run utility, whose dysfunctional coal-fired power stations regularly break down or operate at far below capacity. Fortunately, as load-shedding was peaking, the costs of solar systems were plummeting.

Between 2019 and 2023 the cost of panels fell by 15%, having already declined by almost 90% in the 2010s. Meanwhile battery storage systems now cost about half as much as five years ago. Industrial users pay 20-40% less per unit when buying electricity from private project developers than on the cheapest Eskom tariff.

In the past two calendar years the amount of solar capacity in South Africa rose from 2.8GW to 7.8GW, notes AFSIA, excluding that installed on the roofs of suburban homes. All together South Africa’s solar capacity could now be almost a fifth of that of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations (albeit those still have a higher “capacity factor”, or ability to produce electricity around the clock). The growth of solar is a key reason why there has been less load-shedding in 2024...

Over the past decade the number of startups providing “distributed renewable energy” (DRE) has grown at a clip. Industry estimates suggest that more than 400m Africans get electricity from solar home systems and that more than ten times as many “mini-grids”, most of which use solar, were built in 2016-20 than in the preceding five years. In Kenya DRE firms employ more than six times as many people as the largest utility. In Nigeria they have created almost as many jobs as the oil and gas industry.

“The future is an extremely distributed system to an extent that people haven’t fully grasped,” argues Matthew Tilleard of CrossBoundary Group, a firm whose customers range from large businesses to hitherto unconnected consumers. “It’s going to happen here in Africa first and most consequentially.”

Ignite, which operates in nine African countries, has products that include a basic panel that powers three light bulbs and a phone charger, as well as solar-powered irrigation pumps, stoves and internet routers, and industrial systems. Customers use mobile money to “unlock” a pay-as-you-go meter.

Yariv Cohen, Ignite’s CEO, reckons that the typical $3 per month spent by consumers is less than what they previously paid for kerosene and at phone-charging kiosks. He describes how farmers are more productive because they do not have to get home before dark and children are getting better test scores because they study under bulbs. One family in Rwanda used to keep their two cows in their house because they feared rustlers might come in the dark; now the cattle snooze al fresco under an outside lamp and the family gets more sleep.

...That is one eye-catching aspect of Africa’s solar revolution. But most of the continent is undergoing a more subtle—and significant—experiment in decentralised, commercially driven solar power. It is a trend that could both transform African economies and offer lessons to the rest of the world."

-via The Economist, June 18, 2024. Paragraph breaks added.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - 29 April 2024

1. Net neutrality rules restored by US agency

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on Thursday to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules and reassume regulatory oversight of broadband internet rescinded under former President Donald Trump.

2. Airlines required to refund passengers for canceled, delayed flights

DOT will also require airlines to give cash refunds if your bags are lost and not delivered within 12 hours.

The refunds must be issued within seven days, according to the new DOT rules, and must be in cash unless the passenger chooses another form of compensation. Airlines can no longer issue refunds in forms of vouchers or credits when consumers are entitled to receive cash.

3. How new mosquito nets averted 13 million malaria cases

Compared to standard nets, the introduction of 56 million state-of-the-art mosquito nets in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases and 24,600 deaths. The New Nets Project, an initiative funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund and led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC), piloted the use of dual-insecticide nets in malaria-endemic countries between 2019 and 2022 to address the growing threat of insecticide resistance.

4. Germany has installed over 400,000 ‘solar balconies’

This new wave of solar producers aren’t just getting cheap electricity, they’re also participating in the energy transition.

More than 400,000 plug-in solar systems have been installed in Germany, most of them taking up a seamless spot on people’s balconies.

5. Voyager-1 sends readable data again from deep space

The US space agency says its Voyager-1 probe is once again sending usable information back to Earth after months of spouting gibberish.

The 46-year-old Nasa spacecraft is humanity's most distant object.

6. Missing cat found after 5 years makes 2,000-km journey home

Five years after it ran out the door, a lost cat was returned to a couple in Nevada after it was found thousands of kilometres away. The couple are praising the cat’s microchip for helping reunite them.

7. Restoring sight is possible now with optogenetics

Max Hodak's startup, Science, is developing gene therapy solutions to restore vision for individuals with macular degeneration and similar conditions. The Science Eye utilizes optogenetics, injecting opsins into the eye to enhance light sensitivity in retinal cells.

Clinical trials and advancements in optogenetics are showing promising results, with the potential to significantly improve vision for those affected by retinal diseases.

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That's it for this week :)

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[raedas]

where in the locked tomb universe are we?

or: a tentative guide to the solar system in the locked tomb and which houses go where :)

[id: a diagram of the solar system, including pluto, with additional white text overlaid over each body. the sun is labeled dominicus, mercury is labeled the sixth, venus is the seventh, earth is the first, mars is the second, jupiter is the third, saturn is the fifth, uranus is the fourth, neptune is the eight, and pluto is the ninth. /end id]

note: i'm pretty sure people have put together similar analyses before, but i wanted to try my own hand at it! and please feel free to share if you disagree with me on anything & your own evidence and thoughts <3

evidence & analysis under the cut!

THE NINTH HOUSE:

okay, this one is pretty much just a freebie. if you didn't know that the ninth house was on pluto, then, uh... sorry! i'm not going to exhaustively go through all the evidence for this one, but some things that stick out are the cold, gideon's awe at how close the first house is to the sun, and the fact that it's the "ninth" to begin with—the house that wasn't really meant to exist, perfectly in line with the planet that isn't really a planet THE FIRST HOUSE:

this one is given to us just as much, if not moreso, than the ninth. with that in mind, i'm just going to do a quick run through of the evidence that the first house is earth: it's very blue and covered in water, there are ruins of civilization, it's "the first", so on and so forth. home, sweet home :)

THE SIXTH HOUSE:

Then he said, "The sun has stabilized. Hope the Sixth House didn't get cooked in the flare." (Harrow the Ninth, 490)

this line is pretty much the entire selling point for the sixth being on mercury, the closest planet to the sun! (until they run away to the other side of the universe, that is)

THE SEVENTH HOUSE:

There were other planets that made their homelands closer to the burning star of Dominicus--the Seventh and Sixth, for instance--but to Gideon they could not imaginably be anything else than 100 percent on fire. (Gideon the Ninth, 67)

the implication here is fairly obvious: the seventh and sixth are on venus and mercury, or vice versa. thankfully, since we have the sixth squared away as mercury, it's pretty obvious that the seventh is located on venus

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: venus is the roman goddess of beauty! (also known by her greek name, aphrodite). "seven for beauty that blossoms and dies", huh?

THE EIGHTH HOUSE:

"I squeal so long and so loud that they hear me from the Eighth." (Gideon the Ninth, 26)

while this line is obvious hyperbole, to me it implies one of two things: either the eighth is the farthest planet from the ninth, or it's right next to them. and since we know that mercury already has its hands full with sixth house, i think it's safe to assume that the eighth is on neptune, the ninth's next door neighbor :)

THE SECOND HOUSE:

"We went through the same shitty questions of what to do. What about the Mars installation, what about the fusion batteries?" (Nona the Ninth, 74)

john helpfully offers this tidbit to us when he's recounting everything that happened leading up to the apocalypse to harrow. i think it says a lot that there was a mars installation even before the apocalypse properly hit, and it makes sense that said installation would eventually become a proper House, with a capital H

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: mars is the roman god of warfare (known in greek as ares)! looks at the second house and how closely they're associated the cohort... yeah, i think that speaks for itself

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES:

"I thought we'd end up on the Third or the Fifth, or a sweet space station, or something." (Gideon the Ninth, 56)

"We are not becoming an appendix of the Third or Fifth Houses," continued the necromancer opposite." (Gideon the Ninth, 58)

okay, here's this bit where things begin to get a bit hairy. repeatedly throughout the books, we're told about how the third and fifth are the two "big" houses. harrow's scared of them and worried they'll make the ninth one of their appendixes, gideon originally thinks the entire lyctoral meeting will be on one of their planets, so on and so forth. with that in mind, it really isn't that much of a stretch to think they'd be situated on the two giants in our solar system: jupiter and saturn. we'll come back in a moment to sort out which is which!

THE FOURTH HOUSE:

aaaand uranus is the only planet left! congrats, fourth!

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES (again):

"Naturally [Isaac] is Pent's protégé. I hear the Fifth takes special pains with the Fourth... hegemonic pains, some may say." (Gideon the Ninth, 170)

from this quote, as well as the whole of jeannemary & isaac's relationship with magnus & abigail, we can surmise that the fourth house is very close to the fifth house (hegemonic though it may be). it's reasonable that that metaphorical proximity is reflecting (or caused by) something else: physical proximity. with that, i think it's fairly safe to assume that the fifth is on saturn, putting the third on jupiter

DOMINICUS:

aaand finally, the center of the solar system itself! i really, really don't think it needs sharing that dominicus is the sun, as long as you accept that the locked tomb takes place in our own solar system. however, i do think the meaning of dominicus is worth sharing. coming from latin, it translates roughly to "lordly", "belonging to god", or "of the master." very subtle, john, very subtle.

[designation-zi]

Murder Drones Timeline of Events

Disclaimer: Most of this is speculation based off of background details and conjecture. Subject to change. If you notice anything I missed feel free to comment and I’ll make adjustments :)

Proceeding Events:

Sometime in the Future, around the 31st Century

- Humanity becomes advanced enough to venture into space and establish colonies and civilizations on exoplanets in other solar systems. Some of these include the “Proxima System”, “Plat-Binary System”, and the “Copper System.”

- JCJenson, an interstellar megacorporation creates a brand of autonomous robots known as “Worker Drones” to serve humanity and mine resources on the exoplanets. One of these planets is Copper-9 from the Copper System.

- Worker Drones are heavily abused and mistreated by humans, often being improperly disposed of and thrown into landfills.

- JCJenson is aware of the fact their drones have a chance of self rebooting if disposed of incorrectly, dubbing these “Zombie Drones.” This can happen if the drone and their core wasn’t properly disconnected and destroyed, or the software cleanup program “wdOS_606” wasn’t installed or was interrupted or rejected (even up to five years later.) The company is also aware that among these instances, there’s also a chance of the drone developing “Hazardous Mutations.”

- Camp 98.7 is established in the year 3002 on Copper-9.

Humanity’s Downfall:

Year still unknown, but still in the 31st Century

-Underneath a landfill of discarded drones on Earth, presumably in Australia, a drone with a P/N starting with “CYN” self reboots. A so called program named the “Absolute Solver” seemingly contacts her through her broken visor and appears to make a deal with her, promising not to “discard her.” This is how the Solver gets its first host. It’s not known if the Solver took complete control there or if Cyn’s possession was a process.

- The landfill is close by to the mansion of a wealthy human family known as the Elliotts. Their daughter “Tessa James Elliott” enjoys retrieving discarded drones from the landfill so she can repair them. These drones become part of the manor’s wait staff, but Tessa treats them like people and as her friends, even giving them wigs so they can have identifying traits — much to the annoyance of her parents.

- Among the drones Tessa has brought home three are known as N, V, and J due to their serial designation numbers visible on their yellow armbands. It can be noted that it seems Tessa scratched out the “Marked For Disassembly” on the bands with sharpie after she repaired them.

- One day Tessa finds Cyn in the dump and brings her home. She introduces her to N, V, and J shortly after.

- N treats Cyn kindly, and she refers to him as her big brother.

- An unknown amount of time passes and eventually Tessa seems to become unnerved around Cyn due to the drone’s odd behaviour and mannerisms. J often locks Cyn in the library basement because of this.

- Many of Tessa’s drones seem to mysteriously contract some sort of error which leaves them in a catatonic state with their visors flashing a large yellow X alongside the words “error 606” (note that 606 matches the software cleanup program’s name of wdOS_606.) Because of this they are placed into the library. One of these drones is V, who N regularly visits so he can try and talk to her and read to her.

- The Elliotts’s decide to throw a gala at their manor alongside another family called the Frumptlebuckets (lol.) An interesting observation is that these wealthy humans (or at least those in the Elliott’s social circle) apparently like to dress up and act similar to those from around the Victorian era.

- Cyn escapes from the basement and convinces N to attend the gala, so they head to the ballroom to ask Tessa. This ends up leading to an altercation with Tessa’s mother Louisa where she orders Tessa to dump Cyn and all of her other “broken” drones in the library back into the landfill.

- Cyn talks back to Louisa, but N takes the fall for her and ends up being chained outside next to a dead drone that had been picked apart by a flock of crows. Meanwhile, Tessa has been chained up in her bedroom alongside J and Cyn as punishment. This, alongside an earlier scene where she seemingly rubs her wrist in pain implies this happens fairly often to her and highlights that her parents are abusive.

- Tessa berates Cyn for N taking the blame for her, angered that N may end up dead. However, Cyn seems indifferent and calmly claims she has “backups” of N.

- Cyn transforms into her horrific eldritch Solver form and claims Tessa won’t have to “discard her pets” and that she won’t discard her either. She leaves out the window after warning Tessa to stay away from the gala due to her seeming squeamish, revealing her intent to massacre the humans.

- Wanting to save everyone from being killed, Tessa gets J to break their chains and the two of them sneak out and arm themselves with a revolver and sword respectively. Despite this, after they arrive everyone is massacred anyways thanks to Cyn/the Solver corrupting the other Worker Drones, including J, who shuts the door so Tessa can’t escape.

- It’s assumed N escapes being killed by the crows and walks in on Cyn slaughtering the humans at the gala due to a brief flashback of him seeing Cyn eating a human hand (when he touches the Zombie Drones VHS tape.)

- Tessa is killed, and in a twisted way of sticking to her word of not discarding her, Cyn skins her corpse to graft it onto her drone body. (Due to an image of humans in hazmat suits finding Tessa surrounded by the remains of the people from the gala, it’s not fully known if Cyn also killed her at the gala and then posed as her, or if she was killed shortly afterwards.)

- Cyn converts the drones from the manor, including N, V, and J into deadly “Disassembly Drones.” They are given a “nerfed” version of the Solver that Cyn has admin access over to better remain control over them. Their memories are erased before setting them loose to slaughter the rest of the humans on Earth. Sometime after, the Solver causes the planet to implode into a black hole.

- The other colonies on the human exoplanets catch wind of what’s happened back on Earth, so JCJenson establishes “Cabin Fever Labs” to research the Solver and how to stop it.

- One of these labs is established on Copper-9 at Camp 98.7 and its surrounding mineshafts (and a cathedral that was there for some reason.) Multiple drones are purposely given the Solver, notably Nori (002) and Yeva (048.)

- The other exoplanets of the Proxima and Plat-Binary systems are corrupted and wiped out due to the Solver spreading and the Disassembly Drones presumably being sicced there.

- Nori ends up becoming possessed by the Solver. Eventually the JCJenson scientists on Copper-9 are able to create a Crucifix USB patch that can get rid of the Solver’s hold on its hosts. This patch is seemingly only successfully used on Yeva. Unfortunately, before it can be used on Nori, the Solver uses her to kill all the scientists except for an intern named Mitchell who had mistakenly put on the wrong uniform of a doctor and had been sent to fetch Yeva.

- Before the Solver can kill Mitchell after he returns, Yeva saves him and throws the USB into Nori’s face which frees her from its control, but also leaves her mind scrambled. However, the Solver is still able to create a small black hole with Nori’s hand that Yeva is forced to cut off. It’s sent falling into a pit to the planet’s core that the Solver had opened up prior.

- Copper-9’s planetary core partly implodes which wipes all organic life off the planet and turns it into a frozen wasteland. (Don’t worry. The dogs had been evacuated beforehand.) It seems a group of humans tried to survive by cryogenically freezing themselves in a bunker called “Outpost 3” in one of Copper-9’s cities. This didn’t work due to the computer having an error. This leaves the Worker Drones to inherit the planet and embrace their freedom.

Aftermath:

Year still unknown

- Nori and Yeva escape Cabin Fever Labs, while other test subjects such as Alice (017) are left behind to try and survive the lab’s Anti Drone sentinels. Nori meets a drone named Khan Doorman and ends up marrying him while Yeva also finds herself a husband.

- Uzi Doorman and Doll are created by their parents uploading parts of their code into Untrained Neural Networks and they both inherit their mothers’ connections to the Solver.

- The Doorman family experiences moments of happy family memories until Nori begins to have “kooky insane” ramblings and visions about the Solver and Disassembly Drones which she refers to as “Sky Demons” as a result of her brain being scrambled from the USB patch.

- Nori tries to warn the other drones and tells Khan to build doors to shelter themselves from the upcoming dangers.

Return of the Solver:

Sometime before the year 3071

- Cyn/The Solver sends squads of Disassembly Drones to Copper-9. Their memories are wiped and they are made to believe they were created and sent by the humans of JCJenson to eliminate the rogue Worker Drone population. Their directive also involves piling their kills into a “Corpse Spire” and locating Cabin Fever Labs. Cyn also wants to kill all other Solver hosts for an unknown reason.

- The squad consisting of N, V, and J lands close to the bunker of Outpost 3 and begin killing any Worker Drones they come across.

- V is seemingly the only Disassembly Drone that has retained some memory of Cyn and the Solver. She keeps this to herself and follows her directive so Cyn will leave her alone. Additionally, she also pretends to forget about N, believing this will protect him.

- A colony of Worker Drones takes shelter in Outpost 3 where Khan starts to build protective doors like his wife had requested. Around this time Nori is stung with a Disassembly Drone’s nanite acid. Khan uses a wrench to put her out of her misery. However, unbeknownst to anyone else, Nori manages to survive in her Solver core/heart form and goes back to Cabin Fever Labs so she can look for the Crucifix USB Patch.

- V kills Doll’s parents. Doll witnesses this while hiding and the trauma seemingly causes her Solver abilities to begin manifesting.

- The “Worker Drone Defence Force” is established in Outpost 3 with Khan as the leader. Unfortunately, they don’t really try to defend anything and just play cards behind the doors.

- The other Disassembly Drone squads that make it to Cabin Fever Labs are killed by either the Sentinels or Alice and (presumably) her son Beau. Alice scavenges parts from Disassembly Drones and Worker Drones to add to herself and Beau since he is stuck in an Untrained Neural Network body. She also learns to put the Solver cores in heat as it “makes them sluggish.”

Year 3071

- The events of episodes 1 - 7 occur

• Recent Revelation: At the end of episode 3 Cyn arrives on Copper-9 impersonating an older Tessa. She is accompanied by a backed up copy of J who was previously killed by Uzi in episode 1. It’s currently unknown if J is aware that Tessa is actually dead.

[ariadnelives]

Catching Flax - A Short Story

Author's Note: This story takes place shortly after the events of "Force Majeure" and has been released to celebrate Flax's birthday, March 25th, 2583. All previous installments of the series can be read for free by clicking here! This story will appear in an upcoming short story anthology.

Anika Flax came out of the Free Library of New Macedon and leaned on the cool steel railing of the wheelchair ramp, and breathed a wisp of steam into the crisp autumn night. There were trees tall enough to dwarf the buildings in this part of the city, just at the edge of the city limits. She wasn’t comfortable with it. She’d never been comfortable around all this nature. When she was young, she thought she’d only ever be comfortable in the city. When she joined the army, she realized she was just as happy on a barren asteroid or the bridge of a battleship. Just as long as there weren’t too many trees around.

She sighed. “My wife and I lived in a place like this,” she said to the maniac leaning on the railing next to her. “My ex-wife, I mean. She loved to hike. Loved to get in touch with nature. Still not sure what she ever saw in me.”

Blue pulled deep on her cigarette. “I don’t know what she saw in you either,” she said. “Maybe she wanted to know what it was like to be married to a statue of a robot.”

“Funny,” Flax replied. “I thought we had a deal to keep you away from my group. Why are you still coming here?”

“All the guests at your little feelings party went home and I didn’t bother them,” Blue said, “why don’t you get in your economy car and let me enjoy my cigarette.”

Flax rolled her eyes. “You have the whole solar system to have a cigarette. But here you are, every month, smoking and telling anybody who tries to talk to you to get lost.”

“Fuck off,” Blue said, serving the dual function of correcting Flax about what she said to anybody who tried to talk to her, and in giving an instruction to Flax.

“Bitch, you’re dating my best friend,” Flax replied, “and it’s getting serious. We’re stuck in each other’s lives whether we like it or not.”

“Bitch?” Blue asked. “Sounds wrong, comin’ out of you. Like when your parents try to be hip.”

Flax laughed genuinely. “You don’t know jack about me.”

“I know you’re a stick in the mud,” Blue said, “and that I want you to get in your car and head on home.”

“The way I see it, we’ve got two options,” Flax said. “Either you’re gonna talk to me, or you’re gonna stop showing up at my support group and pretending you aren’t looking for support. Honestly, it doesn’t make a difference to me, I’ll be glad either way, but I don’t believe you’re gonna stop showing up, so let’s just… talk, if we’re gonna talk.”

“I’m not lookin’ for support,” Blue said. “I’m just… fuck off, you know?”

“Well, you’re sure not using this as a pickup scene anymore,” Flax said. “I’ve seen you reject the group members. You just lean there, every meeting, smoking your cigarette.”

“And yet you haven’t taken the hint,” Blue shrugged, and took another drag.

“Whatever,” Flax said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading towards the car. She got halfway there, stopped, and groaned. Her relationship with Loan had softened her, and she cared too much about Alicia to walk away from her partner like this. “Damn it all,” she muttered under her breath, and turned around to return to Blue.

“What are you, like, 33? 35?” Flax asked, leaning on the wall across from her.

“How old do you think I am?” Blue replied, dodging the question.

“You’d be too young to remember the war, huh?” Flax asked. Blue took a puff of her cigarette. “I was ten years old when they invaded.”

Blue looked down at her shoes. “Hell of a time to be a kid,” she said. “Was your hometown hit hard?”

Flax smiled. It seemed her gamble had worked. Blue was engaging.

“I was ten years old,” Flax repeated. “Ten. You from Earth?”

“No,” Blue said. “No, not from Earth. Came here once, as a teenager. Had a good time.”

“I don’t know if it’s the same where you’re from,” Flax said, ���but here on Earth, every two years, in school, the kids get to have a confidential meeting to discuss their gender identity with a specialist, in case they need any accommodations from the school.”

“Go down to the school nurse, find out if you need glasses, or a hearing aid, or hormone replacement, I know the score,” Blue said. “Not something I ever had to deal with, but I’ve been around the block a few times.”

“Well, those specialists have their work cut out for them,” Flax said. “Kids don’t want to wear glasses. They don’t want to wear hearing aids. Even if they need them, they don’t want to be… different. So I used to lie to the specialist. I always told her I was perfectly happy being a boy, and that I was excited to grow up to be a man.”

This seemed to hit a nerve in Blue. Flax wasn’t sure whether this was a sensitive subject for Blue or not. She had no way of knowing that this was the easiest way to break Blue’s heart “Babe, you lied to yourself,” she said. “I’m glad you figured it out, eventually.”

“Fifth grade, in fact,” Flax explained. “Finally broke down and asked the counselor how I’d know if I was a girl. She asked me if I wanted to be a girl, and I couldn’t make eye contact with her. She told me ‘honey, I think you have your answer.’ Went home, told my parents. They were supportive, if a bit worried they’d have to buy a bunch of new clothes, but the counselor sent me home with a coupon for a swap program where parents could trade in their trans kid’s old clothes for another-- you know what, I’m getting away from the point. This was… about a month before they invaded.”

Blue puffed her cheeks in disbelief. “Busy month.”

Flax laughed and shook her head.

“I grew up in Flushing, Queens,” Flax said.

Blue looked up and made direct eye contact, those glowing white irises boring holes into Flax’s soul. Flax had gotten this look many times before. The mix of horror and fascination and admiration that happened anytime someone mentioned Flushing, Queens.

“Yeah, that Flushing.” Flax assured her.

“You were there?” Blue asked. “You were actually in Queens?”

“First day of school, happiest day of my life. I’m getting all new clothes, tossing around ideas for a new name, going to the pharmacy for the pill that’ll finally take the me on the inside and put it on the outside… the next year, I’m hiding in the basement of my shelled-out house, hoping the Divoratori shock troopers don’t turn over the old bathtub I’m hiding under. All the new clothes, that hope for the future, the coupon, everything I’d ever known, up in smoke. And I’m sitting there, just a kid, quaking, arms wrapped tight around my mom and dad, and up comes the bathtub, and I’m sure I’m about to breathe my last.”

Blue didn’t know what to say.

“And then, there she is. Anika Robinson. Resistance leader. Hero of Flushing. She saved my life. All of our lives. My mom and dad joined up with her that day. Me and all the other kids were smuggled to a remote camp in the woods where, hopefully, the Divoratori wouldn’t find us. Under her leadership, Flushing managed to fight back. New York was hit hard by the war, but Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx… all of us, the whole city fought back. We drove the Divoratori out, and it all started with the Battle of Flushing.”

Blue stamped out her cigarette. “So that’s why you’re Anika Flax, then?” Blue asked. “Honor the lady who saved your little life?”

Flax shrugged. “Yeah. There’s a lot of kids named Anika in Queens. But that’s not the point of the story. That’s actually why I joined the army.”

“So this is a cautionary tale.” Blue quipped.

“Not a secret we were wrong about this now,” Flax explained, “but at the time, with the Elysium Conventions, the treaties… we all thought the interplanetary hostilities were over.”

“You know, the Hanguk-Éire massacre was 18 years after the Elysium conventions,” Blue pointed out, “not to mention the thousands of executions on Earth soil.”

“The rest of the system knew a lot that we didn’t know back home. If I knew then what I know now…” Flax trailed off. “No sense in trying to change mistakes I’ve already finished making. Point is, I thought the only way I’d ever face an enemy is if there was another invasion. Never saw real combat. Met a nice medic, fell in love, married her. But I was so devoted to this idea of saving the next little kid from the next invasion, being there like Anika was there for me, that I… well, people grow apart. Neither of us was happy. In the end, it’s what we both wanted.”

Blue produced and lit another cigarette, and took a puff of it. “Liar.”

“Screw,” Flax said flatly. “It was mutual. It was. We decided to get a divorce together.”

“You’re breaking my heart,” Blue said, “lying to yourself again.”

“I’m not,” Flax said. “I’m not lying to myself. I’m lying to you.”

Blue laughed. “You give a shit what I think?”

“You loved someone once,” Flax told her. “A lot. Too much. And now, that person is gone. I don’t know how, or why, but they are. And that’s why you’re here. You want to talk about it, and you don’t know how to ask. So here’s your invitation, you lunatic, I showed you mine…”

“Do the people in your little group know?”

“It’s a support group for transgender divorcees,” Flax said. “Yes, I have talked about my transition and my divorce there.”

“No, not that. Do they know who you really are? Where you’re from?” Blue asked. “What you did? Alicia told me how you two met.”

“It’s not safe,” Flax said. “If one of Weaver’s loyalists gets word of where I am, I could be killed. Baltimore and Beam, their kids… it’s best if the group thinks I’m just Nicole Robinson, Event Planner. Loan knows my real name, but even that was a risk.”

Blue produced another cigarette and offered it to Flax, who declined. “Haven’t smoked a cigarette in 25 years,” she told Blue as politely as possible.

“Good girl,” Blue said, and tucked it behind her ear. “But you’re wrong about why I’m here.”

“Uh huh,” Flax said, not believing her.

“Your name is Anika. Your fake name is Robinson. You’re obviously from New York, and you’re pushing 50. Wasn’t hard to do the math,” Blue said. “I just needed to hear you say it. Ms. Nicole doesn’t have to put herself and her nieces and whatever the hell Baltimore and Beam are to you at risk. But Ms. Flax ought to be able to admit to herself that thanks to her, the Divoratori will never threaten another child. Looks like she lived up to her name after all.”

“You’re here for me?” Flax asked with a smile. “Why did you tell me to get lost all those times?”

“You don’t talk about yourself,” Blue told her. “You only admitted this to me because you thought I needed it. And you have that really annoying habit of assuming people don’t mean it when they say they’re fine.”

Flax laughed. “Alicia put you up to it?”

“Alicia told me you thought I hated you,” Blue said, “and that I should disabuse you of that notion. Figured you got an ego, flattery was probably the best bet. Comparing you to your hero seemed like the move. Don’t worry, I won’t tell her any of this.”

“I don’t… Look, tell her what you want to tell her,” Flax said. “She’s my friend. She’s someone we both really care about. And you can tell her that I can… kinda, sorta stand you. At the very least, I don’t think you hate me. I appreciate your reaching out. Now don’t ever, ever make me talk about myself that much again, and we’ll be A-OK.”

“Alicia will be thrilled,” Blue said, “for some insane reason she really cares what you think, and this is gonna score me some… well, I assume you know what sex is, from a book or something, but I’m not gonna go into detail just in case.”

Flax laughed. “Look, though,” she said. “You don’t have to talk to me about… her. Or him. Them. Or… whoever. But you should talk to somebody. Doesn’t have to be my group, though our doors are open. But… don’t keep it inside, okay? You have friends. Family. And you’re dating a girl way too good for you.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Blue laughed.

“The point is, you don’t need to be in it alone. Learn from my mistakes, tell your partner what’s going on with you before she gets sick of waiting. Talk to your friends. Your family. Just… there’s something weighing on you, don’t let it eat at you the way I did before I had this group. Trust me. You make bad decisions. Stupid mistakes.”

Blue laughed. “You? Like what?”

“Bitch, I told you about joining the army,” Flax laughed back.

“Glad to know we can be friends,” Blue said. “Believe it or not, I’ve always liked you.”

“I don’t know about friends,” Flax said, “we can stand the sight of one another now.”

“You ain’t got a choice,” Blue told her, “if you didn’t want to be my friend you should’ve fucked off when I told you to.”

“Fine, then,” Flax said, exasperated. “Friend to friend… tell me. How did you find out about this group in the first place?”

Blue took the cigarette from behind her ear, lit it, changed her mind, and snuffed it out.

“Pilar,” she said. “She thought… Perceptive little brat. Bout five years ago, she had this big breakthrough with her sister and got obsessed with this idea of talking out your problems instead of bottling them up. Told me she thought I’d benefit from a little support. She takes after me, she’s really fuckin’ annoying when she’s right.”

“So all that time you were trying to ‘pick up’ my groupmates,” Flax said, “you were trying to work up the nerve to come inside?”

“Full disclosure, I was also fucking those guys,” Blue told her, noticing the sidelong, somewhat judgmental glance thrown her way, “fuck off, I can do two things.”

“You’ve known them all these years,” Flax mused, “how come I had to introduce you to Alicia? How come you two never met her before this?”

“Great, now I gotta air my dirty laundry for you?” Blue laughed. “I asked Ari that myself, back when we me and my girl started seein’ each other. Turns out they didn’t introduce us because they thought I’d try and have sex with her.”

“But I was safe?” Flax asked. “Should I be offended?”

“Pilar said you knew better,” Blue said. “Your loss, but I ain’t hurtin’.”

Flax chuckled. “Perceptive little brat,” she said. The two women looked up at the moon. It was cast mostly in shadow, with pinpricks of light visible on its surface from the cities and college campus that peppered the dark side of the disk, and just enjoyed the silence that had fallen between them.

[rjzimmerman]

Coal Power Defined This Minnesota Town. Can Solar Win It Over? (New York Times)

The past and the future of electricity in America are perhaps most visible in a Minnesota town surrounded by potato farms and cornfields.

Towering over Becker, a community of a little more than 5,000 people northwest of Minneapolis, is one of the nation’s largest coal power plants. It is being replaced — to the dismay of some residents — with thousands of acres of solar panels and a test of long-duration batteries.

Becker is one of the first of a group of seven Minnesota municipal areas, called the Coalition of Utility Cities, making the change from a fossil-fuel-based economy to clean energy.

“We are the guinea pig for the whole group,” said Tracy Bertram, the mayor of Becker, acknowledging the anxiety some have felt about the loss of an economic anchor. “People don’t like change. It’s the unknown: ‘What will my world look like?’”

When the Sherburne County Generating Station, known as Sherco, completes its renewable project on adjacent land, it will stand as the largest solar farm in the Upper Midwest — replacing three coal units in Becker with three solar sites on the town’s outskirts along the Mississippi River.

Becker crystallizes part of the legacy of the administration of Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, and his commitment to Minnesota’s goal of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040. And it tests how the energy transition could unfold on a nationwide scale for jobs at decades-old fossil fuel facilities, local tax revenues and agricultural businesses.

President Biden’s climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to cut U.S. emissions at least 52 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade, and his administration is counting on solar power to play a significant role in decarbonizing electricity production. One Energy Department report concluded that solar energy could provide up to 40 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2035.

Minnesota is among the states that can benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act by using it as a tool to replace coal plants with sources like solar farms. Through the law, Sherco’s owner, Xcel Energy, received tax credits that reduced the cost of the solar project for the utility’s ratepayers.

Becker is also one of two sites where Xcel is installing demonstration battery systems from Form Energy, a Massachusetts company. The systems — using readily available materials like water, air and iron — can store solar and wind-generated energy as a backup, with a capacity to power 2,000 homes for up to five days.

[the-gateway-to-madness]

Akiridion Evolution

I'm back on my bullcrap, here's the next installment of Mad's Akiridion Analyses! Compilation of these posts is linked at the bottom.

ALRIIIIIGHT part 3! Boy howdy have I got theories!

First of all, we aren't told how much time passed between when Gaylen created Akiridion and when Seklos defeated him. Given how easy it was to replicate Seklos' cannon with scrounged ET tech and what was available on Earth, we can assume the confrontation happened a long, long time ago- Akiridion ships have been able to reach Earth since the earliest humans were around.

I think that, originally, the first Akiridions actually lived on the moons orbiting the planet. It would explain why they handle the atmosphere on Earth's moon (Luna, I'll be calling her) so well when Akiridion-5 itself apparently has oxygen "in abundance". Given the fact Akiridions have respiratory systems, as mentioned by Stuart (and the fact we can see them breathing), it would be logical to assume they evolved or were created by Gaylen without the planet's atmospheric composition- otherwise, their respiration would take advantage of oxygen.

Additionally, the planet itself appears to be a gas giant, which is backed up by the lack of any semblance of trees on Akiridion as mentioned by Aja (though this can be explained just as easily by "different planets, different life forms"). Their cities seem to float among clouds, which would take a certain level of technological advancement far beyond what a budding species could manage. Also, the royal palace and its surrounding capital city are on the planet itself, indicating that it takes a higher level of power and technology to build there- royalty tend to set up residence where it'll be most impressive and hardest to reach (not hard enough tho, huh? Rip Coranda and Fialkov).

Moving on. The use of a number after the name of a planet usually indicates distance from the sun in science fiction, which would mean Akiridion is the fifth planet from its sun. This makes sense given the fact we never actually see the sun Akiridion is orbiting; it's always what we humans would consider nighttime there, and Aja and Krel mention "Earth's blue sky" as something new and strange, even as they say the color reminds them of home. Maybe it's a pretty spread out solar system. Maybe there's an asteroid belt or dust clouds or other things between Akiridion-5 and its sun that block visible light from reaching them. Heck, maybe it's a binary or blue star system and that's why the planets have to be so far away from the center of the solar system to be habitable (though, blue stars tend to be shorter-lived, as I recall, which doesn't lend to the idea of Akiridion-5 being absolutely, ridiculously ancient). Either way, it would seem logical that Akiridions have a significant resistance to cold as well as radiation, but not so much heat. It would also seem logical that Akiridions don't really have rain, at least not the way Earth does. Fic about the very first time Aja and Krel saw rain when- jkjk (unless?).

Personally, I'd think it's super neat if Akiridion-5's solar system is right on the edge of a massive nebula, leaving the planet shrouded in the gasses and clouds for part of their kelton. The combined darkness and bright colors of Earth's winter and holidays would likely remind Aja and Krel quite strongly of home.

See what I mean? Totally a gas planet.

[voltaicos]

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