Thanks to subscriber, Bob Cleary, for sharing this story he spotted in the Boston Globe with us. I've been watching (and telling you about) the growth of district heating in Europe, and seeing Boston go back to some of its old ways makes sense, especially when you consider the plus that they're getting by not dumping that hot water into the Charles River. Thanks, Bob!

Here's a story out of Ohio Wesleyan University. Either the lad has a very strong grip (he is a runner), or the place is falling apart. Based on the rest of the article, I'm voting for the second option. Hey, what do you want for $34,570 a year?!

How's this for a bold move on the part of an elected official? When you need money to green your schools, you get it by selling a few of your other schools. This makes sense because we both know that people have stopped having children. Let's hear it for long-term thinking! Oh, and don't miss the comments. They're precious.

Here's a link to an eye-opening executive report on the U.S. solar market as it is right now. Lots of growth over the past year, in spite of the wacky economic times. The total size of the U.S. solar market grew 67% from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6.0 billion in 2010. Solar electric installations in 2010 totaled 956 megawatts (MW) to reach a cumulative installed capacity of 2.6 gigawatts (GW). Prepare to part with a few bucks if you'd like to see the full report.

Here's the follow-up on a story I told you about a few weeks ago. The parties settled out of court, but I still think the guy who started this is creepy. It pays to keep your eyes on the Internet.

One man's geyser is another man's power plant. Having recently returned from Iceland, where I saw the fury and grace of a huge geothermal power plant, I especially enjoyed this article. Can you hear the lawyers gathering?

Sure, it's the Willis Tower now, but I'm sticking with the old name. They're doing some interesting things on the sides of that famous landmark. Check it out the solar news here.

Thanks to those who took a few moments to drop me a line, telling me what you thought of this weekly newsletter that I send you. Your comments help me attract advertisers, and that's what makes this all possible. Thanks for your friendship, and your help. If you'd like to reach me, you can at dan@heatinghelp.com. Thanks!