Now you can use the power of Google to see if your home is a good candidate for solar panels. Simply enter your home address in Google’s Project Sunroof database. The site uses Google Earth imagery to pinpoint your home and gauge your roof shape; it then computes the eligibility of your home using local weather patterns. You get a personal solar analysis, options and the names of local solar panel providers, and you can even compare finance options. All with the click of a mouse!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Are you thinking about installing solar panels on your home to save money and be green? Before you do, consider this: Does enough of your roof face the south? This is key to getting maximum sunlight exposure for solar panels. Is your roof more than 10 years old? If it is, you may need to get your roof replaced first, since most solar panels last over 30 years. And finally, where do you live? Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado are considered the sunniest states and are perfect for solar panels. But New York, Oregon, Vermont, Alaska and Washington have the lowest annual sunshine; homes in those states may not be the right fit for solar installation.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Many communities now accept paperboard boxes from things like cereal for recycling. But they often refuse to take the same types of boxes if they have any food contamination on them (like frosting from a cake, or dried-on cheese from pizza). The reason is simple: When paperboard is recycled, it’s mixed with large amounts of water. Everything is separated during this pulping process, including the oil and fats in paper, but it is not removed, which means the new recycled paper can end up with oil splotches. So if you have paperboard with any food contamination -- no matter how small -- toss it out and don’t recycle it.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION