Texas: A Solar Powerhouse in the Making

Historically, Texas has been known for oil and natural gas production, leading the nation in energy output. But over the last 10 to 15 years, solar power has grown exponentially in the state. As of Q1 2025, Texas had the most installed solar capacity of all the states.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), as of early 2025, Texas has over 22 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity. That’s enough to power more than 3.5 million homes with clean energy. To put that in perspective, in 2010, Texas had less than 100 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity. In other words, the state has multiplied its solar output by more than 200 times in 15 years.

Annual Solar Generation in Texas

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that in 2023, Texas generated about 31,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity from solar. That’s up from 23,000 GWh in 2022. In fact, solar generation in Texas has been growing at a rate of nearly 35% year-over-year for the last 5 years. Here’s the numbers:

• In 2015, Texas made about 500 GWh from solar.
• By 2020, that number was over 10,000 GWh.
• By 2023, it was over 30,000 GWh and projected to be even higher in 2025 and beyond.

Texas is now one of the top states for solar generation in absolute terms, although per capita generation still trails states like Nevada and Arizona.

Why Texas Is Ideal for Solar Energy

Texas’s booming solar output isn’t a coincidence—it’s a result of ideal conditions and favorable policies. Several factors contribute to the state’s dominance in solar power generation:

• Solar Potential: Texas is blessed with high solar irradiance, especially in regions like West Texas, where the sunlight is consistent and intense. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), much of Texas receives an average of 5.5 to 6.5 peak sun hours per day, making it one of the best states in the country for solar efficiency.
• Land Availability: With its expansive rural landscapes and vast open spaces, Texas has the room to host utility-scale solar farms. This contrasts with more densely populated states where space is limited.
• Deregulated Energy Market: Texas operates under a deregulated electricity market (especially within ERCOT or the Electric Reliability Council of Texas), which allows for more competition and innovation in energy supply. This has made it easier for independent power producers to develop solar projects and sell electricity directly to the market.

Falling Costs: The cost of solar technology, especially photovoltaic (PV) panels, has dropped dramatically. Between 2010 and 2020, the price of solar panels fell by nearly 80%, making large-scale projects economically viable.

Types of Solar Installations in Texas

Solar power generation in Texas comes from three main types of systems:

Utility-Scale Solar

These are large solar farms that supply electricity directly to the grid. Texas has dozens of utility-scale solar projects, including some of the largest in the nation. As of 2025, over 90% of Texas’s total solar generation comes from utility-scale operations. Many of these are concentrated in West Texas, where land is cheaper and sunlight is abundant.

Commercial and Industrial Installations

Corporations in Texas, particularly in sectors like tech, retail, and logistics, are investing in on-site solar to reduce operating costs and meet sustainability goals. Commercial solar installations account for a growing share of overall capacity, though still much smaller than utility-scale.

Residential Solar

Although residential solar represents a smaller portion of total generation, it is expanding rapidly. As of early 2025, more than 250,000 Texas homes have installed rooftop solar systems, contributing to localized power generation and reducing strain on the grid. Residential solar adoption continues to rise across Texas, supported by a growing network of installation providers. Companies like Metro Express Solar Dallas contribute to this trend by helping homeowners transition to rooftop solar, improving localized energy resilience and reducing grid demand.

How Solar Is Impacting Texas’s Local Grid and Energy Independence

Texas’s energy independence is unique—most of the state operates under ERCOT, a grid largely disconnected from the national systems. As solar capacity grows, it’s becoming a critical asset for grid stability, especially during peak demand and extreme weather events. After the 2021 winter storm exposed vulnerabilities in gas and coal infrastructure, solar (combined with battery storage) has become a strategic component in efforts to decentralize and diversify the grid. Several pilot programs across Central and West Texas now include microgrids and solar-plus-storage systems that allow for localized energy security and faster recovery during outages.

Regional Solar Leaders in Texas

While solar is growing statewide, some regions of Texas are leading the way:

• West Texas: Home to many of the state’s largest utility-scale solar farms. Flat land, minimal cloud cover and affordable land make it perfect for solar.
• Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex: One of the top areas for residential and small commercial solar installations.
• Austin: As a tech and sustainability hub, Austin has high solar adoption, with municipal incentives and community solar programs.
• San Antonio: CPS Energy, the municipal utility, has invested heavily in solar, including distributed generation and large-scale projects.

Local Jobs and Economic Impact of Solar in Texas

Beyond clean energy, Texas’s solar boom has created tens of thousands of jobs. According to the Solar Foundation’s Solar Jobs Census, Texas had over 11,000 solar workers in 2024 and is expected to grow 40% in the next 5 years. These jobs span from panel manufacturing in Houston, system design in Austin, sales and marketing in Dallas–Fort Worth to installation teams across the state. Local governments in El Paso and San Angelo are now offering solar technician training programs to support workforce development and meet industry demand.

Future of Solar in Texas

Texas’s solar capacity will continue to grow rapidly. According to SEIA, over 40 GW of solar is in the pipeline for Texas over the next 5 years. By 2030, Texas will surpass 65 GW of installed capacity. Here are the trends that will drive this growth:

• Increased investment in utility-scale projects by energy companies and institutional investors.
• More battery storage to allow solar to be used after the sun goes down.
• Expanded community solar programs so renters and low-income residents can benefit from solar without installing rooftop panels.

Texas is the Solar Power Leader

Texas has become a national solar power leader, producing over 30,000 GWh annually and has a diverse mix of utility, commercial and residential installations. The state’s solar boom has been driven by sunshine, economics and a deregulated energy market. With tens of gigawatts of new capacity coming online, Texas will shape the future of solar in America.So now the wait.

Start Organizing

For many people, chaos can create anxiety, pushing people to their limit. Take household chores for example. If the house is cluttered, you may feel overwhelmed. You may not be able to pick up everything all at once, but try to establish rules for where things belong and how you want items cleaned. It may even help set up certain times of day when you want to stop and just pick up. A tidy room might just create a calmer atmosphere.

Eat Right

Did you wake up in the morning and look at the box of donuts? Or did you find yourself desiring an apple instead? Studies show that what we eat might just impact levels happiness as well as productivity. Don’t completely ditch the sugar, but consider making it a once-in-a-while treat. Too much of it (as well as caffeine) could have negative effects on your emotions. In addition, consider switching to mostly unprocessed foods, allowing nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, vegetables, and lean protein to become the bulk of your diet. In fact, some delectables actually have vitamins that may lift spirits (such as kale or brussel sprouts). Consider adding one or two to your daily routine.

Exercise Regularly

Finding time to work out can be difficult; however, it does have several potential psychological benefits. First of all, cardiovascular activities, particularly done on a routine basis, work to diminish the body’s stress hormones. Lower levels of adrenaline and cortisol could produce less worry and more cheer. In addition, endorphins are sent out. This chemical could trigger more positivity and happiness. Doing these activities in the house, though, can prove trying. Weights, equipment and space are needed, and that just isn’t always possible in the living room. If you are short on an extra room, consider creating a space in your backyard. You’ll want to purchase a sturdy fixture to offer a quiet, open area. SteelMaster sheds, for instance, are sturdy and easy to adapt. Transform it into a workout studio, an escape from the craziness of the day.

Meet People

When life feels overwhelming, hiding might seem like a good idea. Rather than grab a blanket and the remote, call a friend and make plans to do something together. Sometimes getting outside with others can make you forget what caused the stress in the first place. It doesn’t need to be a big ordeal. Go have coffee, watch a movie or head to the beach. Try to do something you love and that can distract you for just a bit. Break the mental aggravation, and give yourself some joy.

Life takes its toll on people. Rather than let it drag you down, find something that lifts you up, and remember that what you do might impact how you feel. Therefore, take care of your body and your mind.

Fortunately, we are living in a society that is growing more eco-conscious by the day, but there’s still plenty of work to be done to get the planet back on track.

Clean water for drinking and washing, and the associated treatment, sanitation and supply processes are things that we take completely for granted in the West, but should we be thinking more on how much water we’re using and how often?

Our water consumption is a bigger environmental concern than you might think, and here we discuss how much water we currently use, why that matters and what we can all be doing to reduce water usage and waste.

Water Usage in the West

A quick search into water waste on Google will bring up some spectacular and rather eye-opening figures on our day to day consumption.

In the UK, water consumption totals an average of 140-145 litres per person, per day (a similar figure to Europe generally). One of the biggest culprits is the flushing of toilets, with 45 million toilets accounting for a staggering 2bn litres of water used each day, which represents just under a third of the country’s total daily output.

These numbers, however, are relatively small fry compared to the United States. In 2015, the US Geological Survey calculated that the entire country went through over 1.2 trillion (322bn US gallons) every 24 hours.

The Problems of Overuse

With such sophisticated sewerage and filtering systems, and especially when water appears out of a tap as and when we please, it’s easy to slip into the thinking that personal water consumption doesn’t matter. However, there are a number of potentially very serious problems associated with overuse, set out best by Ava Mohsenin from WaterNow Alliance back in 2016:

• Anthropocentric (human) concerns: With freshwater making up only 1% of the world’s water, there are limitations to its availability and distribution. Many countries in the world are considered ‘extremely high water stress’ – using over 80% of their water available, making them highly vulnerable to water scarcity. Therefore, overuse in both high and low-stress territories creates potential accessibility problems for those with the most need.

• Biocentric (ecological) concerns: Overuse in households means we are not adequately sharing our freshwater supply with our agriculture, animals and plants, whose prosperity is, of course, vital to our ecosystem. Limited water supply can endanger various plant and animal species whom we are indirectly reliant on.

• Sustainability concerns: Wasting water while our overall demand increases mean we are having to supplement our freshwater supplies with methods where the regeneration rate is lower than our rate of extraction. Right now, supply is outweighing demand, meaning our long-term water resources are in question.

Ways You Can Reduce

With such significant concerns in mind, it’s important that we’re all doing our bit to help reduce overall water consumption. As strides forwards are being made in industrial water use, here are a few ideas for how you can limit your footprint at home:

• Be savvier with your water: Reducing water consumption starts with thinking more about your daily activities and making some quick fixes. Conscious moves to not leave taps running, only boiling what water you need, brimming the dishwasher and washing machine before using them and taking less time in the shower are all examples of this.

• Friendly-tech: Considering the numbers mentioned above, it makes sense to invest in a low-flush toilet, which can save 50% of the water used flushing a traditional toilet. Likewise, a water efficient shower head will help, and both could save you money on utilities.

• Better gardening: Water wastage in the garden is one of the bigger areas of household use, and there are a number of ways to be a bit more eco-friendly in your backyard.

• Diet-based changes: Reducing the amount of meat you eat will help lower your personal water footprint, as rearing animals for consumption is highly water-intensive. Monitoring and improving your overall food wastage will help reduce the level of water used in wider food production, as well as saving you a few hundred pounds annually.

Sometimes, we just need a reminder that some of the daily amenities we enjoy as standard are not never-ending. As awareness around overuse of water and the associated risks increase, we can expect to see a cultural shift in how we manage our day to day water consumption for the better.

1.      Consider going paperless

The first thing you need to understand is the fact that an average office worker prints about 10,000 sheets of paper every year. Now, consider how many people you have in your employ and you’ll get an idea of the full scale of this ecological disaster. Paper (along with deforestation), however, isn’t the only problem. Other than this, you have the ink wasted on printing, the waste caused by empty ink cartridges and the power spent by these printers. Fortunately, in the digital era, it would be quite easy for your operations to go fully paperless (or, at the very least, as paperless as possible).

2.      Encouraging a greener commute

The next thing you need to figure out is a way to encourage your staff to take a greener commute to work. You can set some fitness goals and competition (with a suitable reward) in the office to encourage those who live nearby to walk or cycle to work. You can also install some bicycle racks in front of the office or in the lobby in order to make this type of commute more convenient for them. Other than this, you can encourage people to carpool or use public transportation, both of which are greener than traveling to work by a personal vehicle. Sure, incentivizing this financially may not be the most cost-effective course of action but it does tend to make your business substantially greener.

3.      A more efficient delivery system

When it comes to the issue of delivery, there are two things worth mentioning. First, you can choose to outsource and, when doing so, look for a business that labels itself as green. Other than this, you can start investing in better fleet management. Here, efficiency and eco-friendliness are one and the same. You see, fewer trips and more efficient routes improve your average fuel-efficiency and reduce emissions. This is why an investment in fleet management software and a capable fleet manager is an investment in a reduced carbon footprint. Also, when browsing platforms specializing in trucks for sale, you should also look at their engine specifications for emissions.

4.      Green hosting

When building your online brand, it’s important to consider the carbon footprint of your operations. One of the easiest ways to address this issue is by choosing a web host that offers green hosting options. This means the hosting provider runs its servers on renewable energy sources or uses low-power devices to power them. By making this choice, you not only reduce your own carbon footprint but also contribute to the growth of an eco-friendly industry. It’s a great way to be part of the solution rather than contributing to the problem.

If you’re looking for affordable green hosting, you can also take advantage of a Hostinger coupon code to get discounted rates while supporting sustainable practices.

5.      The power efficiency of the office

There are so many little things that you can do in order to raise the overall power efficiency of the office. First of all, you can replace all the bulbs with low-power ones. Second, you can replace all the appliances with low-power ones or automate them to shut down whenever not used. Every single one of these office improvements makes a difference but when put together, they can make your office self-sustainable.

6.      Raising awareness

The last thing worth bearing in mind is the fact that your eco-friendly work is not done once your staff leaves the office floor. The effect of your eco-friendly efforts, therefore, depends entirely on them and their willingness to change their own habits. This, nonetheless, requires some education and you need to consider seriously investing in raising their awareness.

Conclusion

The very last thing worth keeping in mind is the fact that reducing your carbon footprint may require you to make some initial investments. These investments, nonetheless, will definitely pay off in time. In other words, instead of just providing you with the moral and ethical satisfaction of doing the right thing, these trends also help you generate a positive net worth while doing so.

The warnings about climate change have been around for some time, and there’s increasing pressure on all of us to do more to help save the planet. You may think that your individual contribution won’t make much difference, but you’d be wrong. If everyone makes some small changes in their lives, the combined effort could bring a big change. Wondering what you can do to help? Start by thinking about going green in your home and the way you live there. Here are five ideas to get you thinking.

Recycle waste

We’re all getting savvy when it comes to properly disposing of trash, with regulations requiring us all to recycle where possible. How much time do you spend cleaning out your waste containers and making sure you put each item in the correct recycling? You should take this very seriously, as throwing things like bottles and plastics in with your main trash, means they could end up in a landfill – when instead they could be recycled and reused, helping to minimize the environmental impact.

Cut down on plastics

Where possible, try to avoid buying products that use a lot of plastics in packaging. One simple way to avoid packaging is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from a market, for example, using your own bag. While we’re talking about bags, try to avoid buying them every time you go to the grocery store. Instead, invest a little money in a reusable one, which you can take back to the shop time and time again to fill with groceries.

Become energy efficient

If you have an older home, have you ever had an environmental survey carried out? You might want to look at things like insulation. Is there a way you could make yourself more efficient when it comes to holding in heat in the winter? It could not only help the environment by reducing your energy use, but it could also save you money too.

Talking about energy, think about whether installing solar panels would be a good step forward. Again, this could help make your home more energy efficient and save you some cash in the long-run.

Become more self-sufficient

To help cut down on the transportation of food products, why not try to grow some of your own produce? If you have an outside garden space, think about setting aside an area to grow some fruit and vegetables. You can do this using organic methods, but make sure you look after your crops and look out for any garden or house pests that might be a threat. Companies like Go-Forth Pest Control Wilmington can help with things like that.

Take some green advice

If you’re serious about making some big changes around your home to make your property greener, you should speak to a specialist in the field, who can advise on what is best for you and what would bring the most benefits. You could also speak to local government agencies about any incentives or grants that might be available to make changes to your home.

Many people dream of having their own gardens one day. Specifically, they want a garden with so many mood-enhancing flowers and fruit-bearing plants. Unfortunately, not everyone who has dreamed of owning his or her own garden is fortunate enough to own a large space that’s perfect for a garden that’s rich in greens and colourful flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The good news is, there are ways to start a garden even with a small space. These methods are shown below.

Utilise Local Resources

Utilise all local resources that are available to you as well as those you already have to begin the garden. Instead of purchasing pieces of wood to create a garden bed, for example, you can use big fallen tree limbs. Stick to those which have a diameter of eight inches so that they do not end up moving around, they last much longer, and the bed can be shaped in more ways.

Interact with Other Gardening Enthusiasts

One of the best ways to learn gardening is to learn from the experiences of other enthusiasts. To ensure that you truly learn something from other green-thumbed people, you can join or host meetups with other gardeners. Some meetups to look forward to joining or hosting include seed and plant swaps and gardening lectures.

You can also learn gardening through online forums, such as Reddit.

Which Plants Should I Plant?

* Marigolds are a good choice not only because they look great, but also because they help keep pests away.

* Looking for edible root crops? Know that a number of them cannot be sown directly into the soil, almost always need a grow light, and need to be “hardened off” so they can thrive in harsher elements. That said, there’s no shame getting plants of this kind that are starting to grow.

* The mighty microgreens are great choices since they thrive even in partial shade, don’t consume a lot of space, and are easy to sustain. Some examples include leafy vegetables such as a wide range of herbs and lettuce. Baby broccoli and baby kale are also amazing choices.

How Much Space Do You Need?

Upon acquisition of plants and seeds, know how large they grow so that you can come up with a good plan.

There are numerous ways to plant your garden. Here are some ideas you can follow:

* Avoid digging up the soil. Keep in mind that the top eight inches of soil is highly beneficial.

* You should also avoid plastic liners, since their use can lead to plastic getting into the soil and food. Instead, lay a layer of newspaper over weeds or grass, making sure that you overlap by about four inches so weeds cannot sneak up.

* Place both mulch and cardboard over areas you’ll be walking.

* Set down the borders of your new garden. Walk around and be sure to select a decent spot in the yard. A few things to consider include the amount of sun the spot gets and if it is near a source of water.

Prepare the Garden Beds

* Add three inches of grass clippings or leaves, newspaper, composted mulch, and dirt.

* Add organic fertilisers. Some great organic fertilisers include apple cider vinegar, rabbit droppings, fish entrails, goat droppings, and black strap molasses. Add compost afterwards.

* Add worms, one more newspaper layer to serve as final weed barrier, and more mulch. The addition of mulch helps keep the newspaper down and breaks down into more amazing soil for you.

* To plant the new plants, set aside mulch and dig a tiny spot on the newspaper.

* During the first two weeks, water new plants once or twice each day.

Last Step: Let the Plants Grow

Once the plants have been set in place, just do the proper maintenance steps that ensure that your chosen plants grow healthy and produce many fruits and flowers. Having rain water tanks installed is one such way to ensure the optimum health of all plants.

Green driving is becoming something of a buzzword these days.  However, did you know that it not only helps the environment but could also save you money?  Cars driven in a green way tend to require less maintenance and use less fuel.  The drivers also tend to be much less stressed, leading to healthier road habits.  If you are interested in changing the way you drive, keep reading as we’ll explain what’s involved.

Choosing a Vehicle

You don’t have to buy an electric car or an elektrische scooter to drive green, although these are popular options with many environmentally conscious people.  They’re also becoming more widespread as many manufacturers look into alternative fuel.  However, if you would rather stick to what you know and buy a traditional vehicle, consider buying a nearly new car that is fuel efficient.

When buying a vehicle, consider how large you need it to be.  Unless you have a lot of children, opt for a small car that is suitable for your day-to-day needs.  Smaller cars are not only cheaper, they’re also greener to run.  You may also want to consider sharing a car unless you need one for daily driving.

Preparing the Vehicle

Before driving anywhere, you’ll want to prepare your vehicle.  You can reduce fuel consumption by lowering the amount of weight your vehicle is carrying.  This doesn’t mean leaving passengers behind, but it does mean removing items from the car that don’t need to be there for a particular journey, such as buggies, tools, golf clubs, the roof rack, and so on.  The less your car weighs, the less fuel it will use, saving you money.

Before travelling, you should also check that your tyre pressure is correct and that the engine is tuned.  Avoid turning on the heating system unless you really need it on, and make sure to turn lights off after use.  This will not only save you money, but it will protect your battery as well.

While Driving

While driving, there are a few things you can do to drive in an environmentally friendly way.  These include:

• Avoid unnecessary revving
• Drive with the windows up
• Avoid breaking or accelerating harshly
• Try not to beat the traffic lights – this often leads to having to break harshly
• Avoid putting the air conditioning on unless you really need it
• Turn the engine off if you are stationary for more than a couple of minutes
• Stick to a 50-60mph speed limit for the best fuel efficiency

If you follow all of the tips in this article, you should soon start to notice a difference in the amount of money you are spending on fuel and car maintenance.  And, although it might not be quite as obvious, you will also be helping the environment as well.  If you can think of any other ways to save money and the environment when driving, please take the time to let us know about these in the comments.

With so many amazing advances in technology and a shift in attitude towards eco-friendly transportation, the future looks very bright and exciting for personal transport. Driving your own petrol-fuelled automobile will be a thing of the past in the not so far future and the roads will be filled with other impressive vehicles helping people to get from A to B.

Autonomy

One of the most discussed topics in the automotive industry is the work towards self-driving cars. It is thought that by 2050, the roads will be filled with vehicles which drive themselves so that the user does not have to do anything. This is in a bid to reduce accidents (user error accounts for the majority of incidents), as well as a smoother flow of traffic.

Zero-Emissions

The other main area of discussion is cars with zero emissions, which will do a tremendous amount to reduce the impact on the environment. Electric vehicles are becoming a common sight on the roads and available at all major dealerships, like Unbeatable Car. They are also constantly improving in terms of performance, but there is another type of zero-emission automobile which will play an important role in the future.

This is hydrogen cars, which have fuel cells that take hydrogen fuel and react with oxygen to create electricity. The only waste product is water, but this type of automobile is taking longer to produce due to the cost of fuel cells. Despite this, many experts claim that hydrogen-powered cars are better than electric due to their superior range and faster charge times.

Currently, there is no infrastructure in place to recharge and developments are still being made, but it seems that this is certainly the future for personal transportation and all the major manufacturers are working with hydrogen right now.

Flying Cars?

Many popular sci-fi films and TV shows depict the far future as a time where flying cars soar over our heads, but is this likely to happen? In 2016, a flying car prototype and autonomous electric quadcopter were introduced at the Consumer Electric Show and one brand expects to have a prototype by 2018, but it is difficult to see this being a reality any time soon and the initial cost would make them a rare sight to see.

As you can see, the future certainly looks bright for personal transportation and it will not be too long until we see much safer, eco-friendly and efficient transportation dominate the road.

Waste is not just waste, and it is not only just garbage. Many waste products can be recycled and reused so they can be once again turned into useful products. These recycled products can provide green energy like fuel or electricity. The various methods of transforming waste into energy can be used to create electricity and heat via the incineration of waste.

Waste also creates energy that is used in the production of fuels like ethanol, synthetic fuel and methane. These fuels are created through a process known as combustion. However, there are other processes used by biomedical engineers with a master of engineering in biomedical engineering degree to transform waste into energy. These include thermal and non-thermal processes.

Non-thermal technologies are mechanical biological, fermentation and anaerobic digestion. This energy conversion occurs in landfills when there is anaerobic digestion available for the waste.

What are Thermal Technologies?

Gasification, thermal deploymerization and pyrolysis, along with PGP (plasma gasification) are used in the process of creating thermal technologies. There are some thermal technologies where the majority of carbon content ends up being emitted into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide is emitted especially after the final combustion for the products is derived from pyrolysis.

Biosphere technology is constantly advancing, and online MEBME degree graduates are constantly researching new ways to generate new energy through this method. This technology system is only one example of energy being created from gasification waste. This energy that is created can then ecologically convert the waste materials into green energy. The entire energy conversion process is a further step in helping to increase the production of green energy and waste management. Plasma gasification is one other option.

Plasma Gasification

Also known as PGP in the biomedical industry, it is a process where extremely high heat is applied to the waste materials. The process is done in an environment that is closed, controlled and free of oxygen. During the process, waste is converted into heat that is clean and synthetic. The gas that is produced can be used in the production of electricity.

The PGP Process

It is important to not confuse the PGP process as simply another type of incineration. Instead, it is a process that creates energy in an environment that is oxygen starved. Burning does not occur because there is no oxygen present.

Extreme heat is used on the waste materials in a small area with minimal oxygen. The waste is further broken down into small molecules, and then combined together again into a synthetic gas that is full of energy. Thus, this makes the process far more complicated than the use of incineration to create energy. Emissions are not released into the atmosphere. The best thing is that all the products can be used again.

The following types of waste can be processed through by PGP:

• Rubber tires
• Biomedical waste
• Paper mill waste
• Street drugs
• Soil contaminated by lead
• Biomass

There are really no limits to the amount and type of waste that has the ability to be processed through plasma gasification. PGP is considered one of the most environmentally friendly and cleanest ways to recycle and recycle waste.

If you have mature trees in your garden, then keeping them healthy is a priority. Firstly, you should know what sort of tree it is and what it needs – if you buy your trees from The Tree Center you can always ask for advice – and then take it from there.

Protect your roots

Your trees’ roots are essential to their health. You need to focus on the critical root zone (CRZ) of each tree. The CRZ is the imaginary circle drawn on the ground that follows the circumference of the branch spread.

In reality the roots extend way beyond the CRZ and they’re often not arranged symmetrically. But the CRZ is the area that’s the most sensitive to damage, or sudden changes to the soil. Don’t compact the soil here, don’t park cars, use weed killers, or let the kids dig holes; just be gentle here.

Protect the tree bark

Your trees’ bark is their shield, it protects them from insects, fungi, water loss and minor injuries. It’s easy to damage bark, though; here are some common hazards:

• garden sprinklers – if your sprinklers hit the same patch of bark over and over again, the bark may become damaged, so make sure this doesn’t happen;
• branches rubbing it – as you can imagine, this can easily cause injuries to the bark, so either secure “rogue” branches or prune them;
• lawnmowers and weed-whackers – make sure you keep them well away from tree trunks, and
• vehicles – cars can drive into them, or park in the CRZ. Remove any branches that could be damaged and place reflectors on the trunk so it can be seen at night.

Water your trees effectively

If your trees are mature they’ll be able to survive most weather conditions, but a long drought may test them. Making sure they’re healthy to start off with will help them to cope with rough patches.

Don’t water them during the dormant period, save this for high summer or a drought. When you do water your trees, give them a lot of water infrequently, rather than smaller drinks every day or two. It is also a good idea to use a garden hose that has a hose nozzle attached to it for your watering needs.

Prune wisely

Winter is the best time to prune, as it doesn’t destroy any new growth. If you’re new to pruning, or you are too “enthusiastic”, then get a professional in! Here’s the basic rules, though:

• crossing branches – remove the thinner branch to encourage the bigger one to grow;
• dead or broken branches – cut them off cleanly to let the stump heal. If you leave a broken or dead branch on a tree it can let in moisture and pathogens, so a clean cut is important, and
• remove low branches – only as necessary though. You might want to remove any that regularly get hit by cars, that block out light, or just look out of place.

Look after the soil

In the wild, trees are always surrounded by a layer of leaf litter and mulch that provides the soil with nutrients and microbes, which help to break down nutrients further. This mulch also regulates the temperature and moisture content of the soil and is vital to long-term tree health.

You can provide your own mulch either by buying it or using fallen leaves from your own garden and putting down a three-inch layer around the base of the tree. You should avoid the very base of the tree and extend the cover out by two or three feet.