At one of the high-rise buildings where he's installed Indian-made panels, the condo association manager, Swati Nevgi, says her communal bill for electricity in common areas – operating a bank of elevators, lights in the hallways, air conditioning in the lobby – has dropped by about a third. That means the building re-cooped its investment in roughly three years. A decade ago, Jay Vyas was an accountant in his 50s, working on a variety of projects, when a proposal for a rooftop solar installation came across his desk. It's not necessary to read the other Sunny books to understand the story here -- it stands well alone, though having read the other Sunny books would help you understand her relationship with her grandfather and her friends a little better. It's a fun, lighthearted story, never too heavy or serious and a fun look at the misadventures of one memorable summer. I just opened that file, and saw the client wanted to invest in solar," Vyas recalls. "Now, I'm passionate about looking into new things that might become commercially viable. So I thought, 'Why not?' and I started looking into it."

At this point, I am just going to read any new Sunny books. I know that about me, it is a fact and I am old enough to know not to deny it] China and the U.S. still invest more in renewables on an annual basis. But India's investments – particularly in solar – are growing faster, due to what Bhadwal calls an "aggressive" campaign by the government. Vyas and Divekar used to import solar panels from Germany or Singapore. They're expensive, but they last 25 years, and Vyas says he wasn't sure that would be the case with cheaper Chinese models, he explains. On a much smaller scale, Indian farmers often use a solar panel or two to run irrigation pumps in rural areas, where the electricity grid is shaky.As India develops, and its 1.4 billion people get richer, its energy needs are expanding. Unlike many Western countries, which have pledged to cap overall emissions, India measures its emissions in proportion to its gross domestic product. This year, the government pledged to reduce by 45% the so-called "emissions intensity of its GDP" by 2030. The maybe-flirting undertones between Tony and Sunny was sweet and I found her mother’s suspicion to be funny. Her Gramps also makes an appearance in the story, which made for a fun sub-plot. It was entertaining to see Sunny’s experience working her first job, and at the country club no less! She builds relationships with the other kids working there and learns valuable lessons, like why you shouldn’t run at the pool. Overall: Sunny Makes a Splash (Sunny #4)

I'm sorry. These books are just so evocative of my own middle school experience that I just can't review them critically! While Ms. Holm is three years younger than I am, she has made Sunny just my age. Do I even need to mention that I was on the speech team in high school? Sunny Makes a Splash is a delightful addition to the Sunny series suited for slightly older readers as Sunny finds a potential romantic interest. This graphic novel features a perfect depiction of 70’s summer experiences and a relatable protagonist working her first summer job before her last year of middle school. It will make for an enjoyable reading experience for older tweens — and even some younger ones!

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I think it's one of the fastest-growing industries in the country," says climate change expert Suruchi Bhadwal. She spoke to NPR by phone from the COP27 talks in Egypt. "Even the U.S. has not boosted its installed capacity so much, so fast." Vyas says it's typically around three to five years for most of his customers. But that's decreasing, he says. Rising global electricity prices make solar panels even more attractive now.

Scientists say that's ambitious, and that India will need to boost its solar capacity even more if it has any hope of keeping that promise. He and his business partner, Chinmay Divekar, gave NPR a tour of one of their latest solar projects, on the roof of a high-rise residential society – the Indian equivalent of a condo association – northeast of Mumbai. Even though I'm not in the age demographic the Sunny graphic novels are aimed at, they're still highly enjoyable. They're good stories about a girl transitioning from childhood to teenage-hood, and a fascinating time capsule of the author growing up in the seventies. And "Sunny Makes a Splash" is a great addition to the series. And at the U.N.'s recently-concluded COP27 climate talks, India repeated a pledge to get half of its energy needs from non-fossil fuels by that same year.

Like the rest of the series, the art for this series is fun to look at, colorful and nicely styled. It looks a little scratchy and messy at times, but at the same time that's part of its charm. The layout is simple and easy to follow, and there are some fun visual nods to the '70s throughout, which should appeal to older readers and help younger readers understand some of the quirks of the era. But through the haze, there are twinkling signs of hope popping up on rooftops across India's sprawling megacities: solar panels. As Ronald “Mac” McDonald, Rob McElhenney is Charlie’s childhood friend and the son of a convicted felon who often evidences amoral behavior and signs of body dysmorphia. McElhenney not only stars in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he acts as a creator and executive producer on the show as well. Before his work on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, McElhenney had a hand in a variety of other projects, including small roles in movies like Wonder Boys, A Civil Action, and Latter Days.