Emily Kwong

Darcy Hughes lives a few miles north of Seattle, Washington, and has got this big towering cedar tree that grows right next to her house.

Cedars are evergreens, so all year long, this tree casts a long, dappled shadow over her front yard.

And Darcy wants to know, should she keep the tree or cut it down to install solar panels on her roof?

Yes.

Now, there are nearly 6 million solar energy installations in the U.S.

alone.

Hmm.

And when it comes to home solar, a lot of people make the switch because most public utilities rely on fossil fuels.

Like coal, like natural gas.

Yeah, but Darcy is in this really unique situation because Snohomish County, most of its energy comes from hydropowered dams.

So 90% of her energy is already carbon free.

Got it.

Wait, so then what's the point of installing solar?

She wants to be self-reliant, and it wouldn't hurt to lower her electric bills by making her own energy.

But at what cost?

And is it worth the life of a tree?

Fair, but Hannah, I'm going to change your mind because solar panels are actually glorious.

They are the end result of humankind's enduring ambition to harness the power of the sun.

These scientists at Bell Labs back in the 1950s used the photovoltaic effect.

This is Jenny Heinzen, master electrician and the curriculum director at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.