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What You Never Knew About The Puppy Bowl

The Super Bowl is just around the corner. Many fans are gearing up for the big game but it’s safe to say many are also big fans of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl. Some of us almost like the Puppy Bowl more than the Super Bowl. In honor of the biggest show of the year here are some things you never knew about the Puppy Bowl. All those adorable Puppy Bowl puppies are shelter dogs - Everyone loves a good player back story, which is why everyone loves the back stories of each & every one of the Puppy Bowl lineup: They’re all shelter dogs! Flown in from rescues across the country, each & every one of those adorably fluffy dogs is 100% adoptable. Just like the NFL, there’s a sideline vet on-hand - making sure the players are staying safe, healthy & hydrated during the big match. Also on the field? Reps from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals & the American Humane Assoc. to ensure each dog gets VIP treatment & everyone is playing nicely. The Puppy Bowl takes days to film, and over 50 dogs - Unlike the Super Bowl (which lasts for four-ish hours) the Puppy Bowl is a multi-day, double-digit hours production with a crazy number of staffers & volunteers. The 2014 Puppy Bowl featured a poppin’ tailgate party - Emphasis on the tail. It wouldn’t be a tailgate party without some unexpected guests, so the Animal Planet invited kittens & cats, penguins, hamsters, party dogs & police dogs - just in case things got a little out of hand. Another fun fact? Every tailgate partier was also up for adoption...with the exception of the penguins.

Dogs are inspired to lick the camera with peanut butter - Believe it or not, the dogs are not naturally drawn to the camera with a primal desire to lick the lens. We’ve got peanut butter to thank for that, which is very much driven by a primal desire to eat all things.

Those puppies go through a lot of toys - The Puppy Bowl goes down on a 10’x19’ field & the football - er, toys - are swapped out every 20 minutes to make sure everyone stays fully entertained during filming. Anything that makes noise or resembles meat is the ultimate in the eyes of the contender, which makes all the sense.

You must be this tall to play in the Puppy Bowl - Just like in the land of the pros, not everyone is cut out to be a Puppy Bowl player (even though we’re sure the fine humans at Animal Planet would love to have ’em). Players must be between 12-21 weeks old & fit within certain height & weight parameters.

There’s a lot of poop. A LOT. - It wouldn’t be the Puppy Bowl without, wait for it, poop! Yep. There’s an average of four presents every 20 minutes of play, & bathroom breaks during timeouts & halftime are heavily encouraged. The Puppy Bowl will air on the Animal Planet Sunday, February 12th. For more fun facts visit www.rover.com

Shedding Some Light On Home Solar

Consumers shopping around for home improvement projects may be leaning toward overhauls that can reduce energy consumption & save them money in the long run. This is a driving factor behind a growing number of homeowners investigating solar energy for their residences.

How does solar power work? Solar power harnesses the sun’s energy & converts it into electricity that can be used in homes. Many people are familiar with photovoltaics (PV), which are the panels that absorb sunlight & create an electric field across their layers. Another solar technology, known as concentrating solar power, is primarily used in large power plants & is not appropriate for residential use, according to Energy.gov. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, hundreds of thousands of solar panels have been put in use across the United States since 2008.

Costs associated with solar - The upfront expense of solar panels is significant, costing anywhere from $10,000-$14,000 for initial installation. However, comparatively speaking, homeowners can spend $1,500 or more per year on electricity, so solar panels will pay for themselves over time. Keep in mind that costs may vary depending on energy needs & how many panels will be required to service the system.

How much electricity can I expect? The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice says that the amount of power generated from a solar energy system depends on a few factors:

1. The average number of hours of direct, unshaded sunlight your roof gets each year;

2. The pitch (angle), age & condition of your roof, & the compass direction it faces;

3. The size & strength of your system; and

4. Environmental factors such as snow, dust or shade that may cover the system. Save even more money - Consumers can contact their utility companies to find out if they provide homeowners who produce solar power with “net metering.” This program pays the homeowner money or gives credit for excess power the system produces & returns to the electric grid. Individuals also may be eligible for energy tax credits or other benefits.

Homeowners may find it worthwhile to explore solar energy, particularly if they consume a high amount of electricity.