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Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity by Dan Chiras, 2009. Easy-to-understand, accurate, and comprehensive, this is the guide for anyone interested in installing a solar electric system. It provides a basic understanding of electricity, solar energy and the sun, and solar site assessment. It discusses the types of photovoltaics (PVs) and PV systems, advances in PVs, charge controllers, inverters, batteries, and generators, as well as the installation and maintenance of a PV system. This book is written for the layperson and is designed to raise the solar electricity literacy of readers. It provides a great overview of the many options available and is designed to help homeowners make wise decisions during the design, purchase, and installation of solar electric systems-and save a lot of money.
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Power From the Wind: Achieving Energy Independence by Dan Chiras, Mick Sagrillo, Ian Woofenden, 2009. Faced with frequent power outages, skyrocketing energy costs, and constant reminders of the impacts of conventional energy sources, homeowners and businesses are beginning to explore ways to use energy more efficiently and to generate their own electricity to reduce fuel bills and their carbon footprint and to achieve greater independence. Power From the Wind is an easy-to-understand guide for individuals and businesses interested in installing small wind energy systems and includes information on the following: Ways to assess wind resources at your site; Wind turbines, towers, inverters, and batteries; Installation, maintenance, and costs. This book is designed to help readers make the smartest, most economical choices. Readers will gain the knowledge they need to make wise decisions during the design, purchase, and installation of small wind energy systems and to communicate effectively with wind system installers.
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The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy : Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower by Dan Chiras, 2006. I read a pre-publication manuscript of this book, and wrote this for the book jacket: The Homeowners' Guide to Renewable Energy makes it abundantly clear the predicament that humankind has created regarding how we procure and use energy. Ways that we might extricate ourselves from this predicament are placed squarely on the shoulders of renewable forms of energy, rather than fossil fuels. This book shows how we, as individuals, have the power and technology available now to embrace renewable energy for a bright future. ---Kelly Hart, www.greenhomebuilding.com. The book covers solar hot water, cooking, and water purification; space heat: passive and active solar retrofits; wood heat; passive cooling; solar electricity; wind-generated electricity; electricity from microhydropower sources; emerging technologies-hydrogen, fuel cells, methane digesters, and biodiesel.--Kelly Hart
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The Solar Electricity Handbook 2009: A Simple, Practical Guide to Using Electric Solar Panels and Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar PV Systems by Michael Boxwell, 2009. Assuming no previous knowledge of solar panels, the book explains how solar panels work, how they can be used and explains the steps you need to take to successfully design and install a solar electric system from scratch using photovoltaic solar panels. Accompanying this book is a solar resource website containing lots of useful information, lists of suppliers and on-line solar energy calculators that will simplify the cost analysis and design processes. Now is the time to get on board with this exciting technology. Whether you simply want to learn the basics of how solar electricity works or if you are planning to install your own solar electric system, then this handbook will provide you with everything you need to know.
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Remodel Replace Refund!: Your DIY Guide to the 2009-2010 Federal Tax Credit for Homeowners by Editors of CPi, 2009.
Part home improvement book and part financial instrument, Remodel, Replace . Refund makes sense of the home remodeling provisions of the 2009-2010 Federal Tax Credit for Homeowners. Learn which types of improvements qualify and how to file the paperwork to get your share of this popular element of the Stimulus Plan. Then, see clear step-by-step photos that show how to do the work yourself--most of the credits apply only to materials, not to labor, so DIYers have a lot to gain. With this book as your guide you can make your house more energy efficient and more attractive by replacing windows and doors and making other qualifying upgrades . and save up to $1,500 on your tax bill at the same time.
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Basics of Energy Efficient Living: A Beginner's Guide to Alternative Energy and Home Energy Savings by Lonnie Wibberding, 2006. Whether you're building a new house or have an existing one, "Basics of Energy Efficient Living" shares the principles behind energy efficient living. Have you ever wondered: What is R-value? How much energy could I get from my creek? Can I use alternative energy in the city? How much heat will it take to keep my house warm? How much heat will I lose if I put in a bigger window? Learn what it takes to save energy, then take the next step and collect your own. Find out how much energy you can get from water, sun, wind, and wood. Discover how much energy you need by making an energy budget specific for your house. Learn energy principles as you design a house step-by-step. |
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Renewable Energy by Godfrey Boyle, 2005. Stimulated by recent technological developments and increasing concern over the sustainability and environmental impact of conventional fuel usage, the prospect of producing clean, sustainable power in substantial quantities from renewable energy sources arouses interest world-wide. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the principal types of renewable energy-including solar, thermal photovoltaics, bioenergy, hydro, tidal, wind, wave, and geothermal. In addition, the text explains the underlying physical and technological principles of renewable energy and examines the environmental impact and future prospects of different energy sources. It includes over 350 detailed illustrations, more than fifty tables of data, and a wide range of case studies. Renewable Energy, 2/e is ideal for undergraduate courses in energy, sustainable development, and environmental science.
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Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg Pahl, 2003. Greg Pahl offers a well-organized, easy-to-understand tour of all available renewable home-heating options, including wood, pellet, corn and grain-fired stoves, fireplaces, furnaces and boilers as well as masonry heaters, active and passive solar systems, and heat pumps. Learn how to burn environmentally friendly biodiesel fuels, not just in your car, but in your furnace or boiler. Included is everything you need to know about the fuels, systems, technologies, costs, and advantages and disadvantages of each option. Pahl teaches homeowners how to retrofit existing heating systems and choose renewable replacements, or design an entirely new house that can be heated comfortably with minimal environmental and financial impact.
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Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes by Aldo V. da Rosa, 2005. This book contains the technical detail necessary to understand the engineering principles that govern renewable energy application at many different levels. Focused on the fundamental mechanisms and processes that underpin energy management, it provides students with the foundation for all energy process courses. This text is organized according to the main forms of energy - heat engines, hydrogen energy, energy from the sun, and wind and water energy - with an introductory chapter of basic energy terms. From fuel cells, electrolyzers and processes for hydrogen production to biomass and windmills the author provides the most thorough examination of all aspects of renewable energy processes. * Examines the fundamentals of some non-traditional energy processes and illustrates the best way to implement these processes in our modern world. * Appropriate for all students and professionals studying the basic mechanisms of renewable energies. * Clear theory and physical examples of all principles relevant to the study of renewable energy. * Author is an internationally recognized pioneer researcher. |
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Photovoltaics : Design and Installation Manual by Solar Energy International, 2004. Producing electricity from the sun using photovoltaic (PV) systems has become a major industry worldwide. But designing, installing and maintaining such systems requires knowledge and training, and there have been few easily accessible, comprehensive guides to the subject. Now, with Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual, a world-class solar energy training and education provider-Solar Energy International (SEI)-has made available the critical information to successfully design, install and maintain PV systems. The book contains an overview of photovoltaic electricity and a detailed description of PV system components, including PV modules, batteries, controllers and inverters. It also includes chapters on sizing photovoltaic systems, analyzing sites and installing PV systems, as well as detailed appendices on PV system maintenance, troubleshooting and solar insolation data for over 300 sites around the world. |
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The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living by William H. Kemp, 2006. As oil prices continue to rise, many people are starting to think about how to unhook from the electricity grid. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses completely on off-grid, sustainable living and rural energy independence. Author/engineer William H. Kemp, who is a leading expert in small- and mid-scale renewable energy technologies, designed and built his own off-grid home. The result is a house that has all the standard "middle-class" creature comforts while using less than five times the total fossil-fuel energy of the average North American house. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses on the unique requirements of off-grid living and contains chapters on energy conservation; heating and cooling; backup power; domestic water heating; wireless communications; photovoltaic, wind, and microhydro energy generation; battery selection; and inverters.
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Renewable Energy Made Easy: Free Energy from Solar, Wind, Hydropower, and Other Alternative Energy Sources by David Craddock, 2008.
Studies have shown that the average North American family will spend more than a quarter of a million dollars on energy in a lifetime. What many other countries, including Germany, Spain, France, Denmark, China, Brazil, and even Iceland, have realized is that there is a better way to power our homes, businesses, and cars by using renewable energy sources. The potential for the use of renewables is very large and understanding their use and their impact is key. You will learn about solar power, wind power, water power, biofuels, geothermal energy, ethanol, wave farms, photovoltaic power plants, and hydrogen fuels. You will also become well-versed on the availability, aesthetics, environmental and social considerations, and longevity issues of these so-called soft energy technologies. This book will serve as a guide to creating more efficient buildings and an invaluable resource for how to change our preconceived notions about power. Ultimately, you will learn how our country can improve energy efficiency, reduce oil dependence, improve energy security, and reduce the health and environmental impact of our current energy system.
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Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry by Travis Bradford, 2008.
Fund manager and former corporate buyout specialist Travis Bradford argues-on the basis of standard business and economic forecasting models-that over the next two decades solar energy will increasingly become the best and cheapest choice for most electricity and energy applications. Solar Revolution outlines the path by which the transition to solar technology and sustainable energy practices will occur. Solar energy will eventually be the cheapest source of energy in nearly all markets and locations because PV can bypass the aging and fragile electricity grid and deliver its power directly to the end user, fundamentally changing the underlying economics of energy. Ultimately, the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy will take place not because solar energy is better for the environment or energy security, or because of future government subsidies or as yet undeveloped technology. The shift to solar energy is inevitable and will be as transformative as the last century's revolutions in information and communication technologies. |
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Renewable and Alternative Energy Resources: A Reference Handbook by Zachary Smith, Katrina Taylor, 2008.
This volume provides an insightful overview of renewable and alternative energy technologies and policies in the United States and around the world. This book provides an authoritative, unbiased overview of existing and potential renewable and alternative energy technologies, covering the benefits and drawbacks associated with each. It then looks at a number of specific questions and controversies on this issue, examining the social, political, and economic aspects of renewable and alternative energy use in the United States and other countries - detailing different approaches and activities of international organizations, national governments, and private sector initiatives. It includes an exhaustive introductory essay and a chronology of key events, movements, and legislation. It also includes a chronology of technological developments, events, and policies related to renewable and alternative energy. It contains a glossary of renewable and alternative energy related concepts including Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), net metering, and stages of technology development.
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The Manhattan Project of 2009: Renewable Energy NOW by Jeff Wilson, 2008.
In 2002, oil was $22 a barrel. Now it is well over $100 a barrel, with no end in sight. The average person is in shock at the price of a tank of gas. Is this shortage for real, or is it made up, just like the shortages in the 1970's? And either way, what can be done about it? "I wanted to know what the truth is, and what our options are," says author Jeff Wilson. "I found that if I dig deep enough, I can find the facts, do the math, and see just where we are at. Also, it became quite clear just how we should deal with this situation." Framed as a legislative agenda for the next president to take office in 2009, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the situation, an examination of the options, and develops the first truly comprehensive energy plan. In it, you will find facts, analyses, and perspectives that you won't find anywhere else.
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Do It Yourself Solar Panels for Swimming Pools, Spas & more DVD, 2006. Solar Powered Panel Instructional DVD & Plans for water heating. A simple step-by-step, DIY, easy to follow solar panel construction DVD. No special tools required. Sleek design, professional look and ease of fabrication. Heating system fully integrates into your existing pool piping network. 3500 watts (12,000BTU) of free solar power per panel. 10+degrees F increase in water temperature in one day. Engineered for maximum robustness and weatherability.
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The Book of Masrony Stoves: Rediscovering an Old Way of Warming by David Lyle, 1998. This book has many illustrations and covers the history of masonry heating systems. It is both extensive and well-written. It will provide new ideas about masonry heating.
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Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water And Space Heating Systems by Bob Ramlow, Benjamin Nusz, 2006. This book reviews the history of solar water & space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages; System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance; System sizing and siting; Choosing the appropriate system. The book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run.
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Homebrew Wind Power by Dan Bartmann and Dan Fink, 2008.
Have you ever wondered how wind turbines work and why they look like they do? Are you interested in adding wind power to your off-grid electric system, but have been put off by the high cost of equipment and installation? Well, now you can build and install your own wind turbine! Harnessing the wind can be a tricky business, but in this groundbreaking book the authors provide step-by-step, illustrated instructions for building a wind generator in a home workshop. Even if you don't plan on building your own turbine, this book is packed with valuable information for anyone considering wind energy. It covers the basic physics of how the energy in moving air is turned into electricity, and most importantly, will give you a realistic idea of what wind energy can do for you--and what it can't.
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Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition: A Guide to Home- and Community-Scale Wind-Energy Systems by Paul Gipe, 2009.
Wind power can realistically not only replace the lion's share of oil-, coal-, and naturalgas- fired electrical plants in the U.S., but also can add enough extra power capacity to allow for most of the cars in the nation to run on electricity. Gipe explains why such a startlingly straightforward solution is eminently doable and can be accomplished much sooner than previously thought-and will have the capacity to resuscitate small and regional economies. Wind Energy Basics offers a how-to for home-based wind applications, with advice on which wind turbines to choose and which to avoid. He guides wind-energy installers through considerations such as renewable investment strategies and gives cautionary tales of wind applications gone wrong. And for the activist, he suggests methods of prodding federal, state, and provincial governments to promote energy independence.
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Power From the Wind: Achieving Energy Independence by Dan Chiras, Mick Sagrillo, Ian Woofenden, 2009. Faced with frequent power outages, skyrocketing energy costs, and constant reminders of the impacts of conventional energy sources, homeowners and businesses are beginning to explore ways to use energy more efficiently and to generate their own electricity to reduce fuel bills and their carbon footprint and to achieve greater independence. Power From the Wind is an easy-to-understand guide for individuals and businesses interested in installing small wind energy systems and includes information on the following: Ways to assess wind resources at your site; Wind turbines, towers, inverters, and batteries; Installation, maintenance, and costs. This book is designed to help readers make the smartest, most economical choices. Readers will gain the knowledge they need to make wise decisions during the design, purchase, and installation of small wind energy systems and to communicate effectively with wind system installers.
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Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity by Dan Chiras, 2009. Easy-to-understand, accurate, and comprehensive, this is the guide for anyone interested in installing a solar electric system. Power from the Sun provides a basic understanding of electricity, solar energy and the sun, and solar site assessment. It discusses the types of photovoltaics (PVs) and PV systems, advances in PVs, charge controllers, inverters, batteries, and generators, as well as the installation and maintenance of a PV system. This book is written for the layperson and is designed to raise the solar electricity literacy of readers. It provides a great overview of the many options available and is designed to help homeowners make wise decisions during the design, purchase, and installation of solar electric systems-and save a lot of money. Providing readers with the knowledge necessary to communicate effectively with PV installers, Power From the Sun is a great guide for homeowners, business owners, installers, architects, building department officials, utility company employees, and just about anyone else who wants to lower their energy bills or achieve greater energy independence.
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LINKS
discoverperfectenergy.com offers a free matching service for renewable energy projects with qualified contractors and associations.
findsolar.com An online directory of solar energy professionals
greenmadesimple.com gives users access to energy efficiency incentives and rebates, searchable by zip code.
solar.coolerplanet.com features a directory of solar professionals, solar power cost calculator, and interactive solar maps for researching the Solar Power potential of your home, checking out federal, state, and local rebates and incentives.
greenhouse.gov.au this very informative on-line manual provides an overview of energy use, including appliances, hot water, heating and cooling, lighting, and renewable electricity production, storage and delivery.
dsireusa.org The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.
repp.org Renewable Energy Policy Project's comprehensive site features articles, discussion groups, events calendar, searchable database and employment oportunities.
naturalhomes.org lists workshops from around the world related to renewable energy.
renewableenergyaccess free weekly newletter on on-line information about renewable energy.
ases.org the American Solar Energy Society publishes "Solar Today" and posts articles on-line.
ecoforums.com a group of forums related to ecological living, including solar, wind, hydro, and biomass.
homepower.com website for Home Power Magazine.the best source of up-to-date information about alternative energy for the home!
solarenergy.org Solar Energy International on-line courses.
seia.org the Solar Energy Industries Association provides news and has a database of solar contractors.
the-mrea.org Midwest Renewable Energy Association site with information on PV, solar water heating, their annual fair, etc.
lowimpact.org the Low-Impact Linging Initiative in England provides information and courses related to renewable energy.
dsireusa.org database of state incentives for renewable energy.
solaraccess.com news, education, business listings and jobs related to renewable energy.
awea.org American Wind Energy Association provides a wealth of information about generating energy from wind.
nrel.gov/wind The National Wind Technology Center features lots of information about wind energy.
alt-e.blogspot.com A very interesting, well presented and researched blog about all aspects of alternative energy.
crest.org Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology freesunpower.com this site has assembled a detailed set of free tutorials and worksheets for calculating needs and system requirements for solar electricity.
Seabird Island Project shows unique design for the solar heating of water and space through warm air collection and geothermal heat tubes.
webconx.com extensive site devoted to renewable energy, transportation, shelter, etc.
cirkits.com links to manufacturers, organizations, etc. related to alternative energy.
knowlegehound.com links to hydro, PV, wind, etc.
chimneykeepers.com introduction to masonry stoves.
envisioneer.net has free plans, description and photos of how to build a small masonry stove with paving stones.
Sustainable Life a wealth of information about renewable energy, especially in Europe.
ecs-solar.com available from this page are sample chapters from Solar Hot Water Systems - Lessons Learned 1977 to Today: The Solar Industry's Water Heater Bible, as well as these free booklets: SOLAR ELECTRICITY 101, SOLAR HOT WATER 101, SOLAR POOL HEATING 101
nextenergysolar.com an annotated directory of websites dealing with solar energy.
mayapedal.org an amazing collection of pedal-powered machines, including grain mill, water pump, blender, metal sharpener, washing machine, electrical generator, wood saw, etc.
windstreampower.com features a human-powered generator.
starrynightlights.com is devoted to diminishing light pollution.
arti-india.org a description of a simple biodigestor to make methane...from India.
rumford.com lots of information about Rumford fireplaces.
jointhesolution.com this company leases PV systems to residential customers for the same cost as normal monthly payments!
sitiosolar.com a Spanish language site that focuses on renewable energy.
siliconsolar.com features a forum for learning and sharing information about solar energy.
aboutmyplanet.com has lots of articles about solar power.
microhydropower.com describes how the "Steam Engine" works to produce electricity from running water.
alternativepowerdistribution.com describes evacuated tube solar water heating systems.
solar.calfinder.com describes and links to three manufacturers of solar roof shingles.
ecodirect.com links to several informative articles about renewable energy technology.
escueladeenergiasolar.org shows the building of a solar energy school in Mexico using earthbags. |
