Solar and Renewable Energy Products Alternative future fuels » guide

The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower (Mother Earth News Wiser Living)

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:23:24 +0000

The coming energy crisis caused by a peak in global oil and natural gas production will profoundly affect the lives of all North Americans. As the price of these vital fuels rises, homeowners will scramble to cut their fuel bills. Two options for meeting the upcoming challenge are dramatic improvements in home energy efficiency and efforts to tap into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources to heat and cool homes, to provide hot water and electricity, and even to cook. These measures can result in huge savings and a level of energy independence.

The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy tells you how. It starts by outlining the likely impacts of fossil fuel shortages and some basic facts about energy. It then discusses energy conservation to slash energy bills and prepare for renewable energy options. Focusing carefully on specific strategies needed to replace specific fuels, the book then examines each practical energy option available to homeowners:

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

The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and, for those wanting do installations themselves, it recommends more detailed manuals. With a complete resource listing, this well-illustrated and accessible guide is a perfect companion for illuminating the coming dark age.

Dan Chiras has studied renewable energy and energy efficiency for three decades and has installed several renewable energy systems. He lives in a self-designed passive solar/solar electric home. An award-winning author of over 20 books, he is a sustainability design consultant who teaches courses on renewable energy, green building, and sustainability at Colorado College.

The Renewable Energy Handbook, Revised Edition: The Updated Comprehensive Guide to Renewable Energy and Independent Living

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:15:09 +0000

This revised edition of The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses on the unique requirements of off-grid living as well as using "green" energy for homeowners who remain connected to the electrical utility. The book contains chapters on:

Energy efficiency and economics
Home heating and cooling and domestic water heating
Photovoltaic, wind, and micro-hydro energy generation
Battery selection and inverters
Backup power, wireless communications, etc.

It includes comprehensive specifications for many of the products available in the market today.

Whether you are just curious or an industry expert, this handbook will show you how to stretch your energy dollars (doing much more with less) while powering your home with renewable energy. And, unlike fossil fuels or nuclear energy, renewable energy frees you from worry about dumping today's pollution on tomorrow's children.

Since its release in 2003, The Renewable Energy Handbook has been a top-selling technology book and is recognized as the best in its field.

This edition has been fully revised for 2010 and beyond. It has been increased in size to an easy-to-read 8 x 10 inch format, and it is augmented with hundreds of illustrations, line drawings, photographs, and appendices.

Author/engineer William H. Kemp is a leading expert in renewable energy technologies. He and his wife designed and built their own off-grid home, which has all the standard middle-class creature comforts while using no fossil-fuel energy. The author showcases an assortment of homes, including his own, to demonstrate real-world application of the technologies.

A Beginners Guide To Solar Panels

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:19:42 +0000

If you have any interest at all in renewable energy... if you want to find out how much money you could possibly save by “going green”... or you just want to figure out whether renewable energy is even a REAL option for your needs... then this guide was written just for you.

Extreme Green Guide to Solar Electricity: A Beginner’s Reference to Photovoltaic Power

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:19:39 +0000

Understand the basic concepts and components of a photovoltaic solar panel systrem from soup to nuts. Designed for the beginner, use of non-technical terms and boring explanations are vacant from this simple explanation of what is takes to ahrvest electricity from the sun.

Withjout trying to sell you anything, you can understand if havesting electricity from the sun is possible and if so roughly what you can expect.

Incluoded are charts of solar-prominant areas, tips on lowering your electrical load, and step-by-step instructions on how to choose panels, inverters, batteries, etc.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Solar Power for Your Home, 3rd Edition (Complete Idiot’s Guides)

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:19:12 +0000

All the power you need is already there.

This third edition helps readers understand the basics of solar (photovoltaic) power and explore whether it makes sense for them, what their options are, and what's involved with installing various on- and off-grid systems.

*Solar power is a $3 billion industry, and it's poised to grow to $39 billion by 2014

*By 2011, the United States will surpass Germany as the largest market for solar power products

Large-Scale Solar Power System Design (GreenSource): An Engineering Guide for Grid-Connected Solar Power Generation (Mcgraw-Hill’s Greensource Series)

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:18:59 +0000

The Definitive Guide to Large-Scale, Grid-Connected Solar Power System Design and Construction

This GreenSource book provides comprehensive engineering design and construction guidelines for large-scale solar power system projects. Proven design methodologies are detailed installation diagrams are included in this practical resource.

Large-Scale Solar Power System Design offers complete coverage of solar power system technologies and components, planning, cost estimates, financing, project management, safety, and testing. This authoritative guide fully addresses the complex technical and management issues associated with large-scale, grid-connected solar power system implementations.

COVERAGE INCLUDES:

Solar power system technologies, including photovoltaic and thin-film solar cells
Solar power system physics
Photovoltaic power system feasibility study
Solar power system costing
Solar power system design
Large-scale solar power system construction
Concentrator photovoltaic systems
Solar power system project management
Smart-grid systems
Solar thermal power
Solar power financing and feed-in tariff programs

Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity (Mother Earth News Book for Wiser Living)

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:17:52 +0000

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.

Dan Chiras is president of Sustainable Systems Design, Inc., a residential renewable energy and green building consulting firm, and is director of The Evergreen Institute’s Center for Renewable Energy and Green Building, which offers workshops on residential renewable energy and green building. He is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author and has published twenty-five books, including The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy and Power from the Wind.

Solar Electricity Basics: A Green Energy Guide

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:17:43 +0000

The future will be powered by renewables. As we transition away from finite and polluting fossil fuels, clean, reliable, and affordable renewable technologies such as solar electricity will become the mainstay of our energy supply.

Solar Electricity Basics provides a clear understanding of electricity and energy. It discusses the types of solar electric system you can choose from, their components, solar site assessment, the installation of photovoltaic systems, and much more.

Whether your goal is to lower your energy bill or to achieve complete energy independence, Solar Electricity Basics is the introduction you need.

Dan Chiras is a respected educator and an internationally acclaimed author who has published more than twenty-five books on residential renewable energy and green building, including Power From the Sun.

Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:24:53 +0000

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 systemsâ��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. Dan Chiras is president of Sustainable Systems Design, Inc., a residential renewable energy and green building consulting firm, and is director of The Evergreen Instituteâ��s Center for Renewable Energy and Green Building, which offers workshops on residential renewable energy and green building. He is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author and has published twenty-five books, including The Homeownerâ��s Guide to Renewable Energy and Power from the Wind.

Wind Power Basics: A Green Energy Guide

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:55:30 +0000

Wind energy is the fastest growing source of energy in the world, and by the year 2020 it is projected to supply at least 12 percent of global electrical demand. Wind Power Basics provides a clear understanding of wind and wind energy systems, including turbines, towers, inverters and batteries, site assessment, installation, and maintenance requirements. Whether youâ��re considering your own small-scale wind energy system or just want a straightforward, detailed introduction to the benefits and challenges of this rapidly emerging technology, Wind Power Basics is the guide you need. Dan Chiras is a respected educator and an internationally acclaimed author who has published more than twenty-five books on residential renewable energy and green building, including Power From the Wind.