Solar Electricity Handbook - 2015 Edition

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2015 Edition by Michael Boxwell.

Now in its ninth edition, the book assumes no previous knowledge of solar electric systems. The book explains how solar panels work and how they can be used. It explains the advantages of solar energy and the drawbacks that you need to take into account when designing a solar power system.

As well as explaining the underlying principles, it provides a step-by-step guide so that you can successfully design and install a photovoltaic solar system from scratch. Unlike many guides, The Solar Electricity Handbook explains the principles behind the technology, allowing the reader to design solar energy systems with confidence. The book has been used all around the world, designing systems as diverse as providing entire African villages with electricity, powering vending machines, building grid-tied systems for housing, building a one-off solar electric car and creating lighting for an allotment shed.

Accompanying the book is a website that provides solar calculators and online tools to help simplify the solar design process, including a unique database of sunlight values for every major town and city in every country in the world that has been created specifically for this book in conjunction with NASA.

Readers can also get in touch with the author directly to ask questions and get further support with their solar projects.

Get it here: Solar Electricity Handbook - 2015 Edition.

Energy Saving LEDs

Got Sun? Go Solar: Get Free Renewable Energy to Power Your Grid-Tied Home

Book Review

Got Sun? Go Solar: Get Free Renewable Energy to Power Your Grid-Tied Home, by Rex A. Ewing and Doug Pratt. A straight-talking book tells grid-connected homeowners how to use free energy from the sun and wind to reduce or even eliminate their electric bills, and what to expect from this independent, thoughtful lifestyle. Whether you live in the sun-soaked Southwest, or windy North Dakota, alternative energy has come of age with affordable modern technology. Now with rebates and incentives from most states, installing a home system is an economically-attractive and environmentally-responsible option. Chapters include: - Why invest in alternative energy for your home? - Is it legal and safe? - How solar electricity really works - Batteries or not? - Sizing a system to fit your home and your needs - Got Wind? - What does it cost? - Does your state offer rebates or incentives? - Permits, Paperwork and Financing - The Nuts & Bolts: what to look for, what to avoid - Who does the installation? - Extensive appendix with resources, manufacturers, sizing worksheets, glossary, and more. The authors know firsthand how these systems work: Rex Ewing, author of "Power With Nature" and "Logs, Wind and Sun," has lived off-the-grid in the Colorado Rockies since 1999; and Doug Pratt, former technical editor of the "Solar Living Sourcebook," lives in a northern California grid-tied home and has been on the front lines of the renewable energy revolution since 1985. Order from Amazon.

Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual

Book Review

Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual, by Solar Energy International. 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. Used worldwide as the textbook in SEI's PV Design & Installation workshops, topics covered include:

The basics of solar electricity

PV applications and system components

Solar site analysis and mounting

Stand-alone and

PV/generator hybrid system sizing

Utility-interactive PV systems>/li>

Component specification, system costs and economics

Case studies and safety issues

Solar Energy International (SEI) has the nonprofit mission to respond to the need for renewable energy education. Based in Carbondale, Colorado, and active around the world, SEI is a link between people and renewable energy resources, providing information, education and training to people who want to shape a sustainable future. SEI is recognized by the National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as dedicated independent provider of PV training programs that may be used toward attaining PV certification. Also, SEI is recognized as an Accredited Institution to offer PV training by the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP). Order from Amazon.

Solar Power Your Home For Dummies

Book Review

Solar Power Your Home For Dummies, by Rik DeGunther. Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you’re looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you! This friendly, hands-on guide is packed with tips for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time. You’ll see how to survey your home to determine your current household energy efficiency and use, and evaluate where solar power would best benefit you. You’ll also calculate what the return on your investment will be before you make any decisions. Once you’ve decided on a project, you’ll see whether it’s best to hire a contractor or do it yourself. We leave no stone unturned—you’ll also discover how to:

Choose and install your best solar system

Handle small to large solar projects

Heat and cool your house with solar energy

Install exterior solar lighting

Handle swimming pool, water heater, or ventilation solar projects

Create greenhouses or solar rooms

Build, buy, or sell a solar home

Finance your solar investments

Take advantage of tax rebates and incentives associated with solar power

Avoid the worst solar mistakes

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest do-it-yourself solar projects, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source! Order from Amazon.

The Renewable Energy Handbook

Book Review

The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living, by William H. Kemp. 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. Since its release in 2003, The Renewable Energy Handbook has been a top-selling technology book and is recognized as the best book in its field. The book is augmented with hundreds of illustrations, line drawings, photographs, and appendices. William Kemp is VP Engineering of Powerbase Automation Systems Inc. and a consulting electronics/software designer who develops control systems for low environmental impact hydroelectric utilities worldwide. He is also an author, sustainable living and clean energy advocate working in renewable energy heating, energy efficiency, photovoltaic, micro-hydro and wind electric systems. Order from Amazon.

The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy

Book Review

The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower, by Dan Chiras. 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. 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 is an internationally acclaimed author who has published over 24 books, including The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy. He is a certified wind site assessor and has installed several residential wind systems. Dan lives in a passive solar home in Evergreen, Colorado. Order from Amazon.

Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius

Book Review

Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius, by Gavin Harper. Let the sun shine on your evil side - and have a wicked amount of fun on your way to becoming a solar energy master! In this guide, the popular Evil Genius format ramps up your understanding of powerful, important, and environmentally friendly solar energy - and shows you how to build real, practical solar energy projects you can use in your home, yard - even on the road! In Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius, high-tech guru Gavin Harper gives you everything you need to build more than 50 thrilling solar energy projects. You'll find complete, easy-to-follow plans, with clear diagrams and schematics, so you know exactly what's involved before you begin. You'll get illustrated instructions and plans for 30 amazing pretested solar energy projects that assume no prior experience with energy science, explanations of the science and math behind each project, projects that progress in difficulty - from simple ones that may inspire science fair entries - all the way to converting a real home to solar energy, and frustration-factor removal. Needed parts are listed, along with sources, plus all the tools you'll need. Gavin D. J. Harper is the author of 50 Awesome Auto Projects for the Evil Genius, Build Your Own Car PC, and Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius (all from McGraw-Hill), and has had work mentioned in the journal Science. Harper holds a BSc. (Hons) Technology from the Open University, has completed an MSc. Architecture: Advanced Environmental & Energy Studies, and is currently undertaking further Postgraduate study with the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University.Order from Amazon.

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Pet Shambhala

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book

Book Review

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living, by John Schaeffer. Concerns over dwindling resources and environmental degradation are driving many to seek alternatives to our wasteful, polluting lifestyle. Clean technologies such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel fuel are soaring in popularity. Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living, and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. This fully updated edition includes brand-new sections on Peak Oil, climate change, relocalization, natural burial, biodynamics, and permaculture. It also boasts the latest product listings and completely rewritten and expanded chapters on:

Land and shelter

Natural building

Passive solar

Biofuels

Sustainable transportation

Grid-tied photovoltaics

Solar hot water systems

Plus, over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, solar sizing worksheets, and much more

Whether you're a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the new sourcebook puts the latest research and products at your fingertips-all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality. John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods, the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable-energy products. Now merged with Gaiam, Real Goods has converted over sixty thousand homes to solar energy since 1978, when it sold the very first photovoltaic module in America. Real Goods hosts the annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California. Order from Amazon .

The Food of Northern Thailand

Solar Water Heating

Book Review

Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems, by Rob Ramlow and Benjamin Nusz. Heating water with the sun is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are strangely few resources on the topic in North America. Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water and 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

Since people often get turned off by the up-front cost, 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. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional. Bob Ramlow is the solar thermal consultant for the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program. The owner of a renewable energy company, he has over 30 years experience with solar energy systems. A founder and director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) he has authored a training manual on solar water & space heating. Benjamin Nusz currently works as a solar water heating consultant and site assessor in Wisconsin.Order from Amazon.

Independent Literature Gallery

Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion

Book Review

Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion, by M. A. Green. Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, is now the fastest growing technology for electricity generation. Present "first generation" products use the same silicon wafers as in microelectronics. "Second generation" thin-films, now entering the market, have the potential to greatly improve the economics by eliminating material costs. Martin Green, one of the world’s foremost photovoltaic researchers, argues in this book that "second generation" photovoltaics will eventually reach its own material cost constraints, engendering a "third generation" of high performance thin-films. The book explores, self-consistently, the energy conversion potential of advanced approaches for improving photovoltaic performance and outlines possible implementation paths. Order from Amazon.

Solar Energy: Principles of Thermal Collection and Storage

Book Review

Solar Energy: Principles of Thermal Collection and Storage, 3e, by S. P. Sukhatme and J. K. Nayak. The revision of this hallmark text on Solar Energy has been done keeping in mind the current scenario in Solar Energy requirements. As a result the book is updated with the energy scenario and the various applications of solar energy being used today. Numerous new topics comparison tables solved and unsolved problems, have been added and changes have been made to cater to the changing requirements of the students. In all it is the most updated and comprehensive yet concise book on the subject. S P Sukhatme is Professor Emeritus, Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. He has been a faculty member at the Institute since 1965 and has served as the Director from 1995 to 2000. He also served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board from 2000 to 2005. Professor Sukhatme is known for his contributions to teaching and research in the fields of heat transfer and energy, and has been the recipient of many honours. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of Indian in 2001. J K Nayak is Professor in the Department of Energy, Sciences and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. He has been a faculty member at the Institute since 1982. Prior to that he received, his PH.D. from IIT Delhi and served as a project staff in the Centre of Energy Studies there. Professor Nayak is known for hi research contributions in thermal applications of solar energy. He is the author of the Handbook on Energy Conscious Buildings dealing with passive solar principles in building design. Order from Amazon.

True Crime Review

The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future

Book Review

The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future, by Hermann Scheer. The global economy and our way of life are based on the exploitation of fossil fuels, which not only threaten massive environmental and social disruption through global warming but, at present rates of consumption, will run out within decades, causing huge industrial dislocation and economic collapse. Even before then, the conflicts it causes in the Middle East and elsewhere will be frighteningly exacerbated. The alternate exists: renewable energy from renewable sources – above all, solar. Substituting renewable for fossil resources will take a new industrial revolution to avert the worst of the damage and establish a new international order. It can be done, and it can be done in time. The Solar Economy, by one of the world’s most effective analysts and advocates, lays out the blueprints, showing how the political, economic and technological challenges can be met using indigenous, renewable and universally available resources, and the enormous opportunities and benefits that will flow from doing so. Order from Amazon.

Renewable Energy Made Easy

Book Review

Renewable Energy Made Easy: Free Energy from Solar, Wind, Hydropower, and Other Alternative Energy Sources, by David Craddock. 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. Recently, the United States has begun to understand the importance of reducing its reliance on coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower plants, which comprise the majority of the nation s electricity, due to increasing oil prices. Some sections of the country, including California, are turning to renewable energy sources. In fact, 12 percent of California s electricity is produced by renewable resources. The potential for the use of renewables is very large and understanding their use and their impact is key. Renewable Energy Made Easy will provide you with everything you need to know about these alternative energy sources. 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. In addition, you will learn about the current costs and the projected costs in the future, ENERGY STAR® regulations, the newest research and innovations, and the high development potential of renewable energy. 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. This book has taken the complexity and scientific terms out of this topic, making it jargon-free and easy to understand. 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. Order from Amazon.

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Lip Gravy Magazine

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power For Your Home

Book Review

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power For Your Home (2nd Edition), by Dan Ramsey and David Hughes. Solar Power (photovoltaics) is now a one-billion-dollar industry, and it’s poised to grow rapidly in the near future as more pressure is placed on limited fossil fuel resources and as advances in solar technology drive down the costs of residential solar systems. This book helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power makes sense for them, what their options are, and what’s involved with installing various on and off-grid systems. Fully illustrated, this book covers every conceivable solar-power topic and concern, including updated information on the increasing number of state rebate and incentive programs. Dan Ramsey is the author of more than 20 books for homebuilders and buyers, including construction and business guides and homeowner remodeling and repair books. David Hughes is the founder and president of Affordable Solar Group, LLC, one of the nation’s largest designers and distributors of renewable energy systems and services. Order from Amazon.

Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes

Book Review

Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, by John A. Duffie and William A. Beckman. The updated, cornerstone engineering resource of solar energy theory and applications. Solar technologies already provide energy for heat, light, hot water, electricity, and cooling for homes, businesses, and industry. Because solar energy only accounts for one-tenth of a percent of primary energy demand, relatively small increases in market penetration can lead to very rapid growth rates in the industryâwhich is exactly what has been projected for coming years as the world moves away from carbon-based energy production. Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, Third Edition provides the latest thinking and practices for engineering solar technologies and using them in various markets. This Third Edition of the acknowledged leading book on solar engineering features Complete coverage of basic theory, systems design, and applications, and updated material on such cutting-edge topics as photovoltaics and wind power systems. Order from Amazon.com.

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The world is largely moving away from the use of generators and non-renewable energy as the first choice when it comes to a primary electricity source. Instead people are using generators as a backup for when the power cuts Power Plant provides clients with a wide range of petrol generators and diesel generators from a variety of trusted brand names.