Customer Reviews (11)

someone else should have wrote this
A great title like this should be written by someone with experience in the field. There are a lot of sources from this guy named.... or this person from... This seems like someone just wanted to get a paycheck for writing a book on a hot topic.

Not Too Technical
Homeowners interested in sustainable living will want to delve into this book, which will give them the basics to begin thinking about alternative energy.

a sound , basic overview.
This is a great book for those who are looking at this topic for the first time. I wld recommend it to those who have just developed an interest in this area. It gives a basic overview & should wet the tastebuds for more - further information & weblinks are given in the back.

Perfect for the Public
This book gives just the right level of detail to get homeowners going with renewable energy.It gives the right level of detail to make financial and behavioral decisions.I liked the large number of references, as well--they give the reader the ability to look into particular subjects with more detail.

This book covers all the bases without getting to lengthy and losing the reader's interest.It will get you informed and then get you on your way.

Excellent Easy to Read Guide
This book covers all of the basics that you need to know. I was particularly interested in the solar stuff. The author explains how you can save and avoids being too technical. Highly recommended. Truthfully, this is the kind of book that should be required reading for every home builder, home owner, and school kid. ... Read more

Product Description
Covering the role of energy efficiency in housing and the formulation as well as implementation of policy, this work reviews both technical and non-technical aspects of energy efficiency in housing. Two case studies illustrate issues such as sustainability, ownership and planning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

These Two Books are Different!
I wanted to clarify what the reviewer above says about this book and "Smart Power". This book (The Renewable Energy Handbook) is geared more towards off-grid applications whereas Smart Power is for on-grid folks. Not surprisingly, there is some overlap between the two books but their focus is different, especially since The Renewable Energy Handbook has been revised and updated and is almost twice the size.

Basic RE and conservation information
This book is for the novice.Do not buy if you have purchased - Smart Power: An Urban Guide To Renewable energy and efficiency... they are almost identical.

Renewable Energy Handbook for Homeowners
i found more useful info on the internet for free

A clear and competent introduction
Here is a clear and thorough introduction for anyone interested in home renewable energy and energy efficiency. In my 30 years' professional experience in this field, I've seen good books, bad books, and obsolete books, so I appreciate this one! It's up-to-date for 2005, and will remain useful for years to come. The author gets his priorities straight, putting emphasis on conservation and efficiency, which is the key to making solar power economical. His coverage of system design and components is very good. This book will be useful for students, homeowners, and professionals who need an easy introduction. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Now available in an updated, revised, and expanded third edition, this is "the best all-around book for getting started with alternative energy." Photovoltaics (PV) pioneer Joel Davidson and coauthor Fran Orner bring this classic how-to text into the twenty-first century.

Condensing years of hands-on and industry experience, Davidson and Orner offer the reader a complete, concise, and reality-based education in PV. In clear and understandable language, they take you through the process of going solar electric, from making the decision to sizing, selecting, installing, and maintaining your system.

The third edition of The New Solar Electric Home continues its twenty-year tradition of offering "the most comprehensive how-to PV education available." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A complete and comprehensive guide to fully utilizing it for one's home
There is free electricity beaming down on one's house; one just needs to know how to use it. Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "The New Solar Electric Home: The Complete Guide to Photovoltaics for Your Home" is a guide for embracing solar energy for one's home and cutting one's traditional power bill immensely, while helping the planet as well. It's called Photovoltiacs and "The New Solar Electric Home" is a complete and comprehensive guide to fully utilizing it for one's home.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (32)

Easy to Read and Easy to Understand
This is a good starter book to get a general outline of what needs to be done.I only rated it three stars because I've already taken classes that offer a lot more detail.

Better than your average off-grid source book
Lots of good reading with in depth discussion of the authors own hot water and PV systems.I was impressed, the book is somewhat generic and tries to teach simple electrical formulas, boring the crap out of your average reader.The author was a bit too eco-conscious for my taste, but the info was good.Its going on my shelf for future reference.

Great informative book
I was very impressed with both the information and the easy to read and comprehend presentation.It is very easy to see the time and effort put into this book and the author has a very plain way for presenting the information.This book provides detailed advise on making your home a much more efficient and money saving place to live.It is not specifically geared towards Off-Grid Living and has a wealth of valuable information for any home owner wishing to have a more efficient house.It provides a good look at renewable energy options and is a great source of information.

limited information
This is yet another renewable energy book that is far to generalized and does not tell you how to really get off the grid.Lot's of information on how to do it to a tiny cabin, but not a regular house (at least in any specific terms).Pretty well written if you want to familiarize yourself with alternate energy or what's involved in going off the grid, but you sure won't know how to actually do it.Cheaper to read a few articles on-line than to buy this book.

WHAT A HANDBOOK!!!
This excellent work by the engineer William H. Kemp has made me to decide about installing my own small-wind turbine generator.

In this book you will find the basics about renewable energy, without entering in much technical details, so as a good introductory book it is excellent. Living in a farm with excellent resources all the year round, wind and water, not only I will install a wind generator, but because of this book I have started thinking about inmicro hydro electricity production, chapter 8; chapters 9 to 11, are dedicated with some extend to batteries, converters DC TO AC, and DC regulation or controllers.

Evidently if you want to know a little bit more you have to study more, I would recommend too to the excellent manual by Hugh Piggott, HOW TO BUILD A WIND TURBINE. ... Read more

Product Description

HERE COMES THE SUN! With page after page of creative and innovative ideas for using this limitless form of energy, as well as thoughtfully compiled lists of useful resources, Turn Me On is an introductory guide to understanding the exciting advances in a progressing technology that harnesses the boundless power of the sun to bring us clean, renewable energy.

Customer Reviews (2)

Helpful tips and ideas
I have to disagree with the previous review. The content and tips in this book are not commonly known and understood. If they were, we wouldn't be mired in the energy crisis in which we currently find ourselves. The book is well-written, easy-to-navigate and quite helpful. Even if you do know some of the ways to use solar energy, reminders are a good thing and keeping them at the forefront of our minds. Excellent book and, I think, very much worth it!

Wow what an idea "Open the curtans for light!"
This book has 101 ways to waste your money and time. Gibbs Smith publishing really missed the mark on this one. It is a collection of things that most everyone does already. Open curtans, close them. Really a great disapointment. ... Read more

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Choose Green Systems That Conserve Resources While Matching Your Budget and Lifestyle

Customer Reviews (2)

A top pick for any concerned homeowner
Little tweaks around the house can go a long way toward helping the planet. "Greening Your Home Sustainable Options for Every System in Your House" is a guide full of simple tips and tricks to green one's home. Greening one's home not only has benefits for the environment but can also bring efficiency in energy to one's power usage, saving money. "Greening Your Home" is a top pick for any concerned homeowner.

Choices that make more ecological sense
This book provides good information on choices available to those of us wanting to be less of a negative impact to our environment, starting with lifestyle changes as well as what we can do when furnishing, renovating, or building homes.The author recognizes that choices are important because everyone has different constraints and preferences, and what matters more is that individuals can make choices they can commit to.

The book is divided into three parts.Part One discusses building material substitutes that are environmentally friendlier than those they can replace.Part Two goes over technologies and devices that help enhance energy efficiency and improve water usage.Part Three suggests lifestyle changes that one can make to help eliminate waste, and government-sponsored programs that provide monetary assistance or incentives to individuals investing in energy-saving technologies or practices.

Each chapter explains how or why a material, device, or practice is superior to another in terms of environmental friendliness.In many -- but not all -- cases, relative cost comparisons are provided, and the discussion includes other potential tradeoffs so that readers are made aware of pluses and minuses.Almost all but two chapters end with a Resources Section that directs readers to other online information sources.

For me, a key take-away from this book is: Many of the choices that we make to contribute positively to the health of our environment not only make us healthier as well, but could also benefit us in other ways.For example, using energy-saving appliances can lead to net savings in time and money, as owners of front-loaded washing machines will tell you. So despite having minor shortcomings (some of which I've mentioned above), the book is, in my opinion, very well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
This updated handbook provides a range of methods and ideas to reduce energy bills. It presents step-by-step guidelines for hundreds of energy conservation opportunities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Principles
The Handbook of Energy Audits is written in a textbook format that makes it easy to follow and easy to find information you need without having to read the entire book. It is a comprehensive book that includes details for planning and conducting energy audits of a variety of facilities. The benchmark data on energy use (btu/sq ft) is very useful, but could be more detailed. This book is helpful to the person who needs to determine energy utilization and identify ways to conserve energy; however, it will not provide you with the information about your carbon footprint. With engineering knowledge one can take gather the information using these principles and then calculate the carbon footprint and other metrics for your busines.Taking Care of the Basics

Handbook of Energy Audits, by Albert Thumann
This manual is intended as an comprehensive reference to do an energy analysis of any system. The book provides all the information you need to establish an energy program for your building o industrial plant. I am very pleased with the content and presentation of your Handbook of Energy Audits. Congratulation.Jaime Amigo V.

a usefull book with good guidelines fort energyengineers
This book covers the most important subjects in Energy Audits (EA): from the Energy Audits background and Energy Accounting and Analysis, to case studiesof the most common systems that an energy engineer may have to deal with ... Read more