Product Description

The bestselling alternative energy reference book in North America—now in an updated edition

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 For Dummies, 2nd Edition takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you!

This new edition gives you hands-on tips and techniques for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time. Plus, you’ll get all the latest information on changes to federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and tax incentives that seek to make solar-power adoption more feasible.

• Expanded coverage of the technology that underpins full-scale solar-power systems for the home
• New small- and mid-sized solar products, projects, and applications
• Rik DeGunther is a design engineer who started his own energy consulting firm

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest DIY solar projects, Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14122 in Books
• Published on: 2010-01-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 408 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780470596784
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From the Back Cover
A new edition of the best-selling guide to solar power

Want solar power in your home? Whether you're looking to save on energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, this friendly guide takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you! Plus, you'll get all the latest updates on changes to federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and tax incentives that make solar-power adoption more feasible.

Understanding why solar is king — find out how you can put solar power to use to reap financial rewards, lessen your carbon footprint, and gain independence from fossil fuels

Here comes the sun — learn to evaluate your solar potential, plot your sun charts, calculate payback on your investment, and install your solar system

Practical applications — get easy-to-follow information on how to use solar energy in a variety of projects inside and outside your home

Exploring full-scale photovoltaic systems — discover the benefits of powering your home with a PV system, understand how the system works, and find out how to install one

Building, retrofitting, and selling — get practical guidance on building a solar-powered home from the ground up, installing solar in an existing home, and selling your solar home

Open the book and find:

• Tips on surveying your household energy efficiency and use

• Ways to evaluate your solar potential

• Small- and medium-sized DIY projects

• Advice on analyzing solar investments

• An introduction to building codes and regulations

• Ways to take advantage of your lot's features

• Information on installing PV systems

• The ten best solar investments

About the Author
Rik DeGunther is the founder of Efficient Homes, an energy auditing and consulting firm. He holds a BS in Engineering Physics and dual Masters degrees in Applied Physics and Engineering Economic Systems. Rik is also the author of Energy Efficient Homes For Dummies and Alternative Energy For Dummies.

Customer Reviews

Practical Solar for beginner to intermediate
This is a good introduction to how the energy from the sun can be put to practical everyday use. If you don't like to read a lot of technical stuff, this book is for you. Quick, easy reading the non-technical average person. with references for more information. This book has practical projects for the person who already has some knowledge of solar energy as well. If you're looking for a really detailed technical book of how to design and install your own solar collector (electrical or water), better get a different book. My 5-star rating is for those who are beginners or those that have a little knowledge of solar energy.

The Whole Picture
As an electronic engineer, I originally looked at home solar energy as a chance to buy some cool gear to play with, while saving money in the bargain. As I delved into the book, my outlook changed. I was surprised to find how complex a home's energy use situation can be, and that some money can be saved before connecting a single wire. Even as I later relished the chapters covering solar electricity generation, I still noted the frequent reminders and references to non-electrical aspects of a "solar" home, as well as practical financial and regulatory realities to consider in choosing a system. In short, I came away from my first reading with a much more balanced perspective on solar energy, and I'll continue to re-read as a reference. Of course, I'm still hankerin' after that gear, yet, at least, now I have a better picture of what's really useful. Plus, I'm off to a good start in being knowledgable enough to deal effectively with those installation contractors. Well done!

This book answered ALL my questions clearly!
My husband and I have become increasingly consciencious about saving our natural resources. It has been our goal to add solar panels to our house but most of the books out there were not written for the average person. This book answered all our questions in a language we could easily understand. We learned how to make solar power an investment throughout our entire house! How cool is that?

The awesome thing about this book is it goes way beyond explaining the money we can save but includes vital tips on what not to do. I love when a book keeps me from making mistakes. I could go on and on about this book because I'm thrilled I finally have a great reference tool. I am eagerly anticipating creating a home that will actually not take so many of our precious resources from the earth.