The Homeowners Guide To Energy Independence: Alternative Power Sources For The Average American

by Christine Woodside

Fossil fuels make up 90 percent of the world''s energy sources. Fossil fuels provoke wars, make us ill, and endanger the planet--and they''re running out. Have you ever felt like declaring your independence? Can the average American begin to move away from traditional energy sources without pulling out of society? The answer is Yes! A revolution is afoot, and it''s happening quietly in homes across the country. There are other options beyond oil and coal, and it only takes access to information to begin making the switch.

Homeowners Guide to Energy Independence is a guide to the most viable and affordable alternative energy sources, including solar panels, wind generators, hydrogen fuel cells, wood, hydroelectric, and more. Whether you want to moderately supplement your traditional fuel-burning furnace, or completely revamp your home, this book has all the information you will need. You''ll learn about the most progressive and advanced options that have become available to the consumer as well as tried-and-true energy conservation techniques. You''ll learn how much each method costs, and how quickly you will recoup any investment in alternative energy. A chapter covers fuel-efficient cars and alternative fuel transportation. Also included are a list of contacts and resources, so you can get started today.

Homeowners Guide to Energy Independence is for all urbanites, suburbanites, and residents of the country alike. It is for anyone who gets their electricity and heat from traditional oil-burning sources, but wants to be proactive in achieving freedom from fossil-fuel dependence.

178 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dated and incomplete, seriously needs updating.

[Mason Kuhlmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I found the information about the HHO cells very interesting, as I was planning to build one myself. This book not only explains the reason that HHO is not effective, but also explains many of our other resources. A few of these resources are wind, water, and, my favorite, solar energies.
The first chapter of the book was actually not about alterative methods of gathering the energy we need. the first chapter was the statistics. The statistics show the vast amounts of energy america uses, where the energy comes from, and the predictions of when petroleum will run out. These are the scariest of the statistics. America depends on petroleum for 40% of its energy, and only half that for the second place energy. Petroleum will peter out in 2050. We are on a train, headed strait to crazy-town.
One of the best people for alternate energy in our countries history, was not actually anywhere near our time. This man was Jimmy Carter. Who would have guessed that the best president in american history(my opinion) would be a small-town penut farmer. Jimmy carter got the country running to the solar manufacturers, and the most solar energy was being used in his time! He even installed solar water heating in the white house! Unfortunately, the world was not ready for him. After the depression, solar energy had lost its appeal. People no longer wanted to help the planet. Jimmy carter wanted america to run on 20% solar energy by 2000. By 2004, America was only running off 3% of all renewable energy.
This book is written like many biographies, because of how it includes personal experiences. The information in this book is very informative, and I reccomend that anyone who predicts that the will live to 2025 should read it, because if you do not prepare, you will be under one mammoth of a debt.

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic overview for the homeowner of what are rational changes to make. Litte advanced information.